World Model Research Scientist (Intelligent Creation) - Global Frontier Tech Recruitment Program - 2027 Start (PhD)

San Jose, California, US Until 10/6/2026 0+ years exp H-1B sponsor history First posted August 7, 2026 Last posted August 7, 2026
Job description

Description

We are looking for talented individuals to join our team. As a graduate, you will get opportunities to pursue bold ideas, tackle complex challenges, and unlock limitless growth.
Successful candidates must be able to commit to an onboarding date by the end of the year. Please state your availability and graduation date clearly in your resume.

About the Team
The Intelligent Creation – Global GenAI team focuses on applied research in Generative AI, delivering intelligent creation solutions for the TikTok platform. Our mission is to empower users to create and share high-quality content with ease. The team works on cutting-edge areas including multimodal foundation models, image and video generation and editing, efficient model design, and world models.

Responsibilities
- Conduct research and development in generative AI and multimodal models (e.g., image, video).
- Develop large-scale foundation models (LLMs/VLMs), through post-training techniques.
- Design and build models for creative applications on the TikTok platform, driving end-to-end impact from research to production through cross-functional collaboration.
- Explore new AI-driven product opportunities and contribute to next-generation creative experiences.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:
- Individuals who are completing or have recently completed a PhD degree in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Proficiency in training generative AI or large models using frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX.
- Strong programming skills and solid fundamentals in machine learning.
- Strong problem-solving ability and motivation to tackle real-world challenges.
- Good communication and collaboration skills in fast-paced environments.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Generative AI, Machine Learning Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Strong research background in one or more areas: generative AI, LLMs/VLMs, or ML systems.
- Hands-on experience in at least one of the following areas: Image/video generation and editing; VLM/LLM fine-tuning; Efficient model design and optimization; Reinforcement learning methods (e.g., RLHF, DPO, GRPO)
- Track record of research publications in conferences such as CVPR, ECCV, ICCV, NeurIPS, ICLR, SIGGRAPH, or SIGGRAPH Asia.

About this role

Summary

Research and develop generative AI models for creative applications on TikTok.

Job title

World Model Research Scientist (Intelligent Creation)

Experience level

PhD or recent graduate

Minimum experience

0+ years exp

Industry

software

Location requirements

San Jose, CA, USA; remote work not specified

Salary

Not specified

Visa sponsorship

H-1B sponsor history

Management role

No

Skills & keywords

Required skills

PyTorchJAXmachine learningprogramming

Preferred skills

generative AILLMsVLMsmodel optimizationreinforcement learning

Specializations

generative AImultimodal modelslarge-scale foundation modelsAI research
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

San Jose, CA, USA

Work arrangement unknown City