What are the responsibilities and job description for the CPU Application Platform Engineer Intern (Server Platform) - 2026 Fall (PhD) position at TikTok?
Responsibilities
Server platform team is responsible for architecting, designing, and building the best server and storage system to meet the requirements of high-performance, low cost and easy to operate. By joining this team, you will work with the best engineers and talents in this industry and have a broad opportunity to get in touch with the latest AI application system and newly emerged technology in computing, storage and silicon validation. You will gain remarkable hardware architecture, development and validation experience in the most advanced hardware infrastructure at a massive scale.
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. This Internship Program Runs For 12 Weeks Beginning In August/September 2026. Successful Candidates Must Be Able To Commit To One Of The Following Internship Start Dates Below:
(Select below options for Fall)
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. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.
Responsibilities:
Minimum Qualifications:
【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:
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
Server platform team is responsible for architecting, designing, and building the best server and storage system to meet the requirements of high-performance, low cost and easy to operate. By joining this team, you will work with the best engineers and talents in this industry and have a broad opportunity to get in touch with the latest AI application system and newly emerged technology in computing, storage and silicon validation. You will gain remarkable hardware architecture, development and validation experience in the most advanced hardware infrastructure at a massive scale.
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. This Internship Program Runs For 12 Weeks Beginning In August/September 2026. Successful Candidates Must Be Able To Commit To One Of The Following Internship Start Dates Below:
(Select below options for Fall)
- 8/10/2026
- 8/24/2026
- 9/8/2026
- 9/21/2026
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. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.
Responsibilities:
- Study CPU technology from academic, industry and partner vendors.
- Develop application benchmarks, tools and performance optimization methods for computing system.
- Identify the system bottleneck/opportunity with deep system-level data-driven study, explore innovative options through SW-HW co-design, and lead them towards implementation.
- Develop system TCO model, based on application benchmark and performance optimization.
- Work with industry consortiums and open standard committees to investigate the emerging standards or technologies, and contribute our research results to the industry.
- Work with our technology partners and suppliers to setup POC or prototypes to evaluate and test the new technologies or architectural designs.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Must be able to commit to a 12-week full-time work period during Fall 2026
- Currently pursuing an Undergraduate/Masters degree in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Thesis in CPU platform architecture and/or application performance optimization design or software hardware co-design.
- Deep understanding of computer system architecture, especially on CPU SoC or Platform Architecture, Interconnect Fabric, and Memory sub-system.
- Experienced in CPU system application performance optimization or software hardware co-design.
- Strong knowledge and proficiency in software development in C/C , scripting languages such as Python.
- Understand the implementation of CPU virtualization technology, and distributed system.
【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:
- 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.
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