J-1 Visa Category Manager Jobs
Category Manager roles in the United States are accessible to international professionals through the J-1 Trainee or Intern program categories, depending on your career stage. Designated sponsor organizations issue the DS-2019 form that makes J-1 sponsorship possible. Host employers in retail, consumer goods, and supply chain regularly partner with these sponsors to bring in qualified exchange visitors.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Global Operations
Category Manager Project Intern (TikTok Shop - US Operations) - 2026 Start (BS/MS)
Location:
Seattle
Employment Type:
Intern
Job Code:
A208462A
ABOUT THE TEAM
The commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has become a hotly contested space amongst leading Internet companies, and its future growth cannot be underestimated. We aim to bring discovery, inspiration, and joy back to shopping by making TikTok the commerce channel of choice for merchants, creators, and affiliates.
You've seen the virality and impact of #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. Come join the team that is helping scale that phenomenon, and pioneer Content & Creator commerce in the US. We aim to bring discovery, inspiration, and joy back to shopping by making TikTok the leading, on-trend commerce platform of choice for brands, creators, and shoppers. We are an entrepreneurial team, passionate about shaping the future of shopping.
The TikTok Shop US operation team aims to deliver high quality products together with a unique customer experience via TikTok. The team is responsible for building the TikTok E-commerce partnership for the TikTok e-commerce business in the US. With more than 1 billion loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to deliver a brand new and better e-commerce experience to our users. We are looking for passionate and talented people to join us to build an e-commerce ecosystem that is innovative, secure and intuitive for our users together.
As a project intern, you will have the opportunity to engage in impactful short-term projects that provide you with a glimpse of professional real-world experience. You will gain practical skills through on-the-job learning in a fast-paced work environment and develop a deeper understanding of your career interests.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.
Successful candidates must be able to commit to at least 3 months long internship period.
Responsibilities:
- Be familiar with the overall strategies and tactics of global e-commerce business, and deeply support business leaders to disassemble project tasks, set priorities and add value to the business team.
- Develop and execute comprehensive strategy, including goal/budget setting and performance review.
- Conduct data analysis to evaluate the performance of merchandise and seller growth, identify trends, and make recommendations for optimization.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to plan and execute the Strategy.
- Participate in the design and implementation of business operation management systems and processes, and provide strong support for the implementation of business strategy.
- Proactively identify and mitigate risk during rapid growth in business development, while ensuring regulatory and policy compliance is maintained.
- Establish a clear and efficient communication mechanism with internal and external partners globally, coordinate projects across systems and departments, and improve overall synergy efficiency.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, with strong interest in Business Administration, Project Management, Marketing, or a related field.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; proactive, detail-oriented, and capable of conducting both qualitative and quantitative research to generate actionable insights.
- Excellent communication and cross-team collaboration, skilled at moving things forward.
- Passion for business and aim for higher goals.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Interest in e-commerce business; Internship experience in e-commerce or having a solid understanding of the industry landscape is a plus.
- Familiar with TikTok and other content platforms; experience in content-based eCommerce (brand and/or platform-side) is highly preferred.
- Proven skills in network and connections with brands and/or retailers is a plus.
- Passion for TikTok and eCommerce, eager to exceed challenging goals while building something truly unique to the market.
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 $23.75 - $23.75.
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 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
INTRODUCTION
Global Operations
Category Manager Project Intern (TikTok Shop - US Operations) - 2026 Start (BS/MS)
Location:
Seattle
Employment Type:
Intern
Job Code:
A208462A
ABOUT THE TEAM
The commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has become a hotly contested space amongst leading Internet companies, and its future growth cannot be underestimated. We aim to bring discovery, inspiration, and joy back to shopping by making TikTok the commerce channel of choice for merchants, creators, and affiliates.
You've seen the virality and impact of #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. Come join the team that is helping scale that phenomenon, and pioneer Content & Creator commerce in the US. We aim to bring discovery, inspiration, and joy back to shopping by making TikTok the leading, on-trend commerce platform of choice for brands, creators, and shoppers. We are an entrepreneurial team, passionate about shaping the future of shopping.
The TikTok Shop US operation team aims to deliver high quality products together with a unique customer experience via TikTok. The team is responsible for building the TikTok E-commerce partnership for the TikTok e-commerce business in the US. With more than 1 billion loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to deliver a brand new and better e-commerce experience to our users. We are looking for passionate and talented people to join us to build an e-commerce ecosystem that is innovative, secure and intuitive for our users together.
As a project intern, you will have the opportunity to engage in impactful short-term projects that provide you with a glimpse of professional real-world experience. You will gain practical skills through on-the-job learning in a fast-paced work environment and develop a deeper understanding of your career interests.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.
Successful candidates must be able to commit to at least 3 months long internship period.
