Product Designer (Social) - TikTok

TikTok; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok is seeking a UX design lead to own social product design across core scenarios (friend interactions, Story, DMs) and explore new ways to spark authentic connection. You’ll translate user needs into product direction using product thinking and data, and drive concepts from ideation to launch.

You'll prototype with AI coding tools to surface optimization opportunities and rapidly validate ideas, while maintaining a strong product taste and staying current with social trends across markets.

Qualifications

• Deep hands-on practice with AI coding tools and turning ideas into high-fidelity demos.
• Strong product and data sense; sharp design judgment and attention to experience.
• Able to identify problems in complex contexts and drive them to launch.
• Excellent communication and collaboration in fast-changing environments.
• Self-motivated with a learning loop to turn experience into reusable insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead TikTok's social product design across core scenarios (friend interactions, Story, DMs).
• Translate user needs into product direction using product thinking and data; drive launches.
• Prototype with AI coding tools to surface optimization opportunities and validate ideas quickly.
• Maintain a high aesthetic bar and stay current on social interaction patterns across markets.
• Partner with product managers and engineers to ship high-quality product experiences.

Skills

AI coding tools

Product thinking

Data-driven design

Cross-functional collaboration

Self-motivated learning

Tools

AI coding tools

Job description

Responsibilities

TikTok UX team is responsible for the product design of the TikTok app. Our key vertical ownership areas include Core app Product Infrastructure, Social, Creation, and Design Systems. Providing professional design methods and practices, the team helps improve user experience and working efficiency of these products and areas.

1. Lead TikTok's social product design — Own design across core social scenarios (friend interactions and sharing, Story, DMs) and explore new ways to spark authentic connection and interaction between users
2. Translate user needs into product direction — Build deep business understanding. Use product thinking and data to surface real user needs, propose product directions and design ideas, and drive them through to launch and validation
3. Prototype with AI coding tools — Use AI coding tools fluently to surface optimization opportunities and rapidly turn ideas into interactive demos, shortening the path from idea to validation
4. Bring strong product taste and social instinct — Maintain a high aesthetic bar. Actively use a range of social products across markets and stay current on social interaction patterns and cultural trends
5. Solve complex problems simply, ship together — In complex business contexts, use the simplest design approach to solve the core problem. Partner closely with product managers and engineers, staying effective in cross-functional coordination to ship high-quality product experiences

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Open to candidates at any experience level; what matters is deep hands-on practice with AI coding tools, able to independently turn product and design ideas into high-fidelity, interactive demos that validate experience and feasibility
• Strong product and data sense; sharp design judgment, high aesthetic bar, and attention to experience detail; able to curate and elevate from large volumes of AI-generated output, turning the "ordinary" into the "extraordinary"; curiosity and drive to explore the unknown
• Able to identify and define problems in complex business and user contexts, propose well-judged solutions, and drive them to launch
• Strong communication and cross-team collaboration; optimistic, and effective in fast-changing environments
• Strong self-drive and learning loop; values reflection and retrospection, turning experience into reusable methods and insight

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience shipping social, creator, or content products at scale
• Side projects involving social, AI-driven, or generative experiences
• Hands-on coding background
• Passion for TikTok and creator communities

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

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $76000 - $151200 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:

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