Research Intern (Applied Research Center) - 2025 Summer (PhD)

Responsibilities

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 its offices include New York, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Why Join Us
Creation is the core of TikTok's purpose. Our platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible.
Together, we inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we all believe in and aim towards achieving every day.
To us, every challenge, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity; to learn, to innovate, and to grow as one team. Status quo? Never. Courage? Always.
At TikTok, we create together and grow together. That's how we drive impact - for ourselves, our company, and the communities we serve.
Join us.

TEAM INTRODUCTION
The infrastructure system lab works on cutting edge infrastructure system innovations, including but not limited to compute, storage, database, networking, AI/LLM etc. We have published dozens of research papers in top tier conferences in the past. Our lab is composed of talents from many top companies and consists of both recent Ph.D. graduates and experienced professionals.

We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2025. 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.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early. Candidates can apply to a maximum of TWO positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to TikTok and its affiliates' jobs globally.

Internships at TikTok aim to provide students with hands-on experience in developing fundamental skills and exploring potential career paths. A vibrant blend of social events and enriching development workshops will be available for you to explore. Here, you will utilize your knowledge in real-world scenarios while laying a strong foundation for personal and professional growth. It runs for 12-24 weeks and begins in May/June 2025. Successful candidates must be able to commit to one of the following start dates below:

- Monday, May 12
- Monday, May 19
- Tuesday May 27 (Memorial Day May 27)
- Monday, June 9
- Monday, June 23

RESPONSIBILITIES
- Do research survey and come up with a new system and algorithm design
- Develop prototyping systems
- Be able to debug systems and measure system performance
- Collaborate with mentors and other lab members
- Write technical reports and publish papers

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
-Currently pursuing a PhD degree in Computer Science or related fields
- Understand how distributed systems work, such as distributed computing and distributed storage and database systems.
- Great programing skill in one or more of the following programming languages: C/C++, Go, Java or Python
- Strong past research experience in infrastructure system areas is preferred but not required
- Research experience with LLM is preferred but not required
- Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2025
- Must obtain work authorization in country of employment at the time of hire, and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.

Preferred Qualifications:
-Graduating December 2025 onwards with the intent to return to degree program after the completion of the internship.

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 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://shorturl.at/cdpT2