Research Scientist Jobs at ByteDance with Visa Sponsorship
Research Scientist jobs at ByteDance span machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and recommendation systems. The company has an established immigration program and regularly sponsors work visas for this function, making it a realistic target for international researchers navigating the U.S. sponsorship process.
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Get Access To All JobsLOCATION
Location:
Seattle
TEAM
Team:
Infrastructure
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Employment Type:
Intern
JOB CODE
Job Code:
A76146
ABOUT THE TEAM
Join ByteDance’s database R&D team, where you’ll build and own cutting-edge database products supporting ByteDance’s global infrastructure. Our diverse portfolio includes relational databases, distributed caches, key-value stores, document databases, graph databases, wide-column stores, search engines, and multi-model databases.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are building the next-generation AI-native database systems—intelligent, multimodal, and designed for the era of large models. Our systems are not just data stores; they’re reasoning engines, retrieval platforms, and real-time memory for AI agents. As a Software Engineer or Researcher, you will be at the forefront of rethinking how databases work when built from the ground up for AI workloads. You’ll help create infrastructure that powers intelligent systems across TikTok, CapCut, and future applications that haven’t been imagined yet.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship. PhD internships at Our Company provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, as well as to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies.
Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and professional development events, and collaboration with industry experts.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Please clearly state your availability in your resume (Start date, End date).
Responsibilities
- Develop kernel modules or features for AI-native database systems.
- Solve unique, large-scale, highly complex cloud infrastructure problems.
- Partner with PMs and engineers from different teams on building backend support for AI-native database service products.
- Participate in technical discussions related to team's product and engineering work.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or other related discipline.
- Knowledge of database kernel, distributed system, query processing and optimization, multi-threaded programming.
- Experience coding in C/C++, Golang, Java, Python.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated software engineering experience from previous internship, work experience, coding competitions, or publications.
- Curiosity towards new technologies and entrepreneurship.
- High levels of creativity and quick problem-solving capabilities.
- Experience with open-source systems such as Faiss, Milvus, DuckDB, ClickHouse, TiKV, RocksDB.
- Publications at conferences (e.g., SIGMOD, VLDB, NeurIPS, MLSys, ICDE).
- Familiarity with GCP, AWS, or Azure’s database and AI integration strategies.
- Prior contributions to RAG, memory-augmented models, or self-tuning database components.
COMPENSATION
- Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern:
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $57 - $57.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY (UNINCORPORATED) CANDIDATES:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
-
Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
-
Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
-
Exercising sound judgment.
About us
Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.
WHY JOIN BYTEDANCE
Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are 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 enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.
As ByteDancers, we strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. 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. Join us.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
ByteDance 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 ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. 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.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
ByteDance 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://tinyurl.com/RA-request
LOCATION
Location:
Seattle
TEAM
Team:
Infrastructure
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Employment Type:
Intern
JOB CODE
Job Code:
A76146
ABOUT THE TEAM
Join ByteDance’s database R&D team, where you’ll build and own cutting-edge database products supporting ByteDance’s global infrastructure. Our diverse portfolio includes relational databases, distributed caches, key-value stores, document databases, graph databases, wide-column stores, search engines, and multi-model databases.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are building the next-generation AI-native database systems—intelligent, multimodal, and designed for the era of large models. Our systems are not just data stores; they’re reasoning engines, retrieval platforms, and real-time memory for AI agents. As a Software Engineer or Researcher, you will be at the forefront of rethinking how databases work when built from the ground up for AI workloads. You’ll help create infrastructure that powers intelligent systems across TikTok, CapCut, and future applications that haven’t been imagined yet.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship. PhD internships at Our Company provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, as well as to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies.
Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and professional development events, and collaboration with industry experts.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Please clearly state your availability in your resume (Start date, End date).
Responsibilities
- Develop kernel modules or features for AI-native database systems.
- Solve unique, large-scale, highly complex cloud infrastructure problems.
- Partner with PMs and engineers from different teams on building backend support for AI-native database service products.
- Participate in technical discussions related to team's product and engineering work.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or other related discipline.
- Knowledge of database kernel, distributed system, query processing and optimization, multi-threaded programming.
- Experience coding in C/C++, Golang, Java, Python.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated software engineering experience from previous internship, work experience, coding competitions, or publications.
- Curiosity towards new technologies and entrepreneurship.
- High levels of creativity and quick problem-solving capabilities.
- Experience with open-source systems such as Faiss, Milvus, DuckDB, ClickHouse, TiKV, RocksDB.
