Research Scientist Graduate; Distributed NoSQL Database Systems PhD Technology

Research Scientist Graduate, (Distributed No

SQL Database Systems) - 2026 Start (PhD)

Location:

San Jose

Team:
Infrastructure

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Code: A225454

• Design and develop distributed No
  
  SQL databases, with a focus on one of the following: distributed caches, key-value stores, document databases, graph databases, wide-column stores, search engines, or multi-model databases.
• Build high-performance, low-latency, and highly available distributed systems to support mission-critical business operations with scalability and cost efficiency.
• Optimize compute and storage engines for cloud-native global deployments, improving efficiency and reducing operational costs.
• Provide technical guidance to internal business teams, identifying opportunities for system optimization to improve stability, functionality, and performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop robust database products and solutions.
• Address technical challenges in cloud service architectures, ensuring scalable solutions for large-scale, high-traffic systems.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science or related fields with strong database systems or AI research experience.
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages (C, C++, Java, Go, Python, Rust) with strong coding skills in a Linux environment.
• Deep understanding of database principles, distributed system design, and multi-threaded programming, with hands‑on experience in distributed storage and computing technologies.
• Strong knowledge of distributed consensus algorithms, with experience in database kernel development.
• Practical experience with large‑scale cloud‑native architectures and distributed system control platforms.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Publications at top-tier conferences (e.g., SIGMOD, VLDB, NeurIPS, MLSys, ICDE).
• Familiarity with popular database systems and source code such as Rocks
  
  DB, Redis, Mongo
  
  DB, HBase, TiDB, Neo4j, Elasticsearch, Janus Graph, Yugabyte
  
  DB, or Cockroach
  
  DB.

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $136800 - $259200 annually.

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

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

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:

Founded in 2012, Byte Dance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including Tik Tok, Lemon8, Cap Cut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, Byte Dance has made it easier…