AI Software Engineer, Tech Lead Manager - Camera Innovation, TikTok
Aug 27, 2026 San Jose
About us
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video and our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.
- Size: 10,000+ employees
- Industry: Technology: Consumer Internet
Why you should apply for a job to TikTok:
4.5/5 in overall job satisfaction
4.5/5 in supportive management
100% say women are treated fairly and equally to men
100% would recommend this company to other women
100% say the CEO supports gender diversity
Ratings are based on anonymous reviews by Fairygodboss members. See all reviews ›
Responsibilities
The Creation team is an international R&D group building creative capabilities for TikTok. We productize cutting-edge AI and multimedia technologies to create world-class creation experiences for TikTok users. Our work spans AI-powered creation, audio/video processing, AR effects, visual and graphics technologies, and full-stack product engineering across mobile, backend, frontend, and desktop.
Our team operates globally across China, Singapore, and the United States. Within Creation, the Camera team owns TikTok's core capture and creation experiences, where users start creating and expressing themselves. The Camera Innovation team explores and builds new creation experiences by bringing together product engineering, AI, and multimedia technologies, with a strong focus on rapid experimentation and 0-to-1 innovation.
We're looking for a hands-on Technical Lead Manager based in San Jose to lead the Camera Innovation team. This role is ideal for a technical leader who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building 0-to-1 products, and is excited about turning rapidly evolving AI and multimedia technologies into compelling experiences for TikTok users.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Camera Innovation engineering team, providing hands-on technical leadership, mentorship, and people management.
- Drive technical direction and execution for new camera and creation experiences, from early exploration and prototyping to production.
- Explore and productize emerging AI and multimedia technologies into compelling user experiences.
- Navigate ambiguous and evolving problems, balancing rapid experimentation with technical quality and long-term foundations.
- Partner closely with Product, Design, Algorithm, and engineering teams to shape solutions and drive complex cross-functional initiatives.
- Mentor engineers, raise the team's technical bar, and foster a strong culture of innovation, ownership, and user impact.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification(s):
- 5 years of hands-on software engineering experience, with strong technical depth in mobile, backend, AI, multimedia, or related areas.
- 1+ years of experience in people management or technical team leadership.
- Strong programming, system design, and software engineering fundamentals.
- Experience building and shipping complex user-facing products or technical systems.
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and drive cross-functional initiatives.
Preferred Qualification(s):
- Experience building 0-to-1 products or working in fast-moving, highly ambiguous environments.
- Experience with AI/ML, generative AI, computer vision, graphics, audio/video, or other multimedia technologies.
- Experience building consumer-facing creation, camera, or creative tools.
Job Information
[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $254400 - $588000 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.
The Creation team is an international R&D group building creative capabilities for TikTok. We productize cutting-edge AI and multimedia technologies to create world-class creation experiences for TikTok users. Our work spans AI-powered creation, audio/video processing, AR effects, visual and graphics technologies, and full-stack product engineering across mobile, backend, frontend, and desktop.
Our team operates globally across China, Singapore, and the United States. Within Creation, the Camera team owns TikTok's core capture and creation experiences, where users start creating and expressing themselves. The Camera Innovation team explores and builds new creation experiences by bringing together product engineering, AI, and multimedia technologies, with a strong focus on rapid experimentation and 0-to-1 innovation.
We're looking for a hands-on Technical Lead Manager based in San Jose to lead the Camera Innovation team. This role is ideal for a technical leader who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building 0-to-1 products, and is excited about turning rapidly evolving AI and multimedia technologies into compelling experiences for TikTok users.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Camera Innovation engineering team, providing hands-on technical leadership, mentorship, and people management.
- Drive technical direction and execution for new camera and creation experiences, from early exploration and prototyping to production.
- Explore and productize emerging AI and multimedia technologies into compelling user experiences.
- Navigate ambiguous and evolving problems, balancing rapid experimentation with technical quality and long-term foundations.
- Partner closely with Product, Design, Algorithm, and engineering teams to shape solutions and drive complex cross-functional initiatives.
- Mentor engineers, raise the team's technical bar, and foster a strong culture of innovation, ownership, and user impact.
Minimum Qualification(s):
- 5 years of hands-on software engineering experience, with strong technical depth in mobile, backend, AI, multimedia, or related areas.
- 1+ years of experience in people management or technical team leadership.
- Strong programming, system design, and software engineering fundamentals.
- Experience building and shipping complex user-facing products or technical systems.
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and drive cross-functional initiatives.
Preferred Qualification(s):
- Experience building 0-to-1 products or working in fast-moving, highly ambiguous environments.
