Research Intern, Efficient ML Engineer; AI Platform PhD

Research Intern, Efficient ML Engineer (AI Platform)- 2026 Start (PhD) Responsibilities

• Develop algorithm acceleration technologies for text-to-image/text-to-video models through knowledge distillation, model architecture redesign (dynamic MoE routing/sparse attention), and parameter-efficient design (low-bit quantization) to achieve order-of-magnitude efficiency gains.
• Lead generative model innovation with focus on diffusion acceleration (sampling step reduction/latent optimization), autoregression model efficiency.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to identify performance bottlenecks, optimize vision models via algorithmic breakthroughs, and enhance Tik Tok's product capabilities.

• Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, engineering or quantitative field.
• Proficient in C++/Python and high-performance coding.
• Expertise in diffusion models (Stable Diffusion/DiT) with deep understanding of computational bottlenecks and optimization methodologies.
• Proven experience in ≥1 domain: model compression (quantization/knowledge distillation), efficient architectures (MoE/sparse attention), generative alignment (RLHF/DPO).
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, capable of thriving in a fast-paced work environment.

• Kaggle competition achievements, publications at ICML/NeurIPS/CVPR, or open-source contributions (e.g., Hugging Face Diffusers optimization).
• Research experience in GenAI /MLsys areas.
• Familiarity with open source deep learning frameworks such as Pytorch/Deep Speed/Jax etc.

The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60- $60.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.

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:

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