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Machine Learning Scientist Intern (TikTok-Recommendation) - 2026 Start (PhD)
San Jose, CA
·
On-site
·
Full-time
·
1mo ago
Benefits & Perks
•Annual team offsites
•Learning and development stipend
•Top Tier compensation with equity
•Parental leave program
•Health, dental, and vision coverage
•Flexible PTO policy
Required Skills
Python
SQL
TensorFlow
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Tik Tok
Machine Learning Scientist Intern (Tik Tok-Recommendation) - 2026 Start (PhD)
3+ months ago• San Jose, CA
Viewed on February 1, 2026
Apply on company site
About Us
Tik Tok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video and our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.
- Size: 5001-10000 employees
- Industry: Entertainment & Gaming, Social Media, Technology
View Company Profile:
Responsibilities:
About the Team:
Recommendation algorithm team plays a central role in the company, driving critical product decisions and platform growth. The team is made up of machine learning researchers and engineers, who support and innovate on production recommendation models and drive product impact. The team is fast-pacing, collaborative and impact-driven.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. Internships at Tik Tok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Turn your ambitions into reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at Tik Tok.
Internships at Tik Tok 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.
In this role, you'll have the opportunity to:
- Drive the development of industry-leading recommendation systems that elevate user experience, strengthen platform safety, and empower a vibrant content ecosystem.
- Deliver impactful, end-to-end machine learning solutions that tackle high-priority product challenges related to content understanding, LLMs, robustness, and fairness.
- Own and optimize the full-stack ML pipeline-from algorithm design to system infrastructure-to continuously push the boundaries of recommendation performance.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to craft innovative product strategies and develop intelligent solutions that fuel Tik Tok's growth in key global markets.
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By signing up, you agree to our Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- Currently pursuing a PhD with a background in computer science, machine learning, or similar fields;
- Good knowledge of theoretical and empirical research in addressing research problems;
- Solid knowledge and experience with at least one popular deep learning framework (e.g., Py Torch,Tensor Flow) and familiarity with deep neural network architectures.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Research experience in one or more of the following fields: applied machine learning, machine learning infrastructure, large-scale recommendation system, market-facing machine learning product;
- Strong first-author publications record in top AI conferences or journals(e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, NAACL etc.);
- Proficient in C/C++, Python, and shell programming languages, and have a deep understanding of data structure and algorithm design;
- Internship experience in an AI research organization.
Client-provided location(s): San Jose, CAJob ID: Tik Tok-7519241729582516487Employment Type: INTERNPosted: 2025-06-27T00:27:05Apply on company site
Perks and Benefits
Health and Wellness
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- HSA
- Life Insurance
- Fitness Subsidies
- Short-Term Disability
- Long-Term Disability
- On-Site Gym
- Mental Health Benefits
- Virtual Fitness Classes
Parental Benefits
- Fertility Benefits
- Adoption Assistance Program
- Family Support Resources
Work Flexibility
- Flexible Work Hours
- Hybrid Work Opportunities
Office Life and Perks
- Casual Dress
- Snacks
- Pet-friendly Office
- Happy Hours
- Some Meals Provided
- Company Outings
- On-Site Cafeteria
- Holiday Events
Vacation and Time Off
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Holidays
- Personal/Sick Days
- Leave of Absence
Financial and Retirement
- 401(K) With Company Matching
- Performance Bonus
- Company Equity
Professional Development
- Promote From Within
- Access to Online Courses
- Leadership Training Program
- Associate or Rotational Training Program
- Mentor Program
Diversity and Inclusion
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program
- Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
Company Videos
Hear directly from employees about what it is like to work at Tik Tok.
0 seconds of 2 minutes, 18 seconds Volume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts Enabled Disabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ?Play/PauseSPACEIncrease Volume↑Decrease Volume↓Seek Forward →Seek Backward←Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size-Increase Caption Size+ or =Seek %0-9
Next Up Tik Tok Client Provided Video 101:20
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Linkhttps://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/LVcpvjZACopied
Live00:0002:1802:18
More Videos
- 02:18Working at Tik Tok- Get Ready With Ali01:20Tik Tok Client Provided Video 100:33Client Provided Video 2 - Tik Tok02:07Working at Tik Tok
- Limitless Possibilities01:41Working at Tik Tok
- Women's Community01:31Working at Tik Tok
- Women's Empowerment01:45Working At Tik Tok
- BLXCK01:27Working at Tik Tok
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with BLXCK
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About TikTok

TikTok
Late StageA short-form video entertainment app and social network platform
10,001+
Employees
Los Angeles
Headquarters
$220B
Valuation
Reviews
3.1
3 reviews
Work Life Balance
1.5
Compensation
2.0
Culture
1.2
Career
1.8
Management
1.0
5%
Recommend to a Friend
Pros
Limited positive feedback available
Company size allows for potential opportunities
Technology platform experience
Cons
Mass layoffs and poor handling of terminations
Unprofessional management and HR behavior
Exposure to traumatic content without adequate support
Salary Ranges
52 data points
Mid/L4
Senior/L5
Mid/L4 · Applied AI Product Data Scientist
1 reports
$273,000
total / year
Base
$210,000
Stock
-
Bonus
-
$273,000
$273,000
Interview Experience
4 interviews
Difficulty
3.5
/ 5
Duration
21-35 weeks
Experience
Positive 0%
Neutral 25%
Negative 75%
Interview Process
1
Application Review
2
Recruiter Screen
3
Online Assessment
4
Technical Phone Screen
5
Onsite/Virtual Interviews
6
Team Matching
7
Offer
Common Questions
Coding/Algorithm
System Design
Behavioral/STAR
Technical Knowledge
Data Structures
News & Buzz
25-Year-Old TikTok Star Khaby Lame Sells His Media Company for Nearly $1B - observer.com
Source: observer.com
News
·
5w ago
TikTok users say they're being censored after new owners were announced. The company says it's a tech issue. - Reason Magazine
Source: Reason Magazine
News
·
5w ago
TikTok users can't upload anti-ICE videos. The company blames tech issues
HN
·
5w ago
·
1,490
·
1000
TikTok is investigating why some users can't write 'Epstein' in messages - NPR
Source: NPR
News
·
5w ago