Software Engineer Intern (TikTok Search Architecture) - 2027 Summer

Iaas Lc; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Iaas Lc is offering a 12-week internship in San Jose, CA, focused on building and optimizing large-scale search systems. You will tackle projects across ranking, retrieval, and NLP, exploring LLM integration to boost relevance and user experience.

The role demands strong CS fundamentals and proficiency in C++, Python, Go, or Java, with collaboration across product, research, and engineering teams. Apply for a challenging internship in 2027.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
• Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, and operating systems.
• Proficient programming skills in C++, Python, Go, or Java.
• Curious, eager to learn, and able to quickly solve complex technical problems.
• Good communication and collaboration skills.
• Available to commit to a 12-week internship in 2027.

Responsibilities

• Build and optimize search systems and features serving hundreds of millions of users globally.
• Work on large-scale technical problems in search quality, ranking, query understanding, retrieval, and system reliability.
• Explore integration of search engine technologies and LLMs to enhance user experience and search relevance.
• Develop algorithms and systems supporting next-generation search experiences.
• Collaborate with product managers, researchers, and engineers to translate user needs into scalable technical solutions.
• Apply machine learning, information retrieval, NLP, and LLM techniques to improve search quality and user perception.

Skills

C++

Python

Go

Java

Algorithms

Data structures

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Tools

Git

Linux

SQL

Job description

Your Role

Here's what you will be doing:

• Build and optimize search systems and features serving hundreds of millions of users globally.


• Work on large-scale, complex technical problems in search quality, ranking, query understanding, retrieval, and system reliability.


• Explore integration of search engine technologies and Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance user experience and search relevance.


• Develop algorithms and systems supporting next-generation search experiences and new interaction paradigms.


• Collaborate with product managers, researchers, and engineers to translate user needs into scalable technical solutions.


• Apply machine learning, information retrieval, natural language processing, and LLM techniques to improve search quality and user perception.

About You

The company is looking for candidates who meet the following qualifications:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.


• Strong foundation in computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, and operating systems.


• Proficient programming skills with experience in one or more languages such as C++, Python, Go, or Java.


• Curious, eager to learn, and able to quickly solve complex technical problems.


• Good communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment.


• Available to commit to a 12-week internship in 2027.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science or related field.


• Experience in search, recommendation systems, machine learning, NLP, LLMs, or distributed systems.


• Software engineering experience through internships, research projects, open-source contributions, or publications.


• Award-winning programming competition experience (e.g., ICPC, CCPC, NOI, IOI) is a plus.


• High creativity, self-motivation, and strong problem-solving skills.