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TikTok · 2 weeks ago

Research Scientist Intern (TikTok Recommendation-Large Recommender Models) - 2026 Start (PhD)

United States

Internship

Remote

Intern

$60/hr - $60/hr

Start in 2026

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video, and they are seeking a Research Scientist Intern focused on advancing large-scale recommender systems. The intern will develop cutting-edge models to optimize recommendation accuracy and user engagement, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance TikTok’s personalized content discovery.

Content CreatorsContent DiscoveryMedia and EntertainmentSocial MediaVideo

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Research and develop large-scale recommender systems for personalized, engaging user experiences, focusing on scalability, accuracy, and performance

Apply advanced machine learning and deep learning techniques to optimize recommendation algorithms for TikTok’s diverse user base

Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of recommender models, from training and fine-tuning to deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement

Analyze complex data to uncover user preferences, behaviors, and trends, driving personalization and enhancing TikTok’s recommendation capabilities

Collaborate with cross-functional teams (infrastructure, product, research, etc.) to design and implement innovative solutions that improve the relevance and diversity of TikTok recommendations

Qualification

Machine LearningDeep LearningRecommender SystemsProgramming SkillsData StructuresStatistical AnalysisAnalytical SkillsPublicationsProblem-SolvingCollaboration

Required

Current pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, or a related field

Experience in one or more areas of recommender systems, machine learning, computer vision, or natural language processing

Proficiency in programming skills, solid foundation in data structures and algorithms

Strong familiarity with deep learning architectures such as transformers, CNNs, RNNs, LSTMs, etc

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams

Preferred

Experience in building large-scale recommender systems that handle vast, diverse datasets and complex user interactions

Publications in top-tier venues such as RecSys, SIGGRAPH, CVPR, ICCV, ICML, NeurIPS, ICLR, or similar conferences/journals

Benefits

Interns have day one access to health insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

10 paid holidays per year

Paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year)

Housing allowance

Company

TikTok

Glassdoor3.4

TikTok is a short-form video entertainment app and social network platform. It is a sub-organization of ByteDance.

Founded in 2003

Los Angeles, California, USA

10001+ employees

https://www.tiktok.com

H1B Sponsorship

TikTok has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

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Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (979)

2024 (601)

2023 (387)

2022 (322)

2021 (133)

2020 (72)