Phd Fall Machine Learning Intern (atg — Visual, Multimodal, and Recommender Systems)

Pinterest Pinterest · Consumer · San Francisco, CA · University Engineering

PhD Machine Learning Intern role focused on developing and launching new user features using ML techniques in recommendation systems, computer vision, generative AI, and responsible AI. The role involves research, production ML systems, and leveraging frontier AI tools, with potential for paper submissions or deploying features to millions of users.

What you'd actually do

  1. Develop and launch new user features using unique internal datasets and ML techniques, especially in recommendation systems, computer vision, representation learning, generative AI, and responsible AI.
  2. Gain hands-on experience with production ML systems, including algorithmic research, infrastructure, data engineering, training, inference, and product, to deliver innovative solutions. You will be exposed to full-stack production ML systems.
  3. Leverage frontier AI tools and agents to accelerate engineering implementation, including prototyping and experimentation work.
  4. Validate AI-generated outputs through testing, code review, and critical thinking, ensuring solutions are accurate, maintainable, secure, and aligned with team standards.
  5. Contribute in cutting-edge research in machine learning and artificial intelligence that can be applied to Pinterest problems

Skills

Required

  • Computer Vision
  • Visual Search
  • User Understanding
  • Recommendation Systems
  • Reinforcement Learning
  • ML efficiency optimization
  • Generative AI
  • LLMs
  • Ability to legally work full time (40 hours/week) from September-December 2026
  • Working towards a PhD degree in Computer Science, ML, NLP, Statistics, Information Sciences or related field
  • Mastery of at least one systems language (Java, C++, Python)
  • Mastery of at least one ML framework (Tensorflow, Pytorch, MLFlow)
  • Proficiency with AI-native engineering, including the design of agent-friendly codebases.
  • High degree of autonomy in learning new agent-first development tools.
  • Strong critical thinking when working with AI-generated suggestions, with a clear approach to validating correctness, performance, security, and maintainability.
  • Comfort iterating on prompts, refining workflows, and adapting AI-assisted approaches based on the problem, context, and constraints.
  • Experience in research and in solving analytical problems
  • Strong communicator and team player
  • Being able to find solutions for open-ended problems

Nice to have

  • Publications in machine learning, AI, data science, data analytics, statistics, or related technical fields
  • Strong passion for research and for answering hard questions with research
  • Passion for applied ML and the Pinterest product

What the JD emphasized

  • Working towards a PhD degree
  • Mastery of at least one systems language
  • Mastery of at least one ML framework
  • Proficiency with AI-native engineering
  • High degree of autonomy in learning new agent-first development tools
  • Strong critical thinking when working with AI-generated suggestions
  • Comfort iterating on prompts, refining workflows, and adapting AI-assisted approaches

Other signals

  • develop and launch new user features using unique internal datasets and ML techniques
  • gain hands-on experience with production ML systems
  • contribute in cutting-edge research in machine learning and artificial intelligence