Machine Learning Engineer, Recommendations - USDS

Machine Learning Engineer, Recommendations - USDS

Responsibilities

• Participate in building large-scale (10 million to 100 million) recommendation algorithms and systems, including commodity recommendations, live stream recommendations, short video recommendations etc in TikTok.
• Build long and short term user interest models, analyze and extract relevant information from large amounts of data and design algorithms to explore users' latent interests efficiently.
• Design, develop, evaluate and iterate on predictive models for candidate generation and ranking (e.g., Click Through Rate and Conversion Rate prediction), including building real-time data pipelines, feature engineering, model optimization and innovation.
• Design and build supporting/debugging tools as needed.

About the team

We are a group of applied machine learning engineers and data scientists focusing on general feed recommendations and E-commerce recommendations, developing innovative algorithms and techniques to improve user engagement and satisfaction, and converting creative ideas into business-impacting solutions. We are interested in applying large-scale machine learning to solve real-world problems.

Hybrid work schedule: 3 days in the office per week, with potential changes as directed by the manager/department. Our hybrid model is reviewed regularly.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science or related fields.
• Strong programming and problem-solving ability.
• Open to new grads with some experience in applied machine learning; familiar with algorithms such as Collaborative Filtering, Matrix Factorization, Factorization Machines, Word2vec, Logistic Regression, Gradient Boosting Trees, Deep Neural Networks, Wide and Deep, etc.
• Experience with Deep Learning tools such as TensorFlow/PyTorch.
• Experience with at least one programming language like C++/Python or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in recommendation systems, online advertising, information retrieval, natural language processing, machine learning, large-scale data mining, or related fields.
• Publications at KDD, NeurIPS, SIGIR, WSDM, ICML, IJCAI, AAAI, RECSYS or experience in data mining/machine learning competitions (e.g., Kaggle/KDD-cup).

About USDS

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. U.S. Data Security (USDS) is a TikTok subsidiary in the U.S. The security-first division focuses on data protection policies and content assurance protocols to keep U.S. users safe. Our teams span Trust & Safety, Security & Privacy, Engineering, User & Product Ops, and Corporate Functions.

Data Security Statement: This role requires working with systems designed to protect sensitive data and will be subject to national security-related screening.

Why Join Us

Inspiring creativity is at TikTok’s core. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. Our diverse teams create value for communities, inspire creativity and bring joy. We strive to do great things with great people and foster an "Always Day 1" mindset to achieve breakthroughs for our company and users.

Diversity & Inclusion

TikTok is committed to an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and perspectives. We aim to reflect the communities we reach.

USDS Reasonable Accommodation

USDS provides reasonable accommodations in recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities or other protected reasons. If you need assistance, please reach out to us at tinyurl.com/USDS-RA.

Job Information

Compensation and benefits vary by location. The base salary range for this position is $118,657 - $187,200 annually, with potential bonuses, stock units, and a comprehensive benefits package starting day one (medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, parental leave, disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, paid holidays, sick days, and personal time). The Company reserves the right to modify benefits at any time.

Note: Equal opportunity information and local compliance notices may apply by location.

Seniority level

• Entry level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Engineering and Information Technology

Industries

• Technology, Information and Internet

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at TikTok by 2x

Other

Machine Learning Engineer Intern (Fall 2025, Hybrid in San Jose, CA) and other levels exist in related postings.