- Experience with AI/ML, generative AI, computer vision, graphics, audio/video, or other multimedia technologies.
- Experience building consumer-facing creation, camera, or creative tools.
The Creation team is an international R&D group building creative capabilities for TikTok. We productize cutting-edge AI and multimedia technologies to create world-class creation experiences for TikTok users. Our work spans AI-powered creation, audio/video processing, AR effects, visual and graphics technologies, and full-stack product engineering across mobile, backend, frontend, and desktop.
Our team operates globally across China, Singapore, and the United States. Within Creation, the Camera team owns TikTok's core capture and creation experiences, where users start creating and expressing themselves. The Camera Innovation team explores and builds new creation experiences by bringing together product engineering, AI, and multimedia technologies, with a strong focus on rapid experimentation and 0-to-1 innovation.
We're looking for a hands-on Technical Lead Manager based in San Jose to lead the Camera Innovation team. This role is ideal for a technical leader who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building 0-to-1 products, and is excited about turning rapidly evolving AI and multimedia technologies into compelling experiences for TikTok users.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Camera Innovation engineering team, providing hands-on technical leadership, mentorship, and people management.
- Drive technical direction and execution for new camera and creation experiences, from early exploration and prototyping to production.
- Explore and productize emerging AI and multimedia technologies into compelling user experiences.
- Navigate ambiguous and evolving problems, balancing rapid experimentation with technical quality and long-term foundations.
- Partner closely with Product, Design, Algorithm, and engineering teams to shape solutions and drive complex cross-functional initiatives.
- Mentor engineers, raise the team's technical bar, and foster a strong culture of innovation, ownership, and user impact.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification(s):
- 5 years of hands-on software engineering experience, with strong technical depth in mobile, backend, AI, multimedia, or related areas.
- 1+ years of experience in people management or technical team leadership.
- Strong programming, system design, and software engineering fundamentals.
- Experience building and shipping complex user-facing products or technical systems.
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and drive cross-functional initiatives.
Preferred Qualification(s):
- Experience building 0-to-1 products or working in fast-moving, highly ambiguous environments.
- Experience with AI/ML, generative AI, computer vision, graphics, audio/video, or other multimedia technologies.
- Experience building consumer-facing creation, camera, or creative tools.
Job Information
[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $254400 - $588000 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.
Responsibilities
ResponsibilitiesThe Creation team is an international R&D group building creative capabilities for TikTok. We productize cutting-edge AI and multimedia technologies to create world-class creation experiences for TikTok users. Our work spans AI-powered creation, audio/video processing, AR effects, visual and graphics technologies, and full-stack product engineering across mobile, backend, frontend, and desktop.
Our team operates globally across China, Singapore, and the United States. Within Creation, the Camera team owns TikTok's core capture and creation experiences, where users start creating and expressing themselves. The Camera Innovation team explores and builds new creation experiences by bringing together product engineering, AI, and multimedia technologies, with a strong focus on rapid experimentation and 0-to-1 innovation.
We're looking for a hands-on Technical Lead Manager based in San Jose to lead the Camera Innovation team. This role is ideal for a technical leader who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building 0-to-1 products, and is excited about turning rapidly evolving AI and multimedia technologies into compelling experiences for TikTok users.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Camera Innovation engineering team, providing hands-on technical leadership, mentorship, and people management.
- Drive technical direction and execution for new camera and creation experiences, from early exploration and prototyping to production.
- Explore and productize emerging AI and multimedia technologies into compelling user experiences.
- Navigate ambiguous and evolving problems, balancing rapid experimentation with technical quality and long-term foundations.
- Partner closely with Product, Design, Algorithm, and engineering teams to shape solutions and drive complex cross-functional initiatives.
- Mentor engineers, raise the team's technical bar, and foster a strong culture of innovation, ownership, and user impact.
Qualifications
QualificationsMinimum Qualification(s):
- 5 years of hands-on software engineering experience, with strong technical depth in mobile, backend, AI, multimedia, or related areas.
- 1+ years of experience in people management or technical team leadership.
- Strong programming, system design, and software engineering fundamentals.
- Experience building and shipping complex user-facing products or technical systems.
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and drive cross-functional initiatives.
Preferred Qualification(s):
- Experience building 0-to-1 products or working in fast-moving, highly ambiguous environments.
- Experience with AI/ML, generative AI, computer vision, graphics, audio/video, or other multimedia technologies.
- Experience building consumer-facing creation, camera, or creative tools.
Additional Information
- Salary: $254,400 – $588,000
- Posted: Aug 27, 2026