Research Scientist Graduate (Video Codec Algorithm) - 2026 Start (PhD)

ByteDance; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 301,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Job summary

ByteDance is seeking exceptional researchers to advance cutting-edge multimedia processing, compression, and transmission. The role focuses on designing innovative algorithms for image/video data, including 2D and 360-degree formats, and contributing to standards work.

Qualified candidates will have a PhD in a related field, strong CS fundamentals, and experience with C/C++ and multimedia research. International collaboration and potential leadership opportunity are emphasized.

Qualifications

• PhD in CS, engineering or quantitative field.
• Strong CS fundamentals and problem-solving skills.
• Publications in top conferences/journals.
• Familiar with multimedia standards (compression, formats, transport).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize algorithms for image/video compression and processing.
• Develop novel algorithms for file formats, systems, and transport protocols.
• Research and develop objective quality metrics for evaluations.
• Engage with standardization forums (MPEG, DASH, 3GPP, JVET, AVS).
• Draft standard contributions and academic papers.

Skills

Strong CS fundamentals

C/C++

Team communication

Problem solving

Education

PhD in computer science or related field

Tools

JVET reference software

AVS reference software

PyTorch

Python

Job description

Responsibilities

Our AVG Team’s mission is to promote cutting-edge research in multimedia (including, but not limited to image/video data processing, compression, and transmission), and to transfer technologies into our products for better serving our hundreds of millions of users. We are looking for exceptional individuals from all areas of multimedia processing/compression/transmission, who have a track record of research excellence, a passion to shape the future of multimedia processing, and the potential to become an outstanding leader in the field.

Responsibilities

Our AVG Team’s mission is to promote cutting-edge research in multimedia (including, but not limited to image/video data processing, compression, and transmission), and to transfer technologies into our products for better serving our hundreds of millions of users. We are looking for exceptional individuals from all areas of multimedia processing/compression/transmission, who have a track record of research excellence, a passion to shape the future of multimedia processing, and the potential to become an outstanding leader in the field.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, implement, and optimize creative algorithms for image/video (including but not limited to 2D video, Multiview video, 360-degree video, point cloud, light filed, etc. al) compression
• Design, develop and implement novel algorithms for file formats, system, transport protocols
• Research and develop image/video processing and objective matrix for subjective quality evaluations
• Actively participate in the related work of standardization forums: MPEG, DASH, 3GPP, JVET, AVS
• Follow up on the state-of-art developed algorithms in standardization work and conference/journal papers
• Draft standard contributions, patent applications and academic papers

Minimum Qualifications

• Individuals who are completing or have recently completed a PhD degree in computer science, engineering, quantitative field or a related discipline.
• Strong Computer Science fundamentals (algorithms, data structures, software design) and problem-solving skills
• Have published papers in top academic conferences or journals in the subject
• Rich experience and interest in multimedia standards (e.g., for image/video compression, file format, system, transport)
• Familiar with C/C++
• Have good team spirit and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Good understanding of the state-of-art compression/transmission algorithms
• Experiences on JVET reference software or AVS reference software
• Experience in the development of video coding standards
• Experience in patents applications
• Familiar with Neural Network-based image/video coding and processing
• Familiar with Python, PyTorch

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Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $153900 - $300960 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:

• 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.

About Us

Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.

Why Join ByteDance

Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are 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 enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.

As ByteDancers, 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. 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

ByteDance 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 ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. 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.

Reasonable Accommodation

ByteDance 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