Job Specifications
Responsibilities
You'll be joining the TikTok Recommendation team focusing on advancing large-scale recommender systems that power TikTok's personalized content discovery and user experiences. By developing cutting-edge models, we aim to optimize recommendation accuracy, user engagement, and scalability across billions of users. We're looking for Machine Learning Scientists passionate about building high-performance, scalable recommendation systems. You'll leverage advanced deep learning techniques and large-scale systems engineering, collaborating with cross-functional teams to solve complex challenges in personalization and recommendation at scale.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. PhD Internships at TikTok aim to provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, and to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies.
PhD internships at TikTok provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, and to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies. Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and development events, and collaboration with industry experts.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).
Responsibilities
Research and develop large-scale recommender systems for personalized, engaging user experiences, focusing on scalability, accuracy, and performance.
Apply advanced machine learning and deep learning techniques to optimize recommendation algorithms for TikTok's diverse user base.
Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of recommender models, from training and fine-tuning to deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
Analyze complex data to uncover user preferences, behaviors, and trends, driving personalization and enhancing TikTok's recommendation capabilities.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (infrastructure, product, research, etc.) to design and implement innovative solutions that improve the relevance and diversity of TikTok recommendations.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Current pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, or a related field.
Experience in one or more areas of recommender systems, machine learning, computer vision, or natural language processing.
Proficiency in programming skills, solid foundation in data structures and algorithms.
Strong familiarity with deep learning architectures such as transformers, CNNs, RNNs, LSTMs, etc.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in building large-scale recommender systems that handle vast, diverse datasets and complex user interactions.
Publications in top-tier venues such as RecSys, SIGGRAPH, CVPR, ICCV, ICML, NeurIPS, ICLR, or similar conferences/journals.
For TikTok
By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy
Job Information
For Pay TransparencyCompensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60- $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,
About the Company
TikTok is the world's leading destination for short-form video. Our platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible.
Our employees lead with curiosity, and move at the speed of culture. Combined with our company's flat structure, you'll be given dynamic opportunities to make a real impact on a rapidly expanding company as you grow your career. We have offices across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas – and we're just getting started.
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