Machine Learning/Research Engineer Graduate (Monetization Technology-Ads Core Global) - 2027 Start (PhD)

We are the Ads Core ML Team from TikTok Global Monetization Technology. Our core mission is to generate revenue and optimize the user experience on the world's leading short-form video platform. Within the global monetization and advertising landscape, we accelerate TikTok revenue growth through advanced machine learning technology and deliver optimal user experience solutions. You will be part of a team optimizing ads format and ranking strategies to bring a better return on investment for advertisers.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop a cutting-edge global advertising delivery system using advanced technologies, including ML/DL, RL, LLM, and scaling laws in ad recommendation.
• Optimize efficiency across the entire advertising funnel, focusing on Recall & Rough-sort, Fine-sort (CTR/CVR), format/creative personalization, and system resource allocation.
• Design and establish system frameworks and standards to continuously enhance modeling efficiency.
• Build and manage the delivery pipeline, encompassing modeling, bidding, traffic strategy, and optimizing organic video recommendation systems to meet diverse vertical business needs.
• Drive the influence of user experience and revenue targets, establishing the team as a core pillar within the organization.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Individuals who are completing or have recently completed a PhD degree in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Solid programming skills, proficient in C/C++ and Python.
• Familiar with basic data structures and algorithms.
• Familiar with Linux development environment.
• Good theoretical grounding in machine learning/deep learning/algorithm concepts and techniques.
• Familiar with architecture and implementation of at least one mainstream machine learning programming framework (TensorFlow/Pytorch/MXNet), including its architecture and implementation mechanism.
• Good analytical thinking and critical thinking capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Participation in national math/coding competitions (e.g., ACM, Hacker Cup, Hash Code, USACO, IOI, CCPC, etc.).
• Strong understanding of key domains in online advertising systems, including ads bidding & auction, ads quality control, and related concepts such as CPC/CPM, CTR/CVR, Ranking/Targeting, Conversion/Budget, Campaign/Creative, Demand/Inventory, DSP/RTB.
• Experience with resource management and task scheduling in large-scale distributed software environments (e.g., Spark, TensorFlow).
• Published papers/citations or conducted paper reviews in areas such as NLP, CV, and Recommender Systems (e.g., RecSys, KDD, ICML, CVPR, NeurIPS).
• Familiarity with advanced techniques like LLM, reinforcement learning, transfer learning, and counterfactual optimization is a plus.

Pay

The base salary range for this position is $162,000 - $316,800 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on qualifications, skills, competencies, experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the total package, which may include additional discretionary bonuses/incentives and restricted stock units.

Benefits

• Day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) savings plan with company match.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• Life insurance.
• Wellbeing benefits.
• 10 paid holidays per year.
• 10 paid sick days per year.
• 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, with additional offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Why Join Us

We create value for our communities, inspire creativity, and bring joy. Our innovative product helps people authentically express themselves, discover, and connect. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make an impact. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We embrace an "Always Day 1" mindset to achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users.