Data Engineer Intern Jobs in California

INTRODUCTION

The Ads Data Team builds and manages the petabyte-scale data infrastructure, batch/realtime pipelines and services to support TikTok's global Ads business. We are committed to building a robust data foundation and scalable data applications, unblocking the full potential of advertising data to optimize advertiser experience, boost business growth, and empower strategy execution. We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. 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. 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 weeks beginning in 2026. Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limits are applicable to TikTok and its affiliates' jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).

Summer Start Dates

May 11th, 2026
May 18th, 2026
May 26th, 2026
June 8th, 2026
June 22nd, 2026

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- Work closely with Product Managers, Data Scientists/Analysts, and Software/Machine Learning Engineers and other stakeholders to understand data requirements and deliver data solutions that meet business needs.
- Evaluate, implement and maintain data infrastructure tools and technologies to support efficient data processing, storage and query.
- Design, build and optimize scalable data pipelines to ingest, process and transform large volumes of data.
- Design and implement robust data models and visualization to support complex analytical queries and reporting requirements.
- Ensure the data integrity, accuracy and consistency of data by implementing data quality checks, validation processes and monitoring mechanisms.
- Continuously optimize data pipelines, queries and processes to improve performance, reduce latency and enhance scalability.
- Provide rapid response to SLA on-call support to business critical data pipelines.
- Create and maintain good documentation for data assets and promote best practices for data governance within the data user community.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

- Currently pursuing an Undergraduate/Master in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- Strong knowledge of SQL and experience working with relational and non-relational databases.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, Go etc.
- Solid understanding of data modeling and data warehousing concepts, data integration and ETL/ELT techniques.
- Effective communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Experience with big data technologies (e.g. Apache Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, Flink) and working with terabyte to petabyte scale data.
- Experience with cloud data warehouses (e.g. Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery) and modern business intelligence/data stack.
- Experience with data governance, data privacy and compliance.
- Experience in the advertising, e-commerce or gaming industry.

By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy

COMPENSATION

- Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $45 - $60. 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 the first half of the year, 40 if hired in the second half of the 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;
- Exercising sound judgment.

ABOUT TIKTOK

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 we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

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 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. Join us.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

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 ACCOMMODATION

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://tinyurl.com/RA-request