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PhD Opportunities

Our Research teams advance innovation at TikTok by solving real-world business challenges through cutting-edge research and collaboration. Working alongside industry experts, they deliver impactful solutions that inspire creativity and bring joy through technology.

Discover our PhD opportunities

Whether through an internship or a graduate role, our PhD opportunities allow you to apply your expertise to real-world products and cutting-edge research. You’ll help shape emerging technologies and contribute to innovations that drive the future of our business.

Our research teams

No matter your background or interests, you'll find opportunities here to push boundaries and grow. Our research teams often leverage real business data to train models and develop solutions tailored to our global business needs. Our core research spans several areas, including:

Team

Apply your expertise to

real-world innovation

TikTok Recommendationright-arrowGlobal Monetization Product and Technologyright-arrowTikTok Engineeringright-arrowTikTok Searchright-arrowTrust & Safety Algorithmright-arrowTikTok AI Innovation Labright-arrow

Grow your career in a meaningful way

Our PhD program empowers you to apply your research expertise to real-world challenges, driving meaningful impact from day one. You’ll gain access to mentorship, networking, and feedback, all while collaborating across teams to grow your skills and advance your career.

Tackle real-world challenges

Gain hands-on experience by applying your expertise to complex business problems that directly contribute to TikTok's growth.

Collaborate with industry leaders

Work closely with experienced mentors and cross-functional teams who are driving innovation at the forefront of technology.

Broaden your research knowledge

Take part in open-source events, attend academic conferences, and collaborate with teams across the company to deepen your insight into diverse research areas.

Frequently asked questions

TikTok primarily focuses on the practical applications of machine learning and AI to continuously address user needs within the platform and improve overall user experience.

Many of our teams focus on applied research that addresses real-world business challenges and drives practical impact. While publishing isn’t mandatory, researchers are welcome to publish if they choose, provided they follow the required internal review and approval process.

We value the expertise PhD talent brings and offer roles for both researchers and non-researchers. Non-research roles let PhDs apply complex machine learning models to real business challenges, driving meaningful impact. This hands-on industry experience complements academic research, creating a well-rounded career journey.

Yes, the company supports continuous learning, and many teams regularly attend research conferences to stay current with industry advancements. These conferences also provide opportunities for our teams to share their work through publications.

Read the full FAQ

Our

voices

"TikTok represents a unique and dynamic environment where cutting-edge technology and vast amounts of data is available. The platform's global reach and innovative approach to content delivery present a rich field for applying advanced machine learning techniques."

–

Nima,

Machine Learning Engineer PhD Intern

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