Software Engineer Intern (Search) - 2027 Summer

About the team

The USDS Search Team is responsible for building and owning TikTok's search engine, which provides our users the best search experience. You'll have the opportunity to build a full-stack search engine system and combine information retrieval technology with modern machine learning methods from related fields such as NLP, CV, and recommender systems. We embrace a culture of self-direction, intellectual curiosity, openness, and problem-solving.

Our internship program offers students hands-on experience, industry exposure, and opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges while building a strong foundation for personal and professional growth. Interns will gain practical experience, explore potential career paths, and participate in social events, learning programs, and development workshops alongside industry professionals.

Responsibilities

• Optimize the searching quality to provide TikTok's users the best search experience
• Combine your understanding of product objectives and take full advantage of modern machine learning and information retrieval techniques to improve search quality and perception
• Build the core systems and algorithms development including query understanding, result ranking, query recommendation, system reliability, and more

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Able to commit to a 12-week internship during Summer 2027
• Experience in developing and implementing large-scale consumer-facing services/products and/or building backend services for large-scale consumer-facing applications
• Proficiency in the following languages but not limited to: C/C++, Python, Java, or Golang
• Effective team communication and collaboration skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Working knowledge in one of the following or similar domains: search, recommendation, ranking, ads, etc.
• Working knowledge in one of the following areas: machine learning, deep learning, backend, large-scale systems, data science, full-stack
• Experience with Big Data Frameworks, such as Hadoop, Spark, Flink, etc.

About USDS

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps, and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation.

USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale. 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.

Why Join Us

Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect — and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity, and bring joy — a mission we work towards every day.

We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make an impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless.

Pay

The hourly rate for this internship position is $45.

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)

Schedule

This is a 12-week internship during Summer 2027, with a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.