[Remote] Research Engineer Graduate Online Architecture- 2026 Start (PhD)

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. They are seeking a Research Engineer to conduct research and optimization for TikTok’s ecosystem, focusing on complex business architecture systems and enhancing infrastructure planning through AI and algorithm capabilities. Responsibilities Conduct research and optimization for TikTok’s ecosystem, serving billions of users worldwide, supported by globally distributed, ultra-large-scale data center clusters, and the industry’s largest microservice system (over one million distinct services) Perform data modeling and algorithmic optimization on complex business architecture systems, applying scientific methods to solve key challenges in ultra-large-scale infrastructure and business architecture, including but not limited to capacity forecasting and planning, service and data placement optimization, traffic scheduling optimization, and risk prediction and prevention Deliver significant business and academic value through architecture optimization: Achieve substantial cost savings at the world’s largest internet scale Enhance infrastructure planning and decision-making for global-scale businesses through AI and algorithm capabilities Enable highly automated and intelligent large-scale architecture governance Produce research outcomes in real-world frontier architecture scenarios suitable for publication at top-tier academic conferences/journals Translate research outcomes into engineering solutions deployable in production, achieving a complete loop from theory to practice Collaborate with architects, infrastructure, and business teams to drive global-scale deployment and adoption of optimization solutions Continuously explore cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to shape the next 3–5 years of TikTok’s global business architecture evolution Skills PhD degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, or a related field Solid research background in distributed systems, large-scale system optimization, or AI for Systems Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to model planet-scale, complex business and infrastructure systems, abstract key variables and constraints, and clearly articulate solutions through rigorous logical reasoning and effective communication Proficiency in optimization algorithms (e.g., integer programming, dynamic programming, graph optimization, reinforcement learning) and their application to large-scale optimization problems Proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language (e.g., Go, Java, C++, Python), with the capability to implement algorithms and models into production systems Ability to leverage AI tools and automation methods to efficiently accomplish tasks and enhance productivity, with strong motivation to explore cutting-edge technologies and solve complex industrial-scale problems Experience in data modeling and analysis for large-scale systems or business architectures, with the ability to propose feasible optimization solutions based on business and system characteristics Publication record in top-tier conferences/journals such as OSDI, SOSP, NSDI, SoCC, SIGCOMM, KDD, NeurIPS Hands-on experience in optimization, scheduling, or resource management for ultra-large-scale production systems Familiarity with deployment and operations of large-scale distributed systems, and understanding of the challenges in cross-data-center and cross-region architecture optimization Experience in cross-domain collaboration (architecture, platform, business) to drive complex solutions into production Benefits Medical, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) savings plan with company match Paid parental leave Short-term and long-term disability coverage Life insurance Wellbeing benefits 10 paid holidays per year 10 paid sick days per year 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure) Company Overview TikTok is a short-form video entertainment app and social network platform. It is a sub-organization of ByteDance. It was founded in 2003, and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is Company H1B Sponsorship TikTok has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 979 in 2025, 601 in 2024, 387 in 2023, 322 in 2022, 133 in 2021, 72 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.