About the role#
The Recommendation Architecture team builds and optimizes the infrastructure that powers TikTok products. As a PhD intern, you will work with industry experts to contribute to our recommendation systems and research. This is a full-time, paid internship.
What you'll do#
- Build and maintain high-performance online services for the TikTok recommendation system, supporting products like the For You Feed, E-commerce, and Social features.
- Develop efficient, reliable data pipelines for candidate generation, profile generation, training example creation, and real-time online training.
- Contribute to the construction of a globalized, large-scale recommendation system.
- Design and develop high-performance computing frameworks and storage systems.
What you'll need#
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
- Availability to work for 12 weeks during Summer 2026.
- Programming experience in C, C++, Java, or Python.
- Strong communication skills, a self-driven approach to learning, and a sense of ownership over your work.
- Experience or projects in personalized recommendations, search engines, machine learning, distributed storage systems, or big data frameworks is preferred.
Location & details#
- Location: San Jose, California.
- Term: Summer 2026.
- Work Modality: On-site.
About TikTok
TikTok operates as an entertainment provider. The company maintains a global presence with offices in cities including Los Angeles, Singapore, New York, London, and Tokyo. It employs over 92,000 people. The organization is privately held.
How to get in at TikTok
Landing an internship at TikTok requires speed because early applicants often get seen before the pile grows. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published anywhere, so you can apply among the first. This gives you a better chance of your resume being reviewed while the team is still actively filling the position. You should aim to be one of the first people to submit your materials. Reaching out to the right person can also improve your chances of getting a response. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company roles so you can contact them directly to ask about the role or a referral. This direct approach often works better than waiting for a response from a general application queue.
