Machine Learning Engineer Graduate (Global E-Commerce Search) - 2026 PhD Intake

Role Overview

The Search E-Commerce team at ByteDance drives the advanced search algorithms supporting our expansive global e-commerce platform. Using state-of-the-art technologies including large-scale machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision (CV), and multimodal approaches, we aim to deliver an exceptional search experience for over a billion monthly users worldwide. Our vision is to ensure no quality, competitively priced product remains undiscovered globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Enhance fundamental search quality and user satisfaction by refining query analysis and text-based relevance matching.
• Develop multimodal understanding of e-commerce video content to improve matching performance.
• Advance the authority and perception of products through innovative search product designs and implementations.
• Design and build comprehensive ranking systems covering recall, preliminary and final ranking stages to tailor personalized shopping interests.
• Boost shopping conversion rates across merchandise, video, and livestream formats, thereby fostering GMV growth.
• Address industry and business challenges such as supply-demand matching, cold start issues, and sustainable growth strategies to promote long-term GMV expansion.
• Collaborate within cross-functional teams applying skills in statistics, scripting, and programming to deploy robust models.
• Operate within software platforms that deliver these models to production environments.

Candidate Profile

• Near completion or recent attainment of a PhD in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or closely related fields.
• Strong programming expertise coupled with proficient knowledge of data structures and algorithms.
• Exceptional analytical, modeling, and problem-solving abilities capable of extracting insights from complex datasets.
• Practical industry experience in machine learning with a keen product sensibility emphasizing user experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Self-motivated with the ability to deeply understand business dynamics and adapt swiftly to changes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling effective project advocacy and execution.
• Publication records in leading conferences or journals and recognitions such as ACM-ICPC medals are advantageous.

Additional Information

Applicants must commit to onboarding by the end of 2026 and clearly state availability and graduation dates in their application. Application submission implies acceptance of ByteDance's global applicant privacy policy. For queries, candidates may contact the Early Careers team via email.

About ByteDance

Founded in 2012, ByteDance empowers creativity and enriches life through numerous products such as TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut, Pico, and China-specific platforms like Toutiao and Douyin. Our mission emphasizes fostering authentic expression and connection worldwide. We maintain a culture driven by curiosity, humility, and impact, thriving in a fast-paced, innovative environment committed to diversity and inclusion.