About the role#
This PhD internship focuses on research and development in computer vision, machine learning, and graphics. You will join an engineering team to work on video understanding, multimodal analysis, image and video synthesis, 3D vision, and intelligent editing. This role offers the chance to contribute directly to product features and emerging technologies while collaborating with industry experts.
What you'll do#
- Conduct research and development in computer vision and machine learning.
- Collaborate with Research Scientists to bring advanced technologies into TikTok products.
- Build features that reach millions of users.
- Solve complex, large-scale technical problems.
- Work with your mentor to deliver product improvements and new features.
- Develop web applications that prioritize performance, usability, and maintainability.
- Contribute to building the next-generation monetization platform.
What you'll need#
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science or a related technical field.
- Ability to commit to a 12-week internship during Summer 2026.
- A strong research record in computer vision, computer graphics, or machine learning.
- Publications in conferences such as SIGGRAPH, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ICML, NeurIPS, or ICLR are preferred.
- Proficiency in algorithms and programming.
- Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with team members.
- Demonstrated software engineering experience through previous work, coding competitions, or publications.
- Creativity and strong problem-solving skills.
Location & details#
- Location: Seattle, Washington.
- Term: Summer 2026.
- Modality: On-site.
- Employment: Full-time internship.
- Compensation: $57 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.
