Creative Technology Specialist (AI & Prototyping) - TikTok-Design-Effect

Responsibilities

We are looking for a passionate and creative Creative Technologist to join our Design \& Effect team at TikTok. This role is at the forefront of design, technology, and artificial intelligence, dedicated to exploring and building the next generation of imaginative user experiences. You will work closely with our designers, product managers, and algorithm engineers to transform groundbreaking ideas into functional, interactive prototypes that redefine the boundaries of creativity for hundreds of millions of users.

1\. Stay at the forefront of AI trends: Continuously track and research the latest advancements in AI, especially in multimodal, Large Language Models (LLMs), and diffusion models, and rapidly apply new technologies to creative prototypes and product concepts to explore innovative interactive experiences；

2\. Bring creative concepts to life: Collaborate closely with designers and product managers to transform abstract concepts and design ideas into interactive, high-fidelity functional demos through rapid prototyping；

3\. Provide technical assessment and solution design: Engage deeply in the product development lifecycle by evaluating the feasibility and potential of AI/ML solutions from a technical perspective, including model selection, framework assessment, and performance considerations, while helping define clear technical specifications and interaction rules；

4\. Act as a technical bridge: Serve as a critical bridge between design and algorithm/engineering teams, leading technical communication and alignment to ensure design intent is accurately and efficiently translated into implementation；

5\. Build and optimize prototyping pipelines: Take responsibility for building and maintaining an efficient prototyping pipeline, exploring and introducing new tools and methodologies to accelerate the team's creative iteration speed and improve prototype quality；

6\. Drive innovation and experimentation: Proactively initiate and lead technology-driven innovation projects and design experiments that challenge existing paradigms and inject new vitality into our products.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

1\. Bachelor's/Master's degree in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Design, a related field, or equivalent practical experience;

2\. 3\+ years of experience in creative technology, prototyping, full-stack development, or a related field, supported by a strong portfolio showcasing relevant projects;

3\. Proficiency in at least one major programming language and its ecosystem, such as Python (for AI/ML), TypeScript/JavaScript (for Web/Node.js), and familiarity with modern front-end frameworks like React/Vue.js;

4\. Hands-on experience integrating AI/ML models (especially LLMs or Generative AI) into applications or prototypes, with a solid understanding of concepts like Prompt Engineering, RAG, and Agentic workflows;

5\. Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts and design ideas clearly to team members from diverse backgrounds (designers, engineers, PMs);

6\. A genuine passion for creating compelling user experiences, combined with strong curiosity, a hands-on attitude, and a problem-solving mindset in a fast-paced, challenging environment;

7\. Systematic thinking and abstraction abilities, capable of breaking down complex problems and designing elegant, scalable technical solutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

1\. Experience with Unity, Unreal Engine, or other real-time 3D engines for prototyping or project development;

2\. A strong interest in the light-gaming, interactive entertainment, or social product industries, with relevant personal or professional projects;

3\. Experience in mobile application development (iOS/Android).;

4\. A deep understanding of visual design, motion graphics, or human-computer interaction principles;

5\. Contributions to open-source projects or participation in technical communities;

6\. Experience with data analysis and A/B testing to validate the effectiveness of designs and products.

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.​

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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 https://tinyurl.com/RA-request​

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $112000 - $288000 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.​