2027 Summer Intern, MS/PhD, AI-driven ML Performance Engineering Intern

Posted 8 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Mountain View, CA, USA
In-Office
70-70 Annually
Internship
Automotive
The Role
Develop high-performance low-level kernels for custom ML accelerators using AI agents and domain-specific languages. Ensure kernel correctness and numerical accuracy, analyze performance bottlenecks, and build automated harnesses to recursively improve kernel generation. The role involves transformer inference optimization, accelerator architecture, numerical format tradeoffs, and programming in Python or C++.
Summary Generated by Built In

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver—The World's Most Experienced Driver™—to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.

We are a team that designs and implements the hardware, compiler, and software frameworks for the ML accelerators in Waymo’s custom silicon. The team’s expertise spans all phases of custom accelerator production from architecture through software integration, and leverages Waymo’s decades of experience to optimize the design space for the needs of our autonomous driving software

Waymo interns partner with leaders in the industry on projects that create impact to the company. We believe learning is a two-way street: applying your knowledge while providing you with opportunities to expand your skill-set. Interns are an important part of our culture and our recruiting pipeline. Join us at Waymo for a fun and rewarding internship!


You will:

  • Work with AI agents to create high performance low-level kernels in a Domain-Specific language for a custom ML accelerator
  • Ensure functional correctness and numerical accuracy of kernels
  • Conduct performance analysis of the kernels to identify performance bottlenecks and areas that need improvement
  • Develop a custom harness to recursively improve kernel generation and remove the need for human involvement

You have:

  • Currently enrolled in an MS or PhD program in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Computational Science, or a related quantitative field
  • Demonstrated track record of using AI agents and harnesses to improve coding performance
  • Working knowledge of key kernels for transformer inference including performance analysis and optimization
  • Familiarity with one or more low-level ML accelerator DSLs (CUDA, Triton, Gluon, etc.)

We prefer:

  • Solid understanding of modern inference accelerator architectures
  • Fluency in Python and/or C++
  • Working knowledge of different ML numerical formats and their relative accuracy vs performance tradeoffs

Note: This will be a hybrid onsite internship position. We will accept resumes on a rolling basis until the role is filled. To be in consideration for multiple roles, you will need to apply to each one individually - please apply to the top 3 roles you are interested in.

The expected hourly rate for this full-time position is listed below. Interns are also eligible to participate in the Company’s generous benefits programs, subject to eligibility requirements.
Hourly Masters Pay
$70—$70 USD
The expected hourly rate for this full-time position is listed below. Interns are also eligible to participate in the Company’s generous benefits programs, subject to eligibility requirements.
Hourly PhD Pay
$85—$85 USD

Skills Required

  • Currently enrolled in an MS or PhD program in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Computational Science, or a related quantitative field
  • Demonstrated track record of using AI agents and harnesses to improve coding performance
  • Working knowledge of key kernels for transformer inference, including performance analysis and optimization
  • Familiarity with one or more low-level ML accelerator DSLs, such as CUDA, Triton, or Gluon
  • Solid understanding of modern inference accelerator architectures
  • Fluency in Python and/or C++
  • Working knowledge of ML numerical formats and their accuracy versus performance tradeoffs

Waymo Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Waymo and has not been reviewed or approved by Waymo.

  • Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered strong for full‑time technical roles, aligning with top‑tier AV/Big Tech benchmarks. Employer materials also emphasize competitive pay with eligibility for bonuses and equity as part of total rewards.
  • Healthcare Strength — Coverage spans medical, dental, vision, mental‑health resources, onsite wellness centers, and counseling, with specialized programs such as menopause and transgender medical advocacy. Dependents are included, indicating depth across core health needs.
  • Parental & Family Support — Offerings include fertility and family‑forming assistance, parental and baby‑bonding leave, caregiver and elder‑care support, and backup childcare. These programs are positioned to support families through multiple life stages.

Waymo Insights

Am I A Good Fit?
beta
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: Mountain View, CA
2,359 Employees
Year Founded: 2009

What We Do

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people and things to move around. With the Waymo Driver, we can improve the world’s mobility while saving thousands of lives. Waymo reaches out to candidates from official channels only (e.g. directly from @waymo.com email addresses, or through our recruiters or sourcers who are noted as such on LinkedIn). We do not contact candidates about career opportunities through instant messaging apps like Telegram, email addresses from domains other than waymo.com (such as Gmail addresses), direct messages on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or text messages. Visit waymo.com to check out our official job listings.

Similar Jobs

Liberty Mutual Insurance Logo Liberty Mutual Insurance

Underwriting Development Program - Global Risk Solutions - June 2027 Start

Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Insurance • Marketing Tech • Software • Analytics
Hybrid
11 Locations
40000 Employees
48K-137K Annually

Boeing Logo Boeing

Mission Systems Engineers (Associate or Experienced)

Aerospace • Information Technology • Software • Cybersecurity • Design • Defense • Manufacturing
In-Office
Seal Beach, CA, USA
170000 Employees
100K-168K Annually

Boeing Logo Boeing

Controls Engineer

Aerospace • Information Technology • Software • Cybersecurity • Design • Defense • Manufacturing
In-Office
El Segundo, CA, USA
170000 Employees
123K-199K Annually

Boeing Logo Boeing

Mid-Level or Experienced Electronics Programs Unit IPT Lead (Project Management Specialist)

Aerospace • Information Technology • Software • Cybersecurity • Design • Defense • Manufacturing
In-Office
El Segundo, CA, USA
170000 Employees
101K-171K Annually

Similar Companies Hiring

UL Solutions Thumbnail
Automotive • Professional Services • Software • Consulting • Energy • Chemical • Renewable Energy
Chicago, IL
15000 Employees
HERE Technologies Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Automotive • Computer Vision • Information Technology • Internet of Things • Logistics • Software
Amsterdam, NL
6000 Employees
Vega Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Automotive • Insurance • Transportation
US
43 Employees

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account