Software Engineer Intern (TikTok-Agentic Creation-AIGC) - 2027 Summer

TikTok; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 51,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance from day one

Paid holidays and sick time

Housing allowance (non-remote)

Job summary

TikTok is seeking a Campus Intern to work on the AR/AI Effect Generation platform. You will help build intuitive tools for creators and contribute to cutting-edge algorithms used across TikTok products.

The role emphasizes hands-on development, collaboration with AR/Graphics teams, and exploration of GenAI technologies in a fast-paced summer program.

Qualifications

• Pursuing undergrad or master's in software or computer science/engineering.
• Commitment to 12 weeks in Summer 2027.
• Strong data structures & algorithms foundation; proficient in JavaScript, C/C++, or Python.
• Knowledge of computer graphics, 3D content tools, game engines, rendering, or VFX pipelines.
• Interest in GenAI, AR, and interactive experiences.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop AR Effect Generation AI systems for interactive experiences.
• Design and implement features for TikTok's AI Effect Generation product.
• Create evaluation pipelines to assess AI performance at various stages.
• Apply inference techniques (RAG, CoT, Prompt Engineering) to improve outputs.

Skills

JavaScript

C/C++

Python

Education

Undergraduate/ Master’s in Software Development, CS, or CE

Tools

React

WebGL

OpenGL

Vulkan

Job description

About the Team

Creative Effects are a big part of the TikTok experience. From Versailles Run to Dancing Dino, effects make content creation easy, fun, and dynamic. Each effect has the potential to reach TikTok’s global community of a billion+ users and inspire new trends, lots of joy, and endless creativity. Our mission is to inspire user creativity with powerful creation tools. We are building Effect House, the official Augmented Reality creation tool for TikTok. If you are passionate about AR technologies and 3D content creation, you came to the right place.

You will be responsible for crafting the technology that enables intuitive effect development and design. From advanced interactions to visual scripting, you’ll build the tools our creators need to experiment and make engaging, immersive, and innovative effects, bringing creativity to (augmented) reality! You will focus on building a unified algorithm system that delivers numerous cutting-edge AR algorithms to various TikTok products. Our AR Effect Platform enables the breakthrough AR interactive experience, consumed by hundreds of millions of TikTok users around the world.

We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship. Our internship program offers students hands-on experience, industry exposure, and opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges while building a strong foundation for personal and professional growth.

Interns will gain practical experience, explore potential career paths, and participate in social events, learning programs, and development workshops alongside industry professionals.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the research and development of cutting-edge AR Effect Generation AI system that leads the industry in interactive experience generation.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of new features for TikTok's AI Effect Generation product to provide better creation experience for users
• Assist in the design and implementation of evaluation pipelines to assess AI Effect Generation performance at various stages
• Using inference stage techniques such as RAG, CoT, Prompt Engineering to improve TikTok's AI Effect Generation model output

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing an Undergraduate/ Master's in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during the Summer of 2027.
• Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, fluent in any one of the following mainstream programming languages: JavaScript, C/C++ or Python
• Knowledge about Computer Graphics, 3D content creation tools, game engines, real-time rendering, or VFX pipelines.
• Passion for GenAI and interactive experiences, augmented reality, and creating engaging, user-focused experiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with Machine Learning, Large Language Models and GenAI technologies.
• Prior experience with Computer Graphics, Game Engine, Game Development
• Experience or interest in AR/VR projects, web technologies (React, JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js), cross-platform development (macOS, Windows, iOS, Android), or graphics APIs (OpenGL, WebGL, DirectX, Metal, Vulkan).

Job Information

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

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

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