(General Hire) Machine Learning Engineer Intern (TikTok-Recommendation) - 2026 Fall (BS/MS)

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 our Company aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Watch your ambitions become reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at our Company.

Internships at Our Company aims 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.

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to Our Company and its affiliates' jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).

Fall Start Dates: August 10th, 2026 August 24th, 2026 September 8th, 2026 September 21st, 2026

• This opening is part of the general hiring process for the TikTok Recommendation organization. Applications will be evaluated by multiple teams within the Recommendation organization to ensure the best alignment based on skills and interests.

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 TikTok's growth in key global markets. Minimum Qualifications:
• Currently pursuing a Master degree 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., PyTorch,TensorFlow) and familiarity with deep neural network architectures.
• Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026

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 accredited 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.

For TikTok By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy