Research Engineer - Intern (Video and Edge, Multimedia Lab) - 2027 Start (PhD) - Intern (Video and Edge, Multimedia Lab) - 2027 Start (PhD)

TikTok; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 92,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (day one)

Housing allowance

10 paid holidays per year

Job summary

TikTok is seeking an Intern to contribute to the Multimedia Lab's research efforts in video coding and processing. You will help bridge research ideas from concept to silicon and production, working on ML-based coding, latency and efficiency optimizations, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The position emphasizes strong fundamentals in algorithms, C/C++ programming, and a passion for translating research into scalable, production-ready solutions across hardware and software stacks.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a PhD in a technical field (CS/EE/Math/Statistics).
• Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and software engineering.
• Knowledge of image/video compression fundamentals.
• Proficient in C/C++ or similar languages.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Support research and development of ML-based video coding and processing tech.
• Explore encoding/decoding framework optimizations for live-streaming with focus on latency and quality.
• Prototype and evaluate video encoding algorithms on heterogeneous platforms.
• Conduct research on perceptual quality-oriented video coding methods.
• Assist in benchmarking, profiling, debugging, and optimizing codec components.
• Prepare technical reports and interface documentation for encoder/decoder modules.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to transfer ideas into production workflows.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Collaboration

Problem solving

Strong communication

Education

PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Verilog/VHDL

Linux

FPGA/ASIC toolchains

Job description

Research Engineer - Intern (Video and Edge, Multimedia Lab) - 2027 Start (PhD)

Intern

A129968

Responsibilities

The Multimedia Lab builds highly efficient, scalable video codec hardware solutions (FPGA and ASIC) from the ground up, serving billions of users. We bring together algorithm, architecture, software, firmware, and hardware design and verification expertise, designing high-performance video silicon IP across ASIC and SoC digital design, verification, and next-generation video codec hardware. Alongside the silicon work, we advance research in video understanding, perceptual quality assessment, image and video enhancement, and intelligent coding, including using multimodal models to improve coding decisions. Quality, efficiency, and speed rarely improve together. Sharper images and better perceived quality usually cost bitrate, compute, or latency, and a technique that works in research does not always survive production at global scale. You will take ideas from research through to silicon and production systems, where research decisions show up in the cost and quality of video across ByteDance's products. Successful candidates must be able to commit to an onboarding date by the end of the year. Please state your availability and graduation date clearly in your resume.

• Support the research and development of machine learning based video coding and processing technologies.
• Explore encoding and decoding framework optimizations for live-streaming use cases, with attention to latency, efficiency, and quality.
• Prototype and evaluate video encoding and processing algorithms on heterogeneous platforms.
• Conduct research on perceptual quality-oriented video coding and processing algorithms.
• Assist in benchmarking, profiling, debugging, and optimizing codec components and related systems.
• Prepare technical reports, experimental analyses, and interface documentation for encoder/decoder modules.
• Collaborate with research scientists and engineers to validate ideas and transfer promising results into production-oriented workflows.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related technical field.
• Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, computer systems, and software engineering.
• Good understanding of image/video compression fundamentals and related research topics.
• Strong programming and debugging skills in C/C++ or similar general-purpose programming languages.
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills and a collaborative attitude.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience in video compression, image/video processing, multimedia systems, or realtime communications.
• Familiarity with one or more video coding standards such as AVS, H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, VVC, or AV1.
• Exposure to neural network-based image/video coding or visual processing methods.
• Familiarity with SIMD/NEON optimization, multithreading, or platform-specific performance tuning.
• Experience with live streaming, video conferencing, transcoding, or related video applications.
• Publications or submissions to top conferences or journals in multimedia, image processing, video coding, or related fields.
• Interest in bridging research innovation with practical product impact.

Job Information

The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $57- $57.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.

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; and
• 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