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 systems 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