Software Engineer (Backend) - TikTok Privacy and Security

The TikTok Eng-Privacy and Security-Product-Teen Experiences plays a vital role in building regulatory-compliant, user-centric privacy solutions for teens on TikTok. Our mission is to earn the trust of TikTok users, regulators, and the broader community. We develop a wide range of privacy products spanning transparency, user and underage protection, user data and interaction controls, and more.

We are looking for a Software Engineer (Backend) to join the engineering team behind TikTok's privacy-focused teen experience initiatives. In this role, you will be a core individual contributor focused on designing, implementing, and scaling reliable backend services and APIs that power teen safety and privacy controls. You will work closely with fellow engineers and cross-functional (XFN) partners—including Product Managers, Data Scientists, and QA—to build robust technical solutions that protect our users and build lasting trust.

Responsibilities: - Design, build, and maintain robust, high-performance backend microservices and data pipelines supporting teen privacy, transparency, and interaction control features. - Own medium-complexity backend deliverables and core system components from technical design through deployment, monitoring, and production operations. - Write clean, modular, and thoroughly tested code; participate actively in code reviews and support ongoing efforts to enhance product quality, engineering efficiency, and data security. - Collaborate with Product Managers, QA, Data Scientists, and client/front-end teams to clarify functional requirements, define API contracts, and deliver roadmap commitments. - Help maintain production health by monitoring service performance, resolving edge-case issues, and optimizing backend data queries and RPC latency.

Minimum Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience). - 5+ years of professional backend software development experience in production environments. - Strong proficiency in at least one modern backend programming language. - Strong grasp of computer science fundamentals with a proactive approach to troubleshooting technical challenges. - Strong communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills.

Preferred Qualifications: - Hands-on experience working on high-throughput, distributed backend systems or consumer-facing applications at scale. - Familiarity with privacy regulations, user access control systems, compliance mechanisms, or trust & safety workflows.