Research Scientist Intern (Compute Platform - Database Acceleration)- 2025 Summer/Fall (PhD)

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and its offices include New York, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Why Join Us
Creation is the core of TikTok's purpose. Our platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible.
Together, we inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we all believe in and aim towards achieving every day.
To us, every challenge, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity; to learn, to innovate, and to grow as one team. Status quo? Never. Courage? Always.
At TikTok, we create together and grow together. That's how we drive impact - for ourselves, our company, and the communities we serve.
Join us.

The Data Platform team works on challenges in big data infrastructure and data products. Our team focuses on internal tools relating to OLAP DBMS, logging and data ingestion infrastructure, A/B testing for all product and feature launches, workflow management, distributed cache, data visualization tools, and big data engineering, which supports TikTok's business products.

Data-Data Platform-Compute Platform - DB Boost team focuses on building the next generation DBMS kernel aiming for the best-in-class query latency and hardware utilization. The team operates the distributed OLAP infrastructure powering cloud native data warehouse, which is the foundation behind data-driven decision-making within TikTok.

We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2025. Internships at TikTok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Turn your ambitions into reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at TikTok.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early. 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 TikTok and its affiliates' jobs globally.

Internships at TikTok aim 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. It runs for 12-24 weeks and begins in May/June 2025 or August/September 2025 (Select May if Summer or August if Fall [For Tech Only]) . Successful candidates must be able to commit to one of the following start dates below:
(Select below options for Summer)
- Monday, May 12
- Monday, May 19
- Tuesday May 27 (Memorial Day May 27)
- Monday, June 9
- Monday, June 23
[For Tech Only] (Select below options for Fall)
- Monday, August 11
- Monday, August 25
- Monday, September 8
- Monday, September 22
Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early. 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 TikTok and its affiliates' jobs globally.

Responsibilities:
- Design and develop kernel modules or core features for cloud-native distributed analytical database systems;
- Conduct research for cutting-edge technology evolvement in database and data management area and identify the potential future directions;
- Solve unique and complex problems on large-scale, high-performance cloud infrastructure;
- Partner with different teams on building backend support for cloud native database service.Minimum Qualifications:
- PhD candidate in Computer Science, related STEM or quantitative field
- Current or recent graduate with a background in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience with at least one system programming language: C++, Rust etc.
Must obtain work authorization in country of employment at the time of hire, and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Research or deep working experience in OLAP databases and data management systems is preferred, including but not limited to database kernel, query processing, query optimization, storage system, hardware acceleration, cloud native infrastructure, etc.
- Experience with open-source and industry databases and data management systems like Velox, DataFusion, DuckDB, Polars, Clickhouse, Spark, Presto etc is a plus
- Passionate & experienced for contributing to open source communities
- High levels of creativity and quick problem-solving capabilities

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://shorturl.at/cdpT2.