Video-on-Demand Algorithm Intern – Media Streaming Algorithms

Job Description

Software Engineer Intern(Video-on-Demand Algorithm) – 2026 Summer (BS/MS) | TikTok

The Tone:
This is an internship at TikTok, the leading global destination for short-form mobile video, dedicated to inspiring creativity and bringing joy to its users. The Video-on-Demand (VoD) Algorithm team is fundamental to this mission, responsible for optimizing the app experience related to performance. This role is vital for providing algorithmic support across the entire media ecosystem, from video shooting and uploading to processing, delivery, and playback, directly enhancing user interaction and satisfaction. Our product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect, and this role contributes to that goal. Interns joining this team will gain invaluable industry exposure and hands-on experience within a rapidly growing tech company that fosters an “Always Day 1” mindset. They will apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, contribute to meaningful breakthroughs, and explore potential career paths through a blend of social events and enriching development workshops, laying a strong foundation for personal and professional growth.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Temporary
• Pay: $45 hourly
• Team: Video-on-Demand (VoD) Algorithm team
• Mission: Optimize the app experience related to performance for TikTok users through algorithmic solutions.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Algorithm Design: Design and implement various media streaming algorithms, such as video preloading, adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR), network bandwidth estimation, CDN traffic allocation, and transport-layer algorithms, to enhance user experience.
• System Contribution: Contribute to the overarching end-to-end media ecosystem design, focusing on improving the algorithmization of the multimedia system.
• Experimentation & Validation: Run controlled experiments on millions of streaming sessions to rigorously validate and quantify the improvements achieved by new algorithms.
• Cross-functional Support: Collaborate with teams both within and beyond the VoD team, providing essential algorithmic support for end-to-end optimization solutions covering video shooting, uploading, processing, delivery, and playback.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently pursuing an Undergraduate or Master’s degree in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Experience: Possess industry or academic experience specifically within the multimedia or network domain, demonstrating a proven ability to develop new algorithms and identify problems in existing solutions.
• Skills: Fluent in applying statistics and conducting data analysis relevant to algorithmic performance and user experience.
• Bonus: Experience with shipping software on behalf of a major brand at scale or direct experience with learning-based model development.