PhD Machine Learning Intern (Summer 2026)

Role Description

As a

Machine Learning Intern

, you’ll contribute to advancing Dropbox’s mission to create a more enlightened way of working through cutting-edge research and applied machine learning. You’ll collaborate with experienced engineers and researchers to design, prototype, and evaluate scalable AI/ML sys

tems that power Dropbox Dash’s universal search and intelligent organization features. Your work will shape how millions of people find information, collaborate, and focus on meaningful work.

This internship offers the opportunity to translate your research into real-world impact while gaining experience with large-scale production systems and cross-functional collaboration in a fast-moving, high-impact environment.

Responsibilities

Research and prototype innovative machine learning approaches in areas such as Search, Large Language Models

(LLMs),

Multimodal Content Understanding, and

Recommender Systems

Design and implement end-to-end ML pipelines—from data exploration to model training, evaluation, and deployment—in collaboration with mentors and product teams

Analyze large-scale datasets to identify opportunities for personalization and improved user experiences

Partner with Product, Design, and Engineering teams to integrate models into Dropbox products

Contribute to the team’s technical discussions, offering research-based perspectives to guide experimentation and long-term strategy

Requirements

Currently pursuing a

PhD

in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related field, with a research focus on advanced AI

Graduation date in

Winter 202

7

or

Spring/Summer 202

8

.

Proven experience in

applied AI

, through research publications, significant projects, or internships where you built or tested advanced ML solutions.

Strong coding skills

(e.g.,

Python

, PyTorch, scikit-learn, or similar ML libraries

), plus an ability to quickly prototype and iterate on cutting-edge ideas.

Curiosity and drive to explore novel ML methodologies and

translate them into practical applications

that solve user needs.

Research experience in one or more of the following: Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, Deep Learning, Recommender Systems, Learning to Rank, Speech Processing, Graph Learning

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to bridge research and practical application

Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially in interdisciplinary teams

Familiarity with modern ML infras

tructure and large-scale data systems

Preferred Qualifications

Publications in top-tier ML, AI, or NLP conferences

(e.g.,

NeurIPS,

ICLR,

ICML, ACL, EMNLP, KDD, SIGIR

, CVPR

)

Experience With Llm-based Applications Or Retrieval-augmented Generation

(RAG)

systems

Interest in translating research insights into product impact for real-world users

Familiarity with the end-to-end process of building AI prototypes: from data exploration and model iteration to evaluation and user testing.

Passion for swiftly moving from idea to experiment, comfortable with ambiguous or evolving project goals.

Compensation

US Pay Range

$11,500

—

$12,500 USD