Machine Learning Engineer, PhD Intern
Instacart · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $50,000 / year
- United States
Job highlights
- Internship focused on ML and LLM research.
- Work on high-impact e-commerce problems.
- Gain experience in generative models.
- Develop scalable ML systems.
- Ph.D. students in CS or related fields.
About the role
Machine Learning Engineer Intern at Instacart
Instacart is transforming the grocery industry by making it convenient, affordable, and accessible for everyone. We are building a team to push our shopping cart forward and invite you to do the best work of your life.
About Instacart's Flex First Approach
We embrace flexibility, allowing employees to choose where they work best—home, office, or coffee shop—while fostering connection through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach.
Overview of Instacart's Mission
Since 2012, Instacart has focused on revolutionizing grocery delivery across the US and Canada. Our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love, driving innovation in e-commerce, advertising, and fulfillment.
Machine Learning at Instacart
Machine learning is central to building intelligent shopping experiences at Instacart. We leverage ML and internet-scale data to enhance customer experience, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. Our ML applications include state-of-the-art models for Search, Discovery, and Ads, rich product and knowledge graphs, and AI-driven innovations like personalized marketing and meal planning.
Key ML Initiatives:
- Developing recommendation systems using generative AI and traditional machine learning.
- Building product and knowledge graphs from retailer catalog data.
- Redefining domains like marketing and meal planning with AI.
The Opportunity: Machine Learning Intern
We are seeking talented Ph.D. students to join our fast-moving ML teams. You will work on high-impact problems at the intersection of LLM research, large-scale ML systems, and real-world e-commerce applications.
Areas of Focus:
- Query Understanding: Utilize AI and LLM techniques to comprehend user intent and refine queries.
- Search Relevance and Ranking: Enhance search by integrating user behavior signals, catalog knowledge, and generative models.
- Generative Recommendations: Explore the synergy of generative and traditional models in retrieval and ranking systems, developing feedback mechanisms for closed-loop learning.
- LLM Evaluation and AIQA Systems: Construct LLM-based evaluation frameworks to improve generative and agentic systems.
- Low-latency and Scalable LLM Systems: Research deployment techniques for LLMs in high-traffic, latency-sensitive production environments, optimizing quality, cost, and latency.
- Knowledge Graphs: Manage graph data and discover knowledge within Instacart's extensive grocery catalog, integrating structured knowledge with LLM reasoning.
- Sequence Modeling: Develop temporal models for predicting user behavior.
About You: Minimum Qualifications
- Ph.D. student in computer science, mathematics, statistics, economics, or related fields.
- Strong programming skills in Python and Golang.
- Solid foundation in machine learning, algorithms, or optimization.
- Curious, self-motivated, and comfortable with open-ended problems.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ph.D. student at a top-tier U.S. university.
- Hands-on experience with generative or traditional modeling frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, vLLM).
- Prior industry or research internship in machine learning or AI.
- Interest and experience in translating research into scalable production systems.
Compensation and Benefits
Instacart offers competitive compensation and benefits. This role is remote, with base pay dependent on your work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy for details. Offers may vary based on experience and skills.
US Base Pay Ranges:
- CA, NY, CT, NJ: $50 USD/hour
- WA: $47.50 USD/hour
- OR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI: $44 USD/hour
- All other states: $42 USD/hour
Key skills/competency
- Machine Learning
- LLM Research
- Python
- Algorithms
- Optimization
- Generative AI
- Search Relevance
- Recommendation Systems
- Knowledge Graphs
- Ph.D. Student
Skills & topics
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Machine Learning
- LLM
- Generative AI
- Python
- Algorithms
- Internship
- Ph.D.
- Computer Science
- E-commerce
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your Ph.D. research, ML/AI coursework, and any internship experience using keywords from the job description.
- Showcase your skills: Emphasize your programming proficiency in Python and Golang, and your understanding of ML algorithms and optimization.
- Demonstrate research aptitude: Clearly articulate your experience with open-ended problems and your ability to translate research into practical applications.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss your ML knowledge, algorithms, and problem-solving approach. Practice coding challenges in Python.
- Research Instacart's ML initiatives: Understand their work in generative AI, search relevance, and recommendation systems to align your answers with their goals.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What specific LLM research areas does Instacart focus on for this Machine Learning Engineer Intern role?
- For the Machine Learning Engineer Intern position at Instacart, key LLM research areas include query understanding, search relevance, generative recommendations, LLM evaluation, low-latency LLM systems, and integrating knowledge graphs with LLMs for reasoning and natural language interfaces.
- Is this Machine Learning Engineer Intern position remote, and what is the pay range?
- Yes, this Machine Learning Engineer Intern role is remote. The hourly pay rate varies by U.S. state, ranging from $42 to $50 USD per hour, depending on the candidate's permanent work location.
- What programming languages and frameworks are essential for this Instacart internship?
- Essential programming languages for this role include Python and Golang. Familiarity with generative or traditional modeling frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, or vLLM is preferred.
- What kind of problems can a Machine Learning Engineer Intern expect to work on at Instacart?
- Interns can expect to work on high-impact problems such as improving search relevance with generative models, developing scalable LLM systems for production, building knowledge graphs, and applying temporal models for user behavior prediction.
- What are the minimum qualifications for the Machine Learning Engineer Intern position at Instacart?
- Minimum qualifications include being a Ph.D. student in computer science, mathematics, statistics, economics, or a related field, possessing strong programming skills in Python and Golang, having solid foundations in machine learning, algorithms, or optimization, and being a self-motivated individual comfortable with open-ended problems.
- How does Instacart's 'Flex First' policy apply to this Machine Learning Engineer Intern role?
- Instacart's 'Flex First' policy means this Machine Learning Engineer Intern role is remote. Interns have the flexibility to work from home or another suitable location while staying connected through regular virtual and in-person events.
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