Software Engineering Intern, Ads Creative & Ecosystem (Summer/Fall 2026)

Software Engineering Intern, Ads Creative & Ecosystem (Summer/Fall 2026)

At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. As the leading destination for short-form mobile video, we operate globally with headquarters in Los Angeles and Singapore, alongside offices in major cities worldwide.

About the Team: TikTok Ads Creative & Ecosystem

The core of effective advertising lies in its creative. A compelling ad, known as a “creative” on TikTok, encompasses video, background music, call-to-action cards, and post-click landing pages. As the saying goes, “creativity is the soul of advertising.” However, producing effective and engaging ad creatives, especially at the immense scale of TikTok advertising, presents a significant challenge.

The TikTok Ads Creative & Ecosystem team’s mission is to tackle this challenge head-on. We build industry-leading tech solutions for:

• Ads creative/landing page understanding
• Production/generation (including exploration of cutting-edge AIGC)
• Optimization

Our goal is to inspire and empower advertisers, creators, and third parties within the ecosystem to craft and deliver the most engaging creative experiences to end-users. Our work is fundamental to TikTok’s core business and creator monetization. Examples of our innovative projects include:

• The TikTok video editor
• AI-powered smart video generation
• TikTok Creative Exchange (a marketplace connecting advertisers with creators or creative agencies)

We are a user/product-oriented team dedicated to technical excellence. We strive to drive and lead technological advancements in the ads tech and creative industries, delivering immense value to our clients, creators, and the entire ecosystem. We are committed to fostering advertisers’ and users’ business understanding, building highly scalable and reliable software/infrastructure, collaborating across functions with global teams, and making significant impacts. If you thrive on challenges, we encourage you to join our team!

About the Internship Program

Internships at TikTok offer students unparalleled industry exposure and hands-on experience. This program is designed to help you develop fundamental skills and explore potential career paths. You’ll engage in a vibrant blend of social events and enriching development workshops. Here, you will apply your academic knowledge to real-world scenarios, laying a strong foundation for both personal and professional growth. This is a 12-week program.

Responsibilities

As a Software Engineering Intern in the Ads Creative & Ecosystem team, you will:

• Assist in developing innovative products for brand and influencer collaborations, leveraging core technologies such as AI and content understanding to help establish TikTok as a leading influencer monetization platform.
• Contribute to driving technical direction and supporting strategic goals to maximize business growth in TikTok ads and creator monetization.
• Collaborate with senior engineers to learn and assist in providing technical leadership and guidance within the creative ecosystem team.
• Support the technical design and implementation of key projects within the creator monetization ecosystem, ensuring scalability and reliability.
• Work with team members to ensure that systems align with product objectives and requirements.
• Participate in defining and helping execute long-term technical roadmaps, gaining exposure to strategic technical decisions.
• Collaborate effectively with global R&D and product management teams, adapting to the fast-paced and dynamic environment of TikTok.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Degree/Master’s in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Must be able to commit to a 12-week full-time work period during Summer or Fall 2026.
• Some experience (e.g., through academic projects or internships) working with software engineering teams, including contributing to team collaboration, problem-solving, and technical tasks.
• Solid understanding of data structures and algorithms, with proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Java).
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively in a team and take ownership of tasks.
• Passion for exploring new technologies and a keen interest in developing problem-solving and analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous internship or academic experience in a collaborative engineering environment.
• Exposure to working in cross-functional teams or across regions through academic projects or team-based activities.

Application Details

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions globally (across TikTok and its affiliates) and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; we encourage you to apply as early as possible. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).

Summer Start Dates 2026:

• May 11th, 2026
• May 18th, 2026
• May 26th, 2026
• June 8th, 2026
• June 22nd, 2026

Successful candidates must be able to commit to at least a 3-month long internship period.

By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy

Compensation and Benefits

Hourly Compensation:

• The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $45 – $60.

Benefits for Interns:

• Day one access to health insurance, life insurance, and wellbeing benefits.
• 10 paid holidays per year.
• Paid sick time (56 hours if hired in the first half of the year, 40 if hired in the second half of the year).
• Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for a housing allowance.

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

Important Information for Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

• Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
• Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
• Exercising sound judgment.

Why Join Us

Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok’s mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover, and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity, and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day.

We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We’re resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an “Always Day 1” mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe, and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

TikTok Accommodation

TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs, or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request.