Network Engineering Intern – Data Center Networking

Job Description

Software Development Engineer Intern (Network Automation) – 2026 Summer (BS/ MS) | ByteDance

The Tone:
This is an internship at ByteDance, a global technology organization with a mission to inspire creativity and enrich life. The company builds a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut, Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua. This internship focuses on the Networking organization, specifically the Intent Based Network (IBN) team. The role is crucial for maintaining and enhancing ByteDance’s global, intelligent network infrastructure, which meets high standards of availability, scalability, and performance. The intern will contribute to designing, building, and operating these critical networks, directly supporting the team’s mission to streamline network management, enhance operational efficiency, and minimize risks associated with network changes.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Temporary
• Pay: $42.75 hourly
• Team: Intent Based Network (IBN) team within ByteDance Networking.
• Mission: Design, test, research, and implement core network operating system functionalities and new network technologies to improve data center network efficiency, reliability, and availability.
• Tech Stack: Python, Go, Rust, MySQL, Redis, Kafka

What You’ll Actually Do
• Design: Design core functionalities of the Network Operating System (NOS) that powers data center networks.
• Test: Test core functionalities of the Network Operating System (NOS) for data center networks.
• Research: Research new networking, monitoring, and telemetry technologies.
• Implement: Implement new networking, monitoring, and telemetry technologies to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and availability of data center infrastructure.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Communications, or a related technical field.
• Experience: Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026. Possesses a solid understanding of algorithms and data structures. Demonstrates a strong interest in network automation, network fault prediction, and network management. Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail are also required.
• Skills: Proficient in at least one programming language (Python, Go, or Rust), familiar with using MySQL, Redis, and Kafka for database management, caching, and distributed messaging, and a basic understanding of network protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF) and network devices (routers, switches, firewalls).
• Bonus: Good communication skills, ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, eagerness to learn and adapt.