Research Scientist Intern (Video Quality Analysis & Coding Strategy) - 2027 Start (PhD)

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 123,000 - 317,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

10 paid holidays

Paid sick time

Job summary

ByteDance is seeking PhD internship candidates to design and optimize end-to-end video systems, covering analysis, processing, and encoding for QoE improvement across live and on-demand scenarios.

The role emphasizes independent research, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and hands-on experimentation to translate ideas into production-ready algorithms.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• Solid knowledge in video enhancement, video compression, subjective/objective video quality assessment, video streaming, or related video algorithms.
• Strong programming skills in C, C++, or Python.
• Ability to conduct independent research and translate ideas into practical algorithmic solutions.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop algorithms for end-to-end video quality optimization, combining video analysis, processing, and encoding techniques.
• Explore and prototype solutions for video-on-demand (VOD) and live streaming scenarios, including monitoring, data analysis, and objective quality evaluation.
• Support the design and validation of video algorithms through experiments, benchmarking, and data-driven analysis.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate research成果 into production workflows and evaluate impact through online or offline testing.
• Contribute to advancing state-of-the-art technologies in video quality optimization and large-scale video systems.

Skills

C/C++/Python

Video processing

Independent research

Education

PhD in CS/EE or related

Tools

OpenCV

FFmpeg

PyTorch/TensorFlow

Job description

About the Team

Our team designs and optimizes the next-generation end-to-end video system (for video production, processing, delivery, and consumption) to improve the quality of experience (QoE) for our billions of users. We are looking for strong video algorithm engineers from all areas of video understanding, video processing, video coding, video streaming, and video quality assessment, etc., who have a dedication to technical excellence and a passion to build large-scale and high-performing video platforms and services. 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.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop algorithms for end-to-end video quality optimization, combining video analysis, processing, and encoding techniques.
• Explore and prototype solutions for video‑on‑demand (VOD) and live streaming scenarios, including monitoring, data analysis, and objective quality evaluation.
• Support the design and validation of video algorithms through experiments, benchmarking, and data‑driven analysis.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to integrate research 成果 into production workflows and evaluate impact through online or offline testing.
• Contribute to advancing state‑of‑the‑art technologies in video quality optimization and large‑scale video systems.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• Solid knowledge in one or more of the following areas: video enhancement, video compression, subjective/objective video quality assessment, video streaming, or related video algorithms.
• Strong programming skills in at least one of the following: C, C++, or Python.
• Ability to conduct independent research and translate ideas into practical algorithmic solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with machine learning and image/video processing tools such as scikit‑learn, OpenCV, FFmpeg, etc.
• Familiarity with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Exposure to multimodal large models (MLLMs) and AI agent technologies, with hands‑on implementation or research experience preferred.
• Familiarity with Linux development environments, shell scripting, distributed systems, or large‑scale data processing tools such as HDFS.
• Strong communication skills, eagerness to learn, and enthusiasm for applying cutting‑edge technologies to real‑world use cases.

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description Intern (Annually) - Campus Intern

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $122574 - $316800annually.

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).

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.

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