Responsibilities:
- Be familiar with the overall strategies and tactics of global e-commerce business, and deeply support business leaders to disassemble project tasks, set priorities and add value to the business team.
- Develop and execute comprehensive strategy, including goal/budget setting and performance review.
- Conduct data analysis to evaluate the performance of merchandise and seller growth, identify trends, and make recommendations for optimization.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to plan and execute the Strategy.
- Participate in the design and implementation of business operation management systems and processes, and provide strong support for the implementation of business strategy.
- Proactively identify and mitigate risk during rapid growth in business development, while ensuring regulatory and policy compliance is maintained.
- Establish a clear and efficient communication mechanism with internal and external partners globally, coordinate projects across systems and departments, and improve overall synergy efficiency.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, with strong interest in Business Administration, Project Management, Marketing, or a related field.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; proactive, detail-oriented, and capable of conducting both qualitative and quantitative research to generate actionable insights.
- Excellent communication and cross-team collaboration, skilled at moving things forward.
- Passion for business and aim for higher goals.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Interest in e-commerce business; Internship experience in e-commerce or having a solid understanding of the industry landscape is a plus.
- Familiar with TikTok and other content platforms; experience in content-based eCommerce (brand and/or platform-side) is highly preferred.
- Proven skills in network and connections with brands and/or retailers is a plus.
- Passion for TikTok and eCommerce, eager to exceed challenging goals while building something truly unique to the market.
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 $23.75 - $23.75.
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 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
See all 5+ Category Manager jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Category Manager roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Category Manager
Frame your training plan around sourcing competencies
Designated sponsors require a detailed training plan before issuing your DS-2019. Map your Category Manager objectives to specific skills: vendor negotiation, assortment planning, and demand forecasting. Generic plans get rejected; role-specific ones move faster.
Distinguish Intern from Trainee eligibility before applying
The J-1 Intern category requires current enrollment or graduation within 12 months. Trainee fits professionals with at least one year of post-degree work experience. Applying under the wrong category forces a restart with your designated sponsor.
Target host employers with established procurement functions
Use Migrate Mate to filter for U.S. employers in retail, FMCG, and manufacturing that post Category Manager roles. Companies with dedicated buying teams are far more likely to have prior J-1 hosting experience and an existing designated sponsor relationship.
Verify the host employer's willingness before sponsor outreach
Designated sponsors, including Cultural Vistas and AIPT, require written confirmation from the host employer before they issue a DS-2019. Secure a conditional offer or letter of intent from the hiring manager before contacting any sponsor about program enrollment.
Check whether your role triggers the home residency requirement
Some J-1 Trainees are subject to the two-year home-country residency requirement based on funding source or skills listed on the Exchange Visitor Skills List. Confirm your status with your designated sponsor early, as this affects any future H-1B or green card timeline.
Align your academic background with the occupational profile
Designated sponsors cross-reference your field of study against the role during vetting. Pull the O*NET profile for Category Manager, note the required knowledge areas in buying, merchandising, and logistics, and make sure your CV and training plan use matching terminology.
Category Manager jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Category Manager JobsCategory Manager J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits a Category Manager role?
Current students or recent graduates within 12 months of completing a degree typically enroll under the J-1 Intern category. Professionals with at least one year of relevant post-degree work experience in procurement, merchandising, or supply chain qualify under the J-1 Trainee category. Your designated sponsor confirms eligibility and issues the DS-2019 based on which category you meet.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for a Category Manager position?
The J-1 visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, not the hiring employer. Organizations like Cultural Vistas, AIPT, and CIEE issue the DS-2019 form, administer program compliance, and co-sign your training plan. The company where you work is the host employer. Both parties have distinct roles, and the designated sponsor must be involved before your visa is issued.
How do I find U.S. employers that will host a J-1 Category Manager?
Migrate Mate lets you search for U.S. employers posting Category Manager roles and filter for those that align with J-1 sponsorship pathways. Retail, consumer goods, and food and beverage companies with structured buying departments are the most common host employers for this role type. Target organizations with procurement or category management teams of meaningful size, as they tend to have prior J-1 hosting experience.
What goes into a J-1 training plan for a Category Manager exchange visitor?
Your training plan must break the placement into phases with specific, measurable learning objectives. For a Category Manager role, typical phases include supplier relationship management, category performance analysis, promotional planning, and cross-functional collaboration with marketing and logistics. The host employer and designated sponsor co-sign the plan, so it needs sign-off from your direct manager before the DS-2019 is issued.
Does the two-year home residency requirement apply to J-1 Category Managers?
It depends on your country of origin, your funding source, and whether your skill set appears on the Exchange Visitor Skills List maintained by the State Department. If the requirement applies, you must return home for two years before changing to most other nonimmigrant visa categories or applying for a green card. Confirm your status with your designated sponsor at the start of the process, not after accepting an offer.
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