Research Scientist Engineer Internships
Research scientist engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience, mentorship from working research engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across Technology & Software, Social Media, and Manufacturing, with Meta, TikTok, and ByteDance among the employers posting roles now.
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Showing 5 of 176+ Research Scientist Engineer Internships
Research Scientist Intern (TikTok - Content Ecology - Local Services) - 2027 Start (PhD)
Location :
San Jose
Employment Type :
Intern
Job Code :
A125558
Responsibilities
The Content Ecology Algorithm Team drives TikTok's AI innovations in LLMs/MLLMs, NLP, Computer Vision, Multimodal learning, Agentic AI, and recommendation algorithms. We develop cutting-edge AI capabilities that power multiple business lines. You will tackle unique algorithm challenges in building products for a global audience. Our platform's diverse content and worldwide user base create a wealth of opportunities for AI applications. With rapidly growing businesses such as TikTok Local Services, you'll have the chance to bring cutting-edge AI innovations into real-world production. 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: - Conduct research and drive end-to-end deployment of innovative solutions that apply LLMs/MLLMs and agentic systems to global multimodal content understanding and representation. - Explore conversion prediction and RL methods for creator and user behavior modeling, and ship innovations to production. - Investigate agentic self-iteration paradigms for autonomous model evolution. - Track cutting-edge AI progress, rapidly validate hypotheses, and translate state-of-the-art insights into production-grade systems.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: - Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning or a related technical discipline. - Solid foundational understanding of modern machine learning theory and applications, with hands-on experience working with LLMs/MLLMs or agentic systems. - Strong analytical thinking to formulate research hypotheses, design experiments and evaluate model behaviors. - Proficiency in common ML frameworks and strong coding skills (Python/C++ preferred). Preferred Qualifications: - Experience in LLM post-training, agentic AI, reinforcement learning, reward modeling, combinatorial optimization or CTR/CVR/Uplift modeling. - Top tier publication, preprint, or open-source project experience in LLMs/MLLMs, NLP, CV, search, recommendation, or ads. - Proficiency in Python/C++ preferred. 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
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60- $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 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:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. 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
Research Scientist Intern (TikTok - Content Ecology - Local Services) - 2027 Start (PhD)
Location :
San Jose
Employment Type :
Intern
Job Code :
A125558
Responsibilities
The Content Ecology Algorithm Team drives TikTok's AI innovations in LLMs/MLLMs, NLP, Computer Vision, Multimodal learning, Agentic AI, and recommendation algorithms. We develop cutting-edge AI capabilities that power multiple business lines. You will tackle unique algorithm challenges in building products for a global audience. Our platform's diverse content and worldwide user base create a wealth of opportunities for AI applications. With rapidly growing businesses such as TikTok Local Services, you'll have the chance to bring cutting-edge AI innovations into real-world production. 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: - Conduct research and drive end-to-end deployment of innovative solutions that apply LLMs/MLLMs and agentic systems to global multimodal content understanding and representation. - Explore conversion prediction and RL methods for creator and user behavior modeling, and ship innovations to production. - Investigate agentic self-iteration paradigms for autonomous model evolution. - Track cutting-edge AI progress, rapidly validate hypotheses, and translate state-of-the-art insights into production-grade systems.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: - Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning or a related technical discipline. - Solid foundational understanding of modern machine learning theory and applications, with hands-on experience working with LLMs/MLLMs or agentic systems. - Strong analytical thinking to formulate research hypotheses, design experiments and evaluate model behaviors. - Proficiency in common ML frameworks and strong coding skills (Python/C++ preferred). Preferred Qualifications: - Experience in LLM post-training, agentic AI, reinforcement learning, reward modeling, combinatorial optimization or CTR/CVR/Uplift modeling. - Top tier publication, preprint, or open-source project experience in LLMs/MLLMs, NLP, CV, search, recommendation, or ads. - Proficiency in Python/C++ preferred. 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
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60- $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 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:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. 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
Research Scientist Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
- Meta123
- TikTok23
- ByteDance11
- KLA2
- General Mills2
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software18
- Social Media1
- Manufacturing1
- Media & Entertainment1
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals1
Tips for Your Research Scientist Engineer Internship Search
Apply earlier than the posting cycle suggests
Large employers recruit summer research scientist engineer interns the preceding fall, with application windows opening as early as August. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round. Set a recurring reminder to check listings every few weeks rather than waiting for a single hiring season to arrive.
Build a documented project record before you apply
Research scientist engineer intern hiring teams expect limited work history and assess candidates through project evidence instead. Publish your work somewhere reviewers can reach it: a code repository, a technical write-up, or a published analysis with clearly documented methodology and tools. Two or three complete, well-explained projects carry more weight than a long list of coursework alone.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Campus career fairs surface structured internship programs tied to your university, and recruiters there often move faster for students they meet in person. Professors and career center staff frequently know which research employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts at the same time widens the pool you reach.
Practice the research scientist engineer intern screen out loud
The intern interview for research scientist engineer roles typically involves a technical or analytical screen where interviewers weigh your reasoning process as much as your final answer. Practice explaining your approach out loud while working through problems, methodological clarity, experimental design logic, and how you handle uncertainty under questioning are what interviewers are actually evaluating.
Target structured rotational and cohort programs early
Larger employers in research-intensive industries run rotational or cohort-based internship programs built to train people new to the field. These programs recruit on their own earlier timelines, fill competitively, and sometimes require a separate application from the standard posting. Identify the ones that fit your background and apply in the first wave.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 86% of the research scientist engineer internships listed here. Decide what you can commit to before you start reviewing listings, then filter by location and work type so you're not sorting through roles you cannot take. On Migrate Mate, the work-type filter applies immediately and keeps your results relevant from the first search.
Research Scientist Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a research scientist engineer internship?
Lead with coursework, personal projects, and a portfolio rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For research scientist engineer candidates, the concrete artifact that gives recruiters something to assess is a documented project repository or published analysis showing your methodology and tools. Pair direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often make faster decisions for students they meet in person.
Can a research scientist engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For research scientist engineer interns, what actually drives it is consistent performance on real research tasks, the team's headcount situation at the end of the summer, and how early the return-offer conversation starts. Position for one by delivering clearly scoped work, but don't plan your job search around it.
When should I apply for research scientist engineer internships?
Earlier than most expect. Large employers recruit summer cohorts the preceding fall, so applications for June starts often open in August and September. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to their actual start dates, which means research scientist engineer internship openings appear year-round. Checking listings regularly, rather than waiting for a single season, keeps you from missing the early waves at competitive employers.
Are research scientist engineer internships paid?
Most professional research scientist engineer internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location, and listings show it where the employer chooses to disclose it. Unpaid arrangements exist primarily at nonprofits or in academic lab settings, so read each posting carefully to confirm the structure before applying.
What should a research scientist engineer internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects that name the tools and methods you used, and link to the work directly, a code repository, published analysis, or technical write-up gives reviewers something concrete to assess for research scientist engineer candidates. Add relevant coursework, any publications or conference contributions if applicable, and keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote research scientist engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 14% of the research scientist engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they draw applicants from a wider geographic pool, so apply early. Filter by work type at the start of your search so you're only reviewing roles that match what you can actually commit to.
What is a research scientist engineer rotational internship?
Some larger technology and industrial employers run rotational internship programs that place research scientist engineer interns across two or three teams over a single summer or across multiple terms. These programs are designed for people newer to the field and offer broader exposure than a single-team placement. They recruit early, fill competitively, and are worth identifying and applying to in the first wave of your search.
Can international students get research scientist engineer internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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