AI Systems Engineer Graduate (AI Code Infrastructure-Agentic Ops US) - 2027 Start

TikTok; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 256,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok is hiring a Backend Engineer Graduate in San Jose for 2027 Start. You will contribute to code intelligence, quality validation, and automated tooling in a US operations context.

The role emphasizes building the code graph, static validation, and chasing validation improvements across production systems. Ideal candidates have a CS degree and strong programming in Go/Python/Java/C++, plus knowledge of data structures and modern software practices.

Qualifications

• Degree in computer science or related discipline.
• Strong programming skills in Go, Python, Java, or C++ with good coding practices.
• Solid understanding of data structures and algorithms.
• Research-oriented mindset and ability to read papers to design solutions.
• Fast learner with ability to pick up new tools and frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Participate in building and optimizing the code graph and data handling.
• Develop static validation rules and dynamic validation tools.
• Analyze production quality issues and drive automation coverage.
• Research code analysis techniques to improve validation effectiveness.

Skills

Go

Python

Java

C++

Algorithms

Learning agility

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related discipline

Tools

Static analysis

eBPF / OpenTelemetry

Compiler development

Automated testing

Job description

Discover a career that energizes and excites you every day.

@2026 TikTok

Technology

Backend Engineer Graduate (Code Intelligence & Quality Validation-Agentic Ops US) - 2027 Start

Location:

San Jose

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Code:

A15882C

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Responsibilities

• Participate in building and optimizing the code graph, including static relationship extraction, dynamic trace data cleansing, and aggregation.
• Develop static validation rules (logical and soft constraints) based on the graph, and contribute to the design and implementation of dynamic validation tools (issue reproduction, root cause localization).
• Conduct in-depth analysis of production quality issues, distill general validation patterns, and drive automation coverage.
• Research and introduce cutting‑edge academic and industrial techniques in code analysis, program slicing, anomaly detection, etc., to continuously improve validation effectiveness.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Individuals who are completing or have recently completed a Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related discipline.
• Solid programming skills with proficiency in at least one mainstream language (Go / Python / Java / C++) and good coding practices.
• Deep understanding of data structures and algorithms, capable of independently reading and implementing moderately complex algorithm modules.
• Research‑oriented mindset: curious about unknown problems, adept at reading papers and technical blogs, and able to design solutions from first principles rather than just making code work.
• Strong learning agility: able to quickly pick up new tools and frameworks, proactively track technology evolution, and apply them to practical work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with static analysis (e.g., AST, CFG, pointer analysis), dynamic tracing (e.g., eBPF, OpenTelemetry), compiler development, or automated testing.
• Publications in academic conferences or journals related to code analysis, software engineering, or system reliability.
• Contributions to major open‑source projects, or personal tech blog/portfolio that demonstrates independent thinking and deep‑dive investigation.

Job Information

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $128000 - $256000 annually.

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

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. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems;
3. Exercising sound judgment.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short‑form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Why Join Us

Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.

We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

TikTok Accommodation

TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request