Software Engineer Intern (Recommendation Infrastructure) - 2026 Start (PhD)Location: San JoseEmployment Type: InternJob Code: A24528DResponsibilitiesOur Recommendation Architecture Team is responsible for building up and optimizing the architecture for our recommendation products to provide the most reliable and best experience for our TikTok users. Interns are important parts to our team with your fresh ideas and creative thoughts. We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. Internships at TikTok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Turn your ambitions into reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at TikTok. 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:Build and maintain high performance online services for TikTok recommendation system to support various types of products, such as For You Feed, E-commerce, Social, etc.Build extremely efficient and reliable data pipelines for candidates generation, profile generation, training examples generation, realtime online training, etc;Build globalized large-scale recommendation system;Design and develop high performance computing frameworks and storage systems.QualificationsMinimum Qualifications:Currently pursuing PhD in Computer Science or a related technical disciplineAble to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026Experience in programming, included but not limited to, the following programming languages: C, C++, Java or Python.Effective communication skills, self-driven learner, a sense of ownershipPreferred Qualifications:Projects or research experienced in at least one area of the following areas: personalized recommendations, search engine, machine learning, distributed storage system, big data frameworks is a plus.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.About TikTokTikTok 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 UsInspiring 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 & InclusionTikTok 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 AccommodationTikTok 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