Tech Lead AI Software Engineer - Creative AI Agents (TikTok)

Location: San Jose

Employment Type: Regular

Job Code: A101417AResponsibilitiesThe AIGE (AI-Generated Effects) team is building AI-native creative tools that enable TikTok creators to turn natural-language and multimodal ideas into high-quality, interactive effects. By combining agentic AI, multimodal foundation models, generative 2D/3D technologies, and professional effect-authoring tools, we aim to make advanced effect creation simple and accessible to everyone—significantly narrowing the gap between an idea and a polished, playable creative experience. We are looking for a Tech Lead AI Software Engineer to join the TikTok AIGE team! Working at the intersection of Generative AI and Graphics, you will set the technical direction and own the end-to-end delivery of the next-generation AI Effect Generation system. You will partner with product, design, engineering, and AI/ML teams to turn ambiguous creator and platform needs into reliable technologies and intuitive experiences, from early research and prototyping through launch and long-term evolution, empowering millions of TikTok creators.

Minimum Qualifications: B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or a related technical field, with 5 years of relevant industry experience; 2+ years of experience working with LLM/AIGC empowered products or tools - Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, and system design, with proficiency in at least one of the following programming languages: JavaScript/TypeScript, C/C++, or Python. - Familiarity with modern web front-end technologies such as TypeScript, JavaScript, React, or similar frameworks. - Demonstrated experience leading the technical design and end-to-end delivery of complex, cross-functional AI or software products, including taking ambiguous or 0-to-1 initiatives into production. - Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical trade-offs and AI system behavior to different audiences and influence technical and product direction across teams.

Preferred Qualifications: M.S. or Ph.D. with a specialization in AI, machine learning, computer graphics, or a related field. - Track record of conducting advanced research and successfully landing new technologies in large-scale, user-facing products - Experience building and operating end-to-end generative AI systems, including but not limited to data, training, evaluation, context engineering, experimentation, observability, and quality-monitoring pipelines. - Experience applying large language models, multimodal models, RAG, tool calling, multi-step agents, prompt engineering, or agent evaluation techniques to creative products. - Hands-on experience building complex web-based creative tools, games, or interactive experiences using modern front-end technologies. - Experience with computer graphics, 3D content creation, real-time rendering, game engines, or VFX pipelines. - Experience building reusable AI platforms or research infrastructure, growing technical talent through mentorship, and raising engineering or research standards across a team.