Research Scientist Intern (TikTok-Data-Content Intelligence) - 2027 Start (PhD) San Jose Techno[...]

TikTok; San Jose, Northern (CA, KY); On-site; USD 68,000 - 97,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

Housing allowance (not remote)

Job summary

TikTok is seeking interns in San Jose to work on cutting-edge recommendation systems. This role targets PhD candidates who will contribute to production ML models, algorithmic improvements, and cross-functional collaboration to grow TikTok in key markets.

Responsibilities include building end-to-end ML solutions, optimizing systems, and delivering impactful enhancements to user experience and platform security. Applicants should clearly state start and end dates in their resume.

Qualifications

• PhD student in CS or related technical discipline.
• Proficient coding with C++/Python; familiar with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• Experience in ML areas: NLP, CV, or Recommender Systems; strong algorithmic background.
• Preferred: published papers, competition winners (ACM, Kaggle).

Responsibilities

• Build state-of-the-art recommendation system to enhance user experience and content ecosystem.
• Deliver end-to-end ML solutions addressing product challenges.
• Own full stack ML system; optimize algorithms and infrastructure for performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to guide product strategy and solutions for key markets.

Skills

C++ / Python

Machine Learning

PyTorch

Recommender Systems

Algorithms & Data Structures

Education

PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

C++

Job description

Discover a career that energizes and excites you every day.

@2026 TikTok

Algorithm

Location:

San Jose

Employment Type:

Intern

Job Code:

A203994A

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Responsibilities

Recommendation algorithm team plays a central role in the company, driving critical product decisions and platform growth. The team is made up of machine learning researchers and engineers, who support and innovate on production recommendation models and drive product impact. The team is fast-pacing, collaborative and impact-driven.We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship. PhD internships at Our Company provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, as well as to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies.Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and professional development events, and collaboration with industry experts.Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Please clearly state your availability in your resume (Start date, End date).Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early.Responsibilities - What You'II Do- Build industry-leading recommendation system, improving user experience, content ecosystem and platform security;- Deliver end-to-end machine learning solution to address critical product challenges;- Own the full stack machine learning system and optimize algorithms and infrastructure to improve recommendation performance.- Work with cross functional teams to design product strategies and build solutions to grow TikTok in important markets

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:- Currently pursuing a PhD degree in the field of computer science or a related technical discipline- Proficient coding skills and strong algorithm & data structure using C++/Python or other programming language- Experienced in Machine Learning, familiar with at least one DeepLearning framework, e.g. PyTorch, Tensorflow.- Experienced in one or more of the following areas, e.g. NLP, CV, Recommender System, and Machine Learning, etc- Effective communication and teamwork skillsPreferred Qualifications:- Authors of published papers in top academia conferences is an advantage- Winners of algorithm and machine learning competitions such as ACM and Kaggle is an advantage

Job Information

The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60- $60.

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