Tech Lead Software Engineer, TikTok AI Video Editing

Responsibilities
Team & Project Introduction: We are developing a next-generation AI-powered video editing tool designed to make high-quality video creation accessible to everyone. At the core of this initiative is an intelligent assistant embedded within creative workflows, capable of understanding user intent and automating complex editing tasks. As a member of this mission-driven team, you will collaborate with a tight-knit group of researchers and engineers working at the intersection of machine learning, video editing systems, and creative technology. Responsibilities: - Lead the architectural design of the AI video editing system and guide the engineering team with a strong focus on impact, execution, and measurable outcomes - Design and develop a cutting-edge video editing framework that fluidly combines AI-powered automation with manual user control. - Build robust agent systems capable of interpreting user intent and orchestrating intelligent editing operations across diverse scenarios. - Partner with product designers to envision and implement innovative UI strategies that elevate the creative experience. - Engineer full-stack systems that tightly integrate advanced AI capabilities into cross-platform, user-facing video editing applications. - Drive reliability, scalability, and long-term maintainability of the editing system as it evolves through iterations and feature growth.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: - Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams in delivering large-scale, complex projects with significant product impact. - Bachelor or more advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field. - Proficiency in mobile or backend development with common languages such as C++, Python, or Go. - Solid understanding of distributed systems, software architecture, and performance optimization. - Experience building large-scale infrastructure, especially in media processing or real-time applications. - Familiarity with developing AI agents, integrating LLM applications, or deploying machine learning models in production environments. - Ability to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams spanning research, product, and platform engineering. Preferred Qualifications: - Proven experience architecting and implementing large-scale video editing or processing frameworks. - Strong track record in building and integrating LLM-powered applications or AI agent-based systems. - Deep expertise in full-stack development, including backend, frontend, and system integration across platforms. - Familiarity with GPU-based video pipelines, multimedia frameworks, and performance optimization. - Ability to design modular and scalable infrastructure that bridges AI capabilities with real-world creative workflows.
Job Information
(For Pay Transparency)Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $ - $ 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.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
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:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect - and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at