Security Software Engineer Project Intern (Product Security) - 2026 Start (BS/MS)

TikTok; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 61,992 - 82,656; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid holidays

Paid sick time

Job summary

A leading technology company in California seeks a Project Intern for security assessments and tooling development. This internship provides hands-on experience in addressing unique challenges in security, especially in building scalable solutions. Applicants should be pursuing a degree in STEM-related fields and possess strong problem-solving skills along with relevant programming knowledge. Interns will gain access to health benefits and a competitive hourly salary as they contribute to key initiatives within the company.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree/master in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems.
• Experience with threat modeling and security tooling development.
• Expertise in web application security, mobile app security, or applied cryptography.

Responsibilities

• Participate in security assessments, including pentests on applications.
• Engage in tooling development projects focused on security.
• Assess security of MCP servers and exposed LLM features.

Skills

Security engineering experience

Strong problem-solving skills

Excellent debugging skills

Education

Undergraduate or Postgraduate in STEM

Tools

JavaScript

Python

C++

Job description

About the Team

The team is missioned to build infrastructures, platforms and technologies, as well as to support cross-functional teams to protect our users, products and infrastructures. In this team you'll have a unique opportunity to have first‑hand exposure to the strategy of the company in key security initiatives, especially in building scalable and secure‑by‑design systems and solutions.

Our challenges are not your regular day‑to‑day technical problems; you'll be part of a team that's developing new solutions to new challenges of a kind not previously addressed by big tech. It's working fast, at scale, and we're making a difference.

As a project intern, you will have the opportunity to engage in impactful short‑term projects that provide you with a glimpse of professional real‑world experience. You will gain practical skills through on‑the‑job learning in a fast‑paced work environment and develop a deeper understanding of your career interests.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to at least 3 months long internship period.

Responsibilities

• Participate in security assessments such as pentests on Web or mobile applications.
• Take part in tooling development projects with a security focus, such as code review and API testing. Tools developed will benefit LLM integration.
• Assess the security of MCP servers and LLM features exposed to the public.

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate, or Postgraduate who is currently pursuing a degree/master in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems or other STEM disciplines.
• Security engineering experience such as threat modeling, security mitigation development, security tooling development or privacy engineering.
• Understanding in various disciplines: web application security, mobile app security, network security, operating system internals and hardening, applied cryptography, cloud computing. You're expected to be an expert in at least one of these areas.
• Experience in writing and reviewing code in at least one of the following programming languages: JavaScript (Node JS), Go, Python, Java, C++, Rust.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and excellent debugging / troubleshooting skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NLP/LLM
• Knowledge of distributed systems, edge computing, or high‑performance network programming

Job Information

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

The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $45- $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:

• 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 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