Software Engineer Intern – Full-stack Development

Job Description

Software Engineer Intern (TikTok-Growth-Customer Lifecycle) – 2026 Summer (BS/MS) | TikTok

The Tone:
This is a 12-week internship at TikTok, a leading global destination for short-form mobile video. Headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore, with offices in major cities worldwide, TikTok is dedicated to inspiring creativity and bringing joy through its innovative platform. This role sits within the User Growth Department, a cross-functional team applying a data-driven approach to enhance the entire user journey. Interns will contribute to the Innovative Growth Organization, which owns and expands product surfaces like TikTok’s web app, vehicle infotainment systems, and tablet apps, playing a vital role in growing the user base and consumption. The internship aims to provide students with significant industry exposure and hands-on experience, allowing them to apply academic knowledge in real-world scenarios while fostering personal and professional development.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Temporary (12 weeks)
• Location: Global (with key offices including Los Angeles, CA where local pay rates and benefits apply)
• Pay: $45 hourly
• Team: User Growth Department, specifically within the Innovative Growth Organization
• Mission: To collaboratively apply a data-driven approach to improve TikTok’s user growth funnel, encompassing branding, acquisition, onboarding, engagement, and retention, by developing and iterating on diverse product surfaces.
• Tech Stack: Node.js, React, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, Go, iOS/Android, JavaScript, RESTful APIs, Microservices, NoSQL DB, RDBMS, Event Bus

What You’ll Actually Do
• Idea Conception: Participate in the conception, estimation, and prioritization of new product ideas, always maintaining a data-driven product sense.
• MVP Development: Utilize full-stack technologies, including Node.js, React, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, Go, iOS, and Android, to develop Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
• Experimentation & Iteration: Run experiments to validate newly developed ideas and iterate quickly on features, leveraging new technologies and tools as needed.
• Data-Driven Insights: Collaborate with product managers and data scientists to meticulously analyze product and user data, using these insights to inform and drive product iterations.
• Funnel Enhancement: Work with cross-functional teams to improve all stages of the TikTok user growth funnel, from branding and acquisition to onboarding, engagement, and retention across various products.
• Surface Expansion: Contribute to expanding TikTok’s overall user base and consumption by supporting new product surfaces such as the TikTok Webapp, Vehicle Infotainment Systems, and TikTok Tablet apps.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently pursuing an Undergraduate or Master’s degree in a technical discipline such as Software Development, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering, or a closely related field. Must be able to commit to a 12-week internship during Summer 2026.
• Experience: Demonstrated experience in developing consumer-facing applications through iterative experimentation; proven ability to build metrics-driven experiments and utilize data effectively to inform crucial product decisions; experience with or a strong desire to work collaboratively within cross-functional teams alongside design, product, data science, and algorithm specialists.
• Skills: Foundational knowledge in at least one of the following key technical areas: Web Platform technologies (including JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and best practices for User Interface and User Experience); Native app development platforms (specifically iOS/Android development); or Server and backend fundamentals (covering RESTful APIs, Microservices, NoSQL databases, RDBMS, and Event Bus systems).
• Bonus: A strong passion for delivering products end-to-end, from initial ideation and planning/scoping through to implementation, experimental A/B testing, and final launch decisions; alongside high levels of creativity and robust problem-solving capabilities.