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PhD Machine Learning Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)

LyftSan Francisco, CAEarly Talent
Apply on company site
Salary
$65-$68
Job type
Internship
Experience
Intern
Posted
6 Oct 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

This internship suits a PhD student who enjoys turning open-ended research questions into working systems and wants their research tested against real users and data. Based in San Francisco, CA, the PhD Machine Learning Software Engineer Intern role at Lyft focuses on developing new ML methods for product experiences used by millions of riders.

Role Overview

Lyft is hiring a PhD Machine Learning Software Engineer Intern for the Summer 2027 term on the Applied AI team. The intern will take on an open research problem tied to product experiences used by millions of riders, working closely with a Staff ML Engineer mentor. Responsibilities include scoping the problem, developing and evaluating new methods on real data, and aiming for a paper submission to a top machine learning venue. This hybrid position requires working in the San Francisco office three days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Key Responsibilities

Own an end-to-end research project by framing the problem, reviewing related work, proposing new methods, and designing offline and online evaluations
Design, build, train, and test machine learning models in areas such as reinforcement learning, sequential decision-making, and personalization
Write production-quality code to convert research prototypes into working pipelines utilizing Lyft's data and machine learning infrastructure
Collaborate with Product Managers, Data Scientists, and fellow machine learning engineers to contextualize research questions within the business
Analyze experimental and observational data while communicating findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders
Draft research results for peer-reviewed publication with mentor and team support
Take part in code and spec reviews to maintain code quality and share knowledge

Requirements

Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field
Returning to the academic program after the internship with an expected graduation date between December 2027 and Summer 2028
Demonstrated background in machine learning research through publications, preprints, or substantial projects
Foundation in reinforcement learning and sequential decision-making, particularly with delayed or long-horizon rewards
Grounding in causal inference and counterfactual evaluation
Understanding of machine learning libraries including PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX
Programming proficiency in Python or a similar language
Ability to translate research machine learning papers into functional code

Nice to Have

Publications at venues such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, KDD, WWW, RecSys, or AAAI
Background in offline reinforcement learning, off-policy evaluation, learning from logged interaction data, recommender systems, or personalization
Practical knowledge of constructing efficient end-to-end machine learning workflows on large-scale data using Spark or SQL
Familiarity with online experimentation and A/B testing

Skills and Tools

Python
PyTorch
TensorFlow
JAX
Spark
SQL

Salary and Benefits

Base pay range of $65 to $68 per hour in the San Francisco area
Medical, dental, and vision insurance choices
Mental health benefits
Two days of paid time off and three days of sick time off for interns
401(k) retirement plan
Subsidized commuter benefits
Lyft Pink ridership program benefits

About the Company

Lyft aims to serve and connect people by building a workplace where all team members belong and thrive. With over half a billion rides, the company solves complex transportation challenges in areas like Marketplace, Mapping, Fraud, and Growth using petabyte-scale data.

How to Apply

Candidates should apply on the official company careers page.

Skills and tech stack

PythonPyTorchTensorFlowJAXSparkSQLReinforcement LearningMachine Learning

Questions candidates ask

Who is eligible for this internship?

Students currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field who will return to their program after the internship and graduate between December 2027 and Summer 2028 are eligible.

Is this position remote?

No, this is a hybrid role located in San Francisco, CA, requiring team members to work in the office three days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

What is the pay rate for the intern role?

The expected base pay range for this position in the San Francisco area is $65 to $68 per hour, depending on qualifications, experience, and geographic location.

What benefits are provided to interns?

Interns receive medical, dental, and vision insurance options, mental health benefits, two days of paid time off, three days of sick time off, a 401(k) plan, subsidized commuter benefits, and access to Lyft Pink.

What is the primary goal of the research project during the internship?

The intern will tackle an open research problem tied to rider product experiences with the goal of submitting a paper to a top machine learning venue.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Lyft careers page.

Apply on company site