Machine Learning Engineer Graduate (E-Commerce Recommendation Foundation)- 2027 Start (PhD)

TikTok
Seattle
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeFunction: Data Science & Machine LearningEducation: phdSkills: ["Research mindset","Self-driven","Engineering skills"]

Join the Recommendation Foundation team in TikTok’s Global E-commerce org to build shared recommendation foundation models. You’ll work across the full training lifecycle (pre-, mid-, and post-training), design multimodal semantic tokenizers, and develop LLM-native and end-to-end generative recommendation systems spanning retrieval and ranking. The role blends research-style hypothesis exploration with hands-on engineering to advance recommendation beyond click prediction.

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FursaFursa
TikTok
TikTok
5 hours ago

Machine Learning Engineer Graduate (E-Commerce Recommendation Foundation)- 2027 Start (PhD)

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Last checked: 5 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Join the Recommendation Foundation team in TikTok’s Global E-commerce org to build shared recommendation foundation models. You’ll work across the full training lifecycle (pre-, mid-, and post-training), design multimodal semantic tokenizers, and develop LLM-native and end-to-end generative recommendation systems spanning retrieval and ranking. The role blends research-style hypothesis exploration with hands-on engineering to advance recommendation beyond click prediction.
Location: Seattle
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Data Science & Machine Learning
Seniority: Graduate level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Participate in the full training lifecycle of Recommendation Foundation Models, including pre-training, mid-training, and post-training.
  • •Design and train multimodal semantic tokenizers to encode item content into discrete semantic tokens.
  • •Develop LLM-native recommendation by incorporating recommendation tasks directly into large language model training and using world knowledge to improve quality.
  • •Build end-to-end generative recommendation systems powered by Recommendation Foundation Models, spanning retrieval, ranking, and generation.

Key Requirements

  • •Completing or recently completed a PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related discipline.
  • •Solid foundation in machine learning and deep learning, with strong interest in LLMs and generative recommendation.
  • •Proficiency in Python and experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch.
  • •Self-driven with a research mindset and solid engineering skills.
  • •Preferred: experience with pre-/mid-/post-training of LLMs or foundation models, and/or research/project experience in generative recommendation or multimodal semantic tokenization.
Experience:E-commerceRecommendation systemsGenerative recommendationLLMsMultimodal
Education:PhD / Doctorate in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics (or related discipline)
Skills:Research mindsetSelf-drivenEngineering skills
Tech Stack:PythonPyTorchLLMsVLMsMultimodal semantic tokenizationReinforcement learningRetrievalRanking

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