Fast Facts
Handshake is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer, PhD Intern to contribute to building intelligent product experiences that aid in career discovery for students, offering hands-on experience in a dynamic environment.
Responsibilities: Develop machine learning models for product features, evaluate performance, participate in team discussions, and document findings.
Skills: Experience in machine learning, strong Python programming skills, familiarity with ML frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow, and SQL experience are required.
Qualifications: Currently pursuing a Doctorate in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field; prior experience in applied machine learning is a plus.
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Compensation: $64 - $64 / Hourly
Machine Learning Engineer, PhD Intern
About Us
Handshake is the career network for the AI economy. More than 20 million knowledge workers, 1,600 educational institutions, and 1 million employers — including 100% of the Fortune 50 — trust Handshake to power career discovery, hiring, and upskilling. From freelance AI training gigs to first internships to full-time careers and beyond, we connect talent with opportunity at every stage.
This unique position in the ecosystem is driving exceptional growth — in 2025, we tripled ARR at scale.
Why join Handshake now:
- Shape how careers evolve in the AI economy at global scale, with visible real-world impact
- Work directly with leading AI labs, Fortune 500 partners, and top educational institutions
- Help build a rapidly scaling business on a path toward multi-billion-dollar revenue
The Role
As a Machine Learning Engineering Intern, you will contribute to building intelligent product experiences that help students discover and secure opportunities. Your work will span search, recommendations, matching, and other discovery systems that power job exploration on Handshake.
You will gain hands-on experience developing, evaluating, and deploying machine learning models in a production environment, learning how large-scale ML systems are designed, optimized, and maintained.
This is a paid, full-time summer internship with two cohort options:
- May 18 – August 7, 2026
- June 15 – September 4, 2026
In this role, you will:
- Partner with senior engineers and data scientists to develop machine learning models that improve product features and user experience
- Contribute to experimentation, model evaluation, and performance monitoring
- Participate in technical discussions, brainstorming sessions, and team reviews
- Document methodologies and findings to support knowledge sharing and long-term system improvements
You Have
Must-Haves
- Currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field
- Experience in supervised and/or unsupervised machine learning, ML operations
- Have strong programming skills in Python and experience with ML frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Have exposure to software engineering best practices (version control, testing, code reviews)
- Have familiarity with data analysis techniques and experience with SQL
- Have strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a collaborative team environment
- Have strong communication skills and are able to explain technical concepts effectively
Bonus Points
- Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure
- Exposure to research in Large Language Models or Reinforcement Learning is a strong plus.
- Publications at leading conferences such as SIGIR, KDD, WSDM, RecSys
- Experience with modern coding tools like Cursor/Claude code/Codex
- Prior internship or project experience in applied machine learning in domains such as NLP, search and recommendation systems
We Offer
Handshake provides benefits that help you feel supported and thrive at work and in life.
(The below benefits apply to US-based interns.)
- 💰 Competitive hourly compensation
- 📚 Mentorship and hands-on learning from experienced ML engineers
- 💻 5 days/week in-office experience
- 🤝 Structured intern programming and team events
Explore our mission, values, and open roles at joinhandshake.com/careers.
