[Remote] Research Engineer Graduate Online Architecture- 2026 Start (PhD)

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. They are seeking a Research Engineer to conduct research and optimization for TikTok’s ecosystem, focusing on complex business architecture systems and enhancing infrastructure planning through AI and algorithm capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and optimization for TikTok’s ecosystem, serving billions of users worldwide, supported by globally distributed, ultra-large-scale data center clusters, and the industry’s largest microservice system (over one million distinct services)
• Perform data modeling and algorithmic optimization on complex business architecture systems, applying scientific methods to solve key challenges in ultra-large-scale infrastructure and business architecture, including but not limited to capacity forecasting and planning, service and data placement optimization, traffic scheduling optimization, and risk prediction and prevention
• Deliver significant business and academic value through architecture optimization:
• Achieve substantial cost savings at the world’s largest internet scale
• Enhance infrastructure planning and decision-making for global-scale businesses through AI and algorithm capabilities
• Enable highly automated and intelligent large-scale architecture governance
• Produce research outcomes in real-world frontier architecture scenarios suitable for publication at top-tier academic conferences/journals
• Translate research outcomes into engineering solutions deployable in production, achieving a complete loop from theory to practice
• Collaborate with architects, infrastructure, and business teams to drive global-scale deployment and adoption of optimization solutions
• Continuously explore cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to shape the next 3–5 years of TikTok’s global business architecture evolution

Skills

• PhD degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
• Solid research background in distributed systems, large-scale system optimization, or AI for Systems
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to model planet-scale, complex business and infrastructure systems, abstract key variables and constraints, and clearly articulate solutions through rigorous logical reasoning and effective communication
• Proficiency in optimization algorithms (e.g., integer programming, dynamic programming, graph optimization, reinforcement learning) and their application to large-scale optimization problems
• Proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language (e.g., Go, Java, C++, Python), with the capability to implement algorithms and models into production systems
• Ability to leverage AI tools and automation methods to efficiently accomplish tasks and enhance productivity, with strong motivation to explore cutting-edge technologies and solve complex industrial-scale problems
• Experience in data modeling and analysis for large-scale systems or business architectures, with the ability to propose feasible optimization solutions based on business and system characteristics
• Publication record in top-tier conferences/journals such as OSDI, SOSP, NSDI, SoCC, SIGCOMM, KDD, NeurIPS
• Hands-on experience in optimization, scheduling, or resource management for ultra-large-scale production systems
• Familiarity with deployment and operations of large-scale distributed systems, and understanding of the challenges in cross-data-center and cross-region architecture optimization
• Experience in cross-domain collaboration (architecture, platform, business) to drive complex solutions into production

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) savings plan with company match
• Paid parental leave
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Life insurance
• Wellbeing benefits
• 10 paid holidays per year
• 10 paid sick days per year
• 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure)

Company Overview

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