Senior Machine Learning Engineer, E-Commerce Risk Control

TikTok is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join its E-Commerce Risk Control team in San Jose, onsite. This role centers on inventing and deploying ML models that mitigate e-commerce risks while advancing privacy, interpretability, and risk governance across the platform.

The ideal candidate will build scalable models that address fraud, manipulation by merchants or influencers, malicious users, information security concerns, and cross-domain risk challenges, delivering measurable improvements in the e-commerce ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and deploy advanced machine learning solutions to mitigate e-commerce risks on TikTok platforms, exploring novel concepts to address fraud by merchants, influencer deception, malicious behavior, information security issues, and cross-domain threats.
• Apply techniques such as representation learning, graph models, deep learning, transfer learning, and multi-task learning to boost detection efficiency and rapidly block risks, optimizing key ecosystem metrics.
• Monitor key metrics to detect shifts in risk and business trends, proactively identify potential attacks, refine risk-control strategies, and contribute to governance and business-model improvements.
• Mine and analyze large-scale e-commerce content and user behavior data to build short-term and long-term user profiles, improve model precision and recall, and enhance robustness, automation, and generalization.
• Advance risk ML capabilities in privacy, interpretability, risk perception, and analysis; tailor models to content e-commerce characteristics and develop a leading risk-control algorithm system for the domain.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Machine Learning, or related STEM disciplines.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience building and delivering ML models for large-scale internet projects.
• Strong coding skills in Python, C++, or Java, with familiarity across at least one major ML/deep learning platform.
• Solid understanding of supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning methods and the ability to translate them into business algorithms.
• Analytical, autonomous, and data-driven with the ability to communicate results clearly and work with a high degree of independence.

Technologies

• Python
• C++
• Java
• LLM

Benefits

• 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 on hire with tenure-based accruals)
• Discretionary bonuses/incentives and restricted stock units

About the Team

The E-Commerce Risk Control team aims to minimize the impact of inauthentic behaviors on TikTok E-Commerce platforms, addressing areas such as account integrity, incentive abuse, malicious activity, brushing, click-farms, and information leakage. This environment offers exposure to strategic security initiatives and the chance to build scalable, privacy-safe, robust systems designed for product-friendly deployment. The work is fast-paced and impactful, requiring practical, transferable solutions that deliver concrete results.

About USDS

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC focuses on the safety and security of Americans who create, discover, and engage with the apps we operate. Established in line with the Executive Order signed on September 25, 2025, the JV maintains a strong privacy and cybersecurity program to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps, and algorithms. It oversees trust and safety policies and moderation within the U.S. content ecosystem, enabling Americans to express themselves and build communities. The on-site structure across teams supports faster decision-making, alignment, and execution, with a shift toward a full in-person schedule up to five days per week.

Why join us

TikTok emphasizes creativity and impact, backed by diverse, global teams that value curiosity and collaboration. The environment encourages learning and innovation, with a commitment to inclusive practices that reflect the communities we serve. The culture centers on steady progress, humility, and teamwork, with a focus on delivering meaningful advancements for users and the business.

• Diversity & Inclusion: TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and perspectives, reflecting the global communities we reach.
• Commitment to a safe, innovative platform: The company aims to foster creativity and joy while upholding strong privacy and security standards.

USDS Reasonable Accommodation

USDS is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, religious beliefs, or other protected considerations. If you need assistance, please reach out at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA.

Job Information

• Location: San Jose, CA (onsite)
• Salary: USD 187,040 - 359,720 per year
• Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Machine Learning, or related STEM
• Experience: 3+ years in large-scale ML model delivery for internet companies
• Notes: Base pay is part of the total compensation and may vary; eligible for discretionary bonuses/incentives and restricted stock units; day-one benefits include medical/dental/vision and 401(k) with company match.

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) candidates: Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.