E-commerce Business Intern – Merchant Acquisition

Job Description

Category Manager Intern (TikTok Shop – Operations) – 2026 Summer (MBA) | TikTok

The Tone:
This is an internship at TikTok, located in Los Angeles, CA. TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video, whose mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy through its global and diverse teams. This role is crucial for scaling the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt phenomenon and pioneering Content & Creator commerce in the US, aiming to bring discovery, inspiration, and joy back to shopping. The team is building an innovative, secure, and intuitive e-commerce ecosystem for users, making TikTok the leading platform of choice for brands, creators, and shoppers.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Temporary
• Location: In-person, Los Angeles, CA
• Pay: $38 hourly
• Team: TikTok Shop US operation team
• Mission: Deliver high-quality products and a unique customer experience by building the TikTok Ecommerce partnership for the US e-commerce business.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Merchant Acquisition: Acquire and incubate merchants to support category growth within TikTok Shop.
• Model Discovery: Discover collaborative models that align with merchants’ development plans and invest platform resources effectively.
• Challenge Resolution: Solve key challenges in business growth by collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Client Consulting: Offer strategic content, creator/affiliate/agency partner, merchandising, and logistical solutions to clients.
• Product Updates: Update clients on TikTok Shop product developments and new promotional opportunities.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently pursuing an MBA Degree, with the intent to return to the degree program after the completion of the internship.
• Experience: Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026. Internship or full-time experience in an e-commerce marketplace business or retail category management is a plus.
• Skills: Quick learner, proactive, resilient, structured thinking, good data sense, strong analytical skills, excellent communication, and cross-team collaboration.
• Bonus: Graduating December 2026 onwards. Familiarity with the TikTok content ecosystem, shoppable content, and brand-creator partnerships.