Research Scientist Intern (Multi-modal Agentic Databases) - 2027 Start (PhD)
With the fast growth of ByteDance's business, our system infrastructure is at a massive scale and requires versatile system solutions. Our lab collaborates with HQ teams on advanced R&D projects, focusing on LLM/AI + Infrastructure technologies, including both infrastructure for LLM/AI and LLM/AI for infrastructure. Key initiatives include:
- Building a new cloud-native vector index library
- Developing TextToSQL, which ranks top on industry benchmarks
- Working on advanced AIOps technologies used by our Volcano cloud products
Beyond business impact, we encourage publishing at top-tier conferences. In 2025 alone, our lab published nearly 20 papers in conferences such as SIGMOD, VLDB, FSE, ICLR, EuroSys, and WWW.
Responsibilities
- Conduct research surveys and propose new system and algorithm designs
- Develop prototyping systems
- Debug systems and measure performance
- Collaborate with mentors and lab members
- Write technical reports and publish papers
Requirements
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science or a related discipline
- Understanding of distributed systems
- Proficiency in one or more of the following programming languages: C/C++, Go, Java, or Python
- Ability to conduct advanced research under supervision
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong past research experience in infrastructure system areas
- Research experience with LLM
Pay
The hourly rate for this position is $57.
Benefits
- Day-one access to health insurance, life insurance, and wellbeing benefits
- 10 paid holidays per year
- Paid sick time (56 hours if hired in the first half of the year, 40 if hired in the second half)
- Eligibility for housing allowance (for interns not working 100% remote)
About Us
Founded in 2012, ByteDance’s mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. Our suite of products—including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut, Pico, Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua—makes it easier and more fun for people to connect, consume, and create content. We foster an "Always Day 1" mindset, striving for meaningful breakthroughs while valuing curiosity, humility, and impact.