Engineering Tech Lead, Data Platform – USDS

About the Team

The TikTok U.S. Data Security (USDS) team is responsible for the security, integrity, and compliance of TikTok's data within the United States. The Data Platform Team builds a scalable, reliable, cost-efficient infrastructure that ensures data integrity and empowers every business unit to win through self-service tools and scientific insights. We are seeking a Tech Lead to help drive company-wide efficiency and "self-service empowerment" through AI-driven innovation. Our mission is to transform how the organization interacts with data by building a "technical multiplier"—a suite of internal products that automate manual bottlenecks and accelerate business velocity.

Responsibilities

• Technical Strategy & Architecture: Define the long-term roadmap for AI-driven internal products. You will lead the architectural design of complex systems, such as enterprise-grade conversational RAG systems and autonomous diagnostic engines, ensuring they are scalable, secure, and cost-efficient.
• Force Multiplication: Identify systemic friction points across TikTok's global workflows. You will lead the transition from manual data management to "self-service empowerment," building platforms that allow non-technical stakeholders (Legal, Finance, HR) to solve complex data problems independently.
• Systemic Reliability & Governance: Overhaul the release governance framework by integrating intelligent automation into the Meego pipeline. You will ensure that data-informed decision-making is baked into the deployment lifecycle to mitigate global operational risks.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as the primary technical point of contact for BDEE and T&P teams. You will drive the "platformization" of AI pilots, transforming isolated successes into enterprise-wide standards for AB testing and resource allocation.
• Mentorship & Engineering Culture: Champion engineering excellence by setting the standard for code quality, design documentation, and system resilience. You will mentor junior and senior-level engineers, fostering a culture of innovation and high-velocity execution.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience: 5+ years of professional software development experience, with a proven track record of leading large-scale projects from 0-1 to maturity.
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience as a Technical Lead for a mid-to-large sized team, with a focus on architectural oversight and cross-team influence.
• Technical Depth: Expert proficiency in backend systems (Go, Python, Java, or C++) and a deep understanding of distributed systems and data infrastructure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced AI/ML Orchestration: Deep expertise in building and scaling LLM-based agents, complex RAG architectures, and automated "Human-in-the-Loop" systems.
• Platform Vision: Experience building enterprise-scale internal productivity ecosystems (e.g., automated SQL engines, intelligent on-call bots, or massive-scale AB testing platforms).
• Operational Mastery: Proven ability to navigate complex compliance and security landscapes (like USDS) while maintaining high engineering velocity.
• Strategic Communication: Ability to translate highly technical AI/Infrastructure roadmaps into clear business impact for executive leadership and government relations stakeholders.

Pay

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $198,360 - $416,100 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Schedule

On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.

Benefits

Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure). The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.