Machine Learning Engineer Intern (Monetization Technology - Ads Creative) - 2026 Start (BS/MS)

A "creative" is the ad (in the form of a short-form video) served to TikTok users, composed of video, background music, call-to-action card, post-click landing page, and other formats that get delivered to users. A quote goes "creativity is the soul of advertising", because a good ad creative is effective, yet difficult to produce, especially at the scale of TikTok advertising.

The TikTok Ads Creative & Ecosystem team's mission is to solve the above dilemma, by building industry-leading tech solutions for ads creative/landing page understanding, production/generation, and optimization, to inspire and empower advertisers, creators, and other 3rd parties in the ecosystem to create and deliver the best engaging creative experiences to the end users. Our work is at the core of TikTok and creator monetization. Examples of our team's work include TikTok video editor, AI-powered smart video generation (we are also exploring AIGC), and TikTok creative exchange (a creative marketplace to connect TikTok advertisers with creators or third-party creative agencies).

We are user/product oriented and dedicated to technical excellence. We aim to drive and lead the technology renovation in the ads tech and creative industry, powering products and driving values for our clients, creators, and the whole ecosystem. We are excited to grow advertisers' and users' business understanding, build highly scalable and reliable software/infrastructure, partner across functions with global teams, and make big impacts. If you are someone who welcomes challenges, we are eager to have you on the team!

We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. Internships at TikTok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Watch your ambitions become reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at TikTok.

Internships at TikTok aim to provide students with hands-on experience in developing fundamental skills and exploring potential career paths. A vibrant blend of social events and enriching development workshops will be available for you to explore. Here, you will utilize your knowledge in real-world scenarios while laying a strong foundation for personal and professional growth. It runs for 12 weeks.

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to TikTok and its affiliates' jobs globally. 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:
- May 11th, 2026
- May 18th, 2026
- May 26th, 2026
- June 8th, 2026
- June 22nd, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to at least 3 months long internship period.

Responsibilities:
1. Assist in utilizing algorithms to better understand advertisers, creators, and creatives, improving precision in match-making processes.
2. Contribute to online modeling of large-scale commercial traffic, optimizing the distribution strategy of creatives within the recommendation and ads systems.
3. Help develop allocation strategies for both natural and ads traffic, aimed at increasing both short-term and long-term value for advertisers and creators.
4. Collaborate with senior engineers to implement and test new algorithms that enhance the accuracy of content recommendations.
5. Participate in analyzing large datasets to identify trends and patterns, providing actionable insights for improving the ad targeting strategy.
6. Support the development of performance metrics to track the effectiveness of ad and creative distribution strategies.
7. Conduct experiments to validate new algorithms and strategies, ensuring scalability and efficiency in production systems.
8. Contribute to continuous optimization of machine learning models for better performance across diverse traffic and creative data.
9. Assist in preparing and presenting reports on model performance and recommendations to stakeholders.