Researcher Intern (Virtual Network) - 2026 Start (PhD)

ByteDance; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 64,781 - 92,264; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (intern)

10 paid holidays per year

Housing allowance

Job summary

ByteDance in Seattle is seeking a Researcher Intern (PhD) to develop hardware acceleration for the central gateway and host networking components.

You will collaborate with academia and open source communities, dive into the latest networking technologies, and present findings in academic papers.

This internship starts in 2026 and requires pursuing a PhD, with compensation at $57 per hour and day-one benefits.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a PhD in computer networking or related field.
• Experience in P4 on Tofino or Pensando DPU, NPL on TD4/TD5, C with DPDK, RDMA and AI networking.
• Strong learning ability and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Develop hardware acceleration technologies for central gateway and host networking components.
• Collaborate with academia and open source communities on joint development.
• Stay current with latest networking technologies and conduct deep analyses.
• Present research and products in academic papers.

Skills

P4 programming

NPL programming

C programming

RDMA protocols

AI networking

Education

PhD in computer networking

Tools

DPDK

Tofino/Pensando DPU

Job description

Researcher Intern (Virtual Network) - 2026 Start (PhD)

Location: Seattle

Team: Technology

Employment Type: Intern

Job Code: A28174

Responsibilities

• Develop key hardware acceleration technologies to optimize our central gateway & host networking components.
• Work with academia and open source communities on joint development.
• Follow the latest technologies from academia and industry and conduct deep‑dive analysis.
• Present our research and products in academic papers.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a PhD in computer networking or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with at least one of the following areas:
  • P4 programming on Tofino switch and/or Pensando DPU
  • NPL programming on TD4 or TD5
  • C programming with DPDK
  • RDMA protocols and AI networking
• Commit to proactive continuous learning, demonstrate enthusiasm for networking fields, and exhibit a strong ability to quickly grasp and apply new technologies.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Frequent contributors or maintainers in networking related open source communities.
• Having top tier networking conference publications such as NSDI or SIGCOMM.

Job Information

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

Benefits

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.

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

Legal Statements

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;
• Exercising sound judgment.