Dropbox · 5 hours ago
PhD Systems & AI/ML Research Intern (Summer 2026)
United States
Internship
Remote
Intern
$12,500/mo - $12,500/mo
Start in 2026 SummerDropbox is a global community shaping the future of work through innovative solutions. As a PhD Systems & AI/ML Research Intern, you will tackle meaningful infrastructure challenges in distributed systems and AI/ML, resulting in a working prototype aimed for internal adoption and potential external publication.
CollaborationEnterprise SoftwareFile SharingPrivate CloudWeb Hosting
Responsibilities
Execute a defined engineering/research project aligned with your research
Implement a prototype that addresses a concrete infrastructure or AI-systems challenge
Build and run benchmarks using realistic workloads to measure performance, reliability, or security improvements
Document the design and implementation, including assumptions, architecture, tradeoffs, and evaluation results
Deliver a final artifact that includes a working prototype, reproducible results, technical write-up, and internal presentation
Collaborate with mentors to refine the approach, validate results, and, if appropriate, prepare findings for internal adoption or external publication
Qualification
Required
PhD candidate in Computer Science or a related field graduating between Winter 2026 and Spring 2028
Proven experience in systems/infrastructure and/or AI/ML through research publications, significant projects, or internships where you built or tested advanced solutions
Strong coding skills (e.g., Python, Rust, Go, C++) plus an ability to quickly prototype and iterate on cutting-edge ideas
Curiosity and drive to explore novel systems methodologies and translate them into practical applications that solve practical needs
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially in interdisciplinary teams
Preferred
Prior systems publications, open-source contributions, or experience operating large-scale infrastructure
Interest in translating research insights into product impact for real-world users
Familiarity and passion for swiftly moving from idea to experiment, comfortable with ambiguous or evolving project goals
Benefits
Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
Flexible PTO/Paid Time Off, paid holidays, Volunteer Time Off, and more, allowing you time to unplug, unwind, and refresh
Perks Allowance to be used on what matters most to you, whether that’s wellness, learning and development, food and groceries, and much more
Mental health and wellness benefits
Monthly Internet Allowance
Intern Social Stipend
Annual Emerging Talent Summit, travel and hotel accommodations provided
Company
Dropbox
Dropbox is a smart workspace company that provides secure file sharing, collaboration, and storage solutions.
Founded in 2007
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Dropbox has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (127)
2024 (105)
2023 (103)
2022 (166)
2021 (197)
2020 (157)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$2.41BKey Investors
JP Morgan ChaseJPMorgan PartnersBlackRock
2025-09-09Post Ipo Debt· $700M
2018-03-23IPO
2017-03-30Debt Financing· $600M
Leadership Team
Drew Houston
Founder & CEO
Arash Ferdowsi
Co-Founder
Recent News
2025-12-19
Business Standard India
2025-12-19
2025-12-16
Company data provided by crunchbase