Research Scientist Graduate (TikTok Recommendation-Agentic AI) - 2026 Start (PhD)

TikTok
San Jose
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeFunction: Data Science & Machine LearningEducation: phdSkills: ["Research","Problem-solving","Bridging theory with practice"]

Build next-generation agentic recommendation systems that move beyond prediction toward reasoning, alignment, and autonomy. Work on reinforcement learning datasets for recommendation scenarios, optimize RL algorithms, and develop scalable training and inference frameworks. Conduct research on agentic and generative recommendation models, translating state-of-the-art advances into real-world recommender systems at TikTok scale.

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FursaFursa
TikTok
TikTok
1 month ago

Research Scientist Graduate (TikTok Recommendation-Agentic AI) - 2026 Start (PhD)

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Job Summary

Build next-generation agentic recommendation systems that move beyond prediction toward reasoning, alignment, and autonomy. Work on reinforcement learning datasets for recommendation scenarios, optimize RL algorithms, and develop scalable training and inference frameworks. Conduct research on agentic and generative recommendation models, translating state-of-the-art advances into real-world recommender systems at TikTok scale.
Location: San Jose
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Data Science & Machine Learning
Seniority: Graduate level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Design and construct reinforcement learning datasets tailored for recommendation scenarios.
  • •Explore and optimize reinforcement learning algorithms and develop scalable training and inference frameworks.
  • •Conduct research on agentic recommendation systems and generative recommendation models.
  • •Stay up to date on state-of-the-art advancements and translate research ideas into real-world applications.

Key Requirements

  • •Final-year Ph.D. candidate or recent Ph.D. graduate in Computer Science or a related field.
  • •Strong knowledge and hands-on experience in at least one of: reinforcement learning, agent development, or LLM post-training.
  • •Ability to explore cutting-edge research topics and bridge theory with practice.
  • •Publications in accredited academic conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AAAI, IJCAI, RecSys, KDD, WWW, or WSDM (preferred).
  • •Internship or project experience related to reinforcement learning, agent-based systems, or LLM alignment/post-training (preferred).
Education:PhD / Doctorate in Computer Science
Skills:ResearchProblem-solvingBridging theory with practice
Tech Stack:Reinforcement learningAgentic alignmentMultimodal large language models (MLLMs)LLM post-trainingAgent developmentReinforcement learning datasetsTraining and inference frameworksGenerative recommendation models

Company Brief

TikTok
Short-form video platform that lets users create, share, and discover entertainment content through algorithmic recommendations. It also offers advertising and creator tools for brands, influencers, and businesses.
Industry: Digital Media
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Growth: Scaleup
Headquarters: Singapore, Singapore
Founded: 2016
WebsiteLinkedIn