- Publications at conferences (e.g., SIGMOD, VLDB, NeurIPS, MLSys, ICDE).
- Familiarity with GCP, AWS, or Azure’s database and AI integration strategies.
- Prior contributions to RAG, memory-augmented models, or self-tuning database components.
COMPENSATION
- Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern:
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $57 - $57.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY (UNINCORPORATED) CANDIDATES:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
-
Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
-
Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
-
Exercising sound judgment.
About us
Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.
WHY JOIN BYTEDANCE
Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are 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 enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.
As ByteDancers, we strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. 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. Join us.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
ByteDance 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 ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. 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.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
ByteDance 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://tinyurl.com/RA-request
See all Research Scientist Jobs at ByteDance
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Research Scientist Jobs at ByteDance.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Research Scientist Jobs at ByteDance
Align your research area to ByteDance products
ByteDance's Research Scientist roles cluster around TikTok's recommendation engine, Doubao's large language model work, and ads ranking systems. Framing your publications and projects around these product verticals signals direct fit to recruiters screening for applied research, not just academic credentials.
Prepare a research portfolio before applying
ByteDance evaluates Research Scientists on peer-reviewed publications, patent filings, and open-source contributions. Compile these into a single portfolio document before your first recruiter screen so the immigration team can assess your EB-2 or O-1 visa eligibility early in the process.
Clarify your visa category during the offer stage
ByteDance sponsors H-1B, H-1B1 visa, E-3, and employment-based Green Cards. Ask the recruiting coordinator during offer negotiation which category they plan to file, since H-1B1 and E-3 move faster than cap-subject H-1B and may affect your start date significantly.
Register for H-1B lottery in March if needed
If ByteDance files a cap-subject H-1B for you, USCIS runs the lottery in March for an October 1 start. A failed lottery selection does not mean your offer is void. ByteDance has historically explored cap-exempt filings through affiliated research entities for continuing employees.
Use Migrate Mate to identify open Research Scientist roles
ByteDance posts Research Scientist openings across multiple teams and locations at different times. Use Migrate Mate to filter specifically for ByteDance roles that include visa sponsorship, so you can track new postings and apply before headcount closes.
Understand PERM timelines if targeting a Green Card
EB-2 PERM labor certification requires DOL processing that currently runs over a year before ByteDance can even file your I-140. If a Green Card pathway matters to you, raise it before signing your offer letter so the timeline is factored into your immigration plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ByteDance sponsor H-1B visas for Research Scientists?
Yes, ByteDance sponsors H-1B visas for Research Scientists and has done so consistently. Sponsorship typically begins after an offer is signed. If you're subject to the H-1B cap, ByteDance will register you in the March lottery for an October 1 start. Australian citizens may qualify for the E-3 visa instead, and some roles may support cap-exempt filings through affiliated research entities.
How do I apply for Research Scientist jobs at ByteDance?
Applications go through ByteDance's careers portal at jobs.bytedance.com. Research Scientist roles are distributed across teams including TikTok, Lark, and the core AI Lab, so searching by team or product area helps narrow results. You can also use Migrate Mate to browse ByteDance Research Scientist openings that include visa sponsorship and get alerts when new positions are posted.
Which visa types does ByteDance sponsor for Research Scientists?
ByteDance sponsors H-1B, H-1B1 visa, and E-3 visas for Research Scientists, along with employment-based Green Cards through the EB-2 and EB-3 categories. H-1B1 is available to Chilean and Singaporean nationals and bypasses the lottery. E-3 is exclusive to Australian citizens. Researchers with exceptional credentials may also be evaluated for O-1A sponsorship, which does not require a cap registration.
What qualifications does ByteDance expect for Research Scientist roles?
Most Research Scientist roles at ByteDance require a Ph.D. in computer science, electrical engineering, statistics, or a related field. Strong publication records in venues like NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, or ACL carry significant weight. Roles focused on recommendation systems or ads also value practical experience with large-scale production systems alongside academic credentials. Some teams hire exceptional master's graduates with industry research experience.
How do I think about the timeline from offer to starting work on a visa?
Timeline depends heavily on your visa category. E-3 and H-1B1 visa can move in four to eight weeks since they skip the lottery. A cap-subject H-1B filed in April has an October 1 start date at the earliest. PERM-based Green Card sponsorship typically takes two or more years from initiation. Discuss the intended visa pathway with ByteDance's immigration team as soon as you receive an offer so your start date is realistic.