TikTok Media Engine SWE Intern | San Jose $45/hr
| Company | TikTok |
| Role | Software Engineer Intern — Media Engine (Live Arch Team) |
| Location | San Jose, CA (on-site) |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Start dates | May 11 / May 18 / May 26 / Jun 8 / Jun 22, 2026 (rolling) |
| Compensation | $45/hr + health insurance, life insurance, 10 paid holidays, paid sick leave; possible housing allowance |
| Degree | BS or MS — Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related |
| Application limit | Max 2 positions across all ByteDance / TikTok / affiliates globally |
Overview
TikTok's Live Arch team is building the next generation of streaming media infrastructure for TikTok Live, and they're looking for an intern to help iterate on live/RTC media features, from client SDK to media server. You'll work across iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux, optimizing video algorithms, network transmission, and real-time streaming quality at a global scale.
Key Requirements & Critical Rules
- Commitment: Must be available for 12 consecutive weeks in Summer 2026; state start and end dates clearly on résumé.
- Application cap: You may apply to a maximum of 2 positions across all ByteDance/TikTok entities globally — choose carefully.
- Degree: Currently pursuing BS or MS in Software Development, CS, CE, or related technical field.
- Core CS: Strong foundation in computer science, networking, and operating systems.
- Multimedia background: Solid grasp of image/signal processing, video codecs, or multimedia streaming.
- Languages: Proficiency in at least one of C/C++, Java/Kotlin, Objective-C/Swift, Python, or Golang.
- Preferred — network depth: Congestion control, loss recovery, bandwidth estimation, latency control, WebRTC, RTP/RTCP.
- Preferred — multimedia tools: FFmpeg, GStreamer, OBS, VLC, x264/x265, WebRTC, or VoIP products.
- Preferred — platform experience: iOS (Core Data/Animation) or Android SDK; media servers (Nginx RTMP, mediasoup, Jitsi, etc.).
- Rolling review: Apply as early as possible; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.