Research Scientist Intern (Compute Platform - Database Acceleration) - 2026 Start (PhD)

TikTok; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 49,593 - 61,992; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and life insurance

10 paid holidays per year

Paid sick time

Housing allowance possible

Job summary

TikTok is offering an internship for students interested in data platform technologies in San Jose. Interns will work on designing cloud-native distributed analytical database systems and conducting research on future technology in database management. Candidates should pursue or have a PhD in Computer Science or a related field, and experience with C++ or Rust is essential. The hourly compensation ranges from $36 to $45, with additional benefits including health insurance and paid holidays.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or have obtained a PhD in Computer Science or related STEM field.
• Final year or recent graduate with a background in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering.
• Experience with at least one systems programming language: C++, Rust, etc.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop kernel modules or core features for cloud-native database systems.
• Conduct research for new directions in database management.
• Solve complex problems on large-scale cloud infrastructure.

Skills

C++

Rust

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Education

Pursuing or obtained a PhD in Computer Science or related STEM field

Background in Software Development, Computer Science, or related technical discipline

Tools

Velox

DataFusion

DuckDB

Clickhouse

Spark

Presto

Job description

Internship Responsibilities

Internships at TikTok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands‑on experience in developing products and research in data platform technologies. The role includes:

• Design and develop kernel modules or core features for cloud‑native distributed analytical database systems
• Conduct research for cutting‑edge technology evolvement in database and data management area and identify potential future directions
• Solve unique and complex problems on large‑scale, high‑performance cloud infrastructure
• Partner with different teams on building backend support for cloud native database service

Team Overview

The Data Platform team works on big data infrastructure and data products. Responsibilities include building OLAP DBMS, logging, data ingestion infrastructure, A/B testing for product launches, workflow management, distributed cache, visualization tools, and big data engineering.

Application and Assessment

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates must commit to onboarding by the end of 2026. Successful resume evaluations will invite candidates to a technical online assessment conducted via HackerRank.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or have obtained a PhD in Computer Science or related STEM field
• Final year or recent graduate with a background in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Experience with at least one systems programming language: C++, Rust, etc.
• Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at hire and maintain ongoing authorization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduating December 2026 onwards with intent to return to degree program after the completion of the internship.
• Research or deep working experience in OLAP databases and data management systems (database kernel, query processing, query optimization, storage system, hardware acceleration, cloud‑native infrastructure).
• Experience with open‑source and industry databases and data management systems like Velox, DataFusion, DuckDB, Polars, Clickhouse, Spark, Presto, etc.
• Passionate and experienced in contributing to open‑source communities.
• High levels of creativity and quick problem‑solving capabilities.

Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly rate: $36–$45 (Campus Intern)
• Health and life insurance starting day one, wellbeing benefits, 10 paid holidays per year, paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half).
• Housing allowance possible for non‑remote positions.
• Benefits subject to changes; company reserves right to modify at any time.

Equal Opportunity Employment

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. The company's policy may impact conditional offers based on:

• 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.
• Exercising sound judgment.