Applied Scientist Intern (Recommendation AI Lab) - 2026 Start (PhD)

TikTok
San Jose
Workplace: OnsiteInternshipFunction: Research & Scientific (R&D)Education: phdSkills: ["Research","Problem-solving","Programming","Data modeling","Algorithm optimization"]

Work on TikTok’s next-generation advertising recommendation systems by applying foundation-model research to large-scale recommendation and search. You’ll explore LLM and recommender scaling laws, build unified multimodal foundation models, and design intelligent ad placement systems optimized for long-term value and ROAS. Partner with the team to improve full-process training and real-time inference, balancing compute cost with latency for production deployment.

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FursaFursa
TikTok
TikTok
1 month ago

Applied Scientist Intern (Recommendation AI Lab) - 2026 Start (PhD)

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Last checked: 28 minutes agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Work on TikTok’s next-generation advertising recommendation systems by applying foundation-model research to large-scale recommendation and search. You’ll explore LLM and recommender scaling laws, build unified multimodal foundation models, and design intelligent ad placement systems optimized for long-term value and ROAS. Partner with the team to improve full-process training and real-time inference, balancing compute cost with latency for production deployment.
Location: San Jose
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Internship
Job Function: Research & Scientific (R&D)
Seniority: Intern level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Explore foundation model scaling laws for recommendation and advertising, and build a foundation model using unified multimodal semantic modeling.
  • •Build an intelligent ad placement system optimized for users’ long-term value (LTV) and long-term ROAS, balancing monetization value with user experience.
  • •Optimize full-process training and online inference frameworks for foundation models, balancing compute costs with real-time response and addressing performance-latency trade-offs in deployment.

Key Requirements

  • •Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
  • •Modeling experience in one or more areas: Ads, search engine, recommender system, NLP/CV.
  • •Solid algorithms foundation related to LLMs, including single-modal LLM application and deployment.
  • •Strong programming skills with data structures and fundamental algorithms; C/C++ for traditional coding or Python for intelligent coding roles.
  • •Strong publications record in top conferences is a plus.
Education:PhD / Doctorate in Computer Science or Computer Engineering (or related technical discipline)
Skills:ResearchProblem-solvingProgrammingData modelingAlgorithm optimization
Tech Stack:PythonC/C++LLMsLarge Language ModelsLarge Recommender ModelsNLPCVRetrievalRankingAIGCCausal inference

Company Brief

TikTok
Short-form video platform that lets users create, share, and discover entertainment content through algorithmic recommendations. It also offers advertising and creator tools for brands, influencers, and businesses.
Industry: Digital Media
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Growth: Scaleup
Headquarters: Singapore, Singapore
Founded: 2016
WebsiteLinkedIn