About the role#
This PhD internship focuses on building foundational large models for Global E-commerce. You will work within the Algorithm department to integrate users, products, content, and logistics into a unified modeling framework. The goal is to design modular, pluggable agent systems that handle task planning, tool usage, and multi-turn interaction to improve end-to-end intelligent decision-making.
What you'll do#
- Build recommendation systems to improve user experience, content ecosystems, and platform security.
- Explore generative recommendation techniques such as Diffusion Models, prompt learning, and multimodal content generation.
- Develop multi-model and cross-scenario systems for unified recommendations across livestreams, short videos, and search.
- Deliver end-to-end machine learning solutions for product challenges.
- Own full-stack machine learning systems and optimize algorithms and infrastructure.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design product strategies and build solutions.
What you'll need#
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Strong foundation in machine learning, with preference for publications in top-tier academic conferences or competition experience.
- Familiarity with big data frameworks like Hadoop, MapReduce, and Spark.
- Experience with TensorFlow or PyTorch for model training and deployment.
- Understanding of training acceleration techniques including mixed precision and distributed training.
- Knowledge of model compression and inference acceleration techniques such as quantization, pruning, distillation, and TensorRT optimization.
- In-depth research experience in multimedia, computer vision, or NLP, including pretraining techniques, natural language understanding, and large language models.
- Ability to integrate LLMs with video or product representations.
Location & details#
- Location: Seattle, Washington.
- Employment: Full-time internship.
- Term: Rolling basis.
- Compensation: $71.25 per hour.
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.
