About Niantic Spatial
AI has learned from almost everything online, but it still struggles with the physical world, where 99.5% of economic activity happens. It doesn’t know where things are, how spaces fit together, or what changes over time.
That’s one of the biggest unsolved problems in AI, and it’s the one we’re solving at Niantic Spatial. We build spatial AI models and services so people and machines can reason, learn and act safely in the physical world. We turn camera imagery, video, sensor data and archives into accurate, AI-readable representations of real places that robots can train in and machines can use to know exactly where they are.
In physical AI, mistakes have real consequences. That’s why we build AI grounded in measured reality, not guesswork, so the people and machines relying on it can trust it to get things right.
Our team built some of the world’s most widely used maps. Now we’re building something bigger: a living, measured record of the real world that machines can query, learn from and use to understand how places change over time. If you want to help AI understand the world we actually live in, come build with us.
About the Role
This internship sits at the intersection of systems engineering, mobile application development, and applied research. You'll work directly with platform, research, and application engineers to turn new capabilities in spatial computing, localization, and computer vision into polished experiences for developers and end users — from shared C++ runtime code and native Swift/Kotlin SDKs to production-quality iOS and Android applications.
Depending on your interests and the projects underway, you may work deeper in the platform stack, closer to the application layer, or across both. You'll also use AI-assisted workflows to move quickly across platforms while maintaining high standards for native quality and user experience.
What You'll Do
Native & Cross-Platform Development — Build features in Swift, Kotlin, and C++, ranging from user-facing mobile experiences to the runtime and SDK capabilities that power them.
Research-to-Product Engineering — Help turn research prototypes in spatial computing, localization, and computer vision into production-quality SDK features and intuitive mobile application experiences.
Mobile Application Development — Build and refine native iOS and Android experiences that exercise new platform capabilities, solve real user problems, and help define how our technology should work in practice.
AI-Assisted Engineering — Use AI-assisted development workflows to implement, adapt, and maintain functionality across multiple native platforms without sacrificing platform-specific quality.
Cross-Boundary Debugging — Debug problems across the full stack, from shared C++ runtime behavior and native bindings through application logic, UI, device sensors, and real-world usage.
Quality, Performance & Tooling — Write automated tests, improve build and release tooling, investigate performance, and validate new capabilities through on-device testing and sensor playback.
Product & API Collaboration — Work with research, platform, design, and application engineers to shape APIs and user experiences that are stable, ergonomic, and useful across a growing range of devices and use cases.
What You'll Bring
Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
Demonstrated experience building software in C++, Swift, Kotlin, or another native or systems language through coursework, personal projects, research, or prior internships.
Strong interest in native mobile development, SDKs, libraries, and developer-facing platforms with an appreciation for performance, API design, and platform-specific behavior.
Ability to independently investigate unfamiliar systems, debug across platform boundaries, and turn ambiguous technical problems into working, maintainable solutions.
Strong engineering instincts around testing, code quality, API ergonomics, and maintainability with the judgment to balance shared abstractions against platform-native conventions.
Comfort using AI-assisted development tools to increase engineering velocity across iOS, Android, and shared C++ code.
Available for 4 days per week in our San Francisco office for the full 12-week internship.
Nice to Have
Hands-on experience with iOS (Xcode, Instruments) or Android (Android Studio, Android NDK) development environments.
Familiarity with spatial computing, augmented reality, computer vision, or localization (SLAM, VPS).
Experience with cross-platform build systems such as CMake or Bazel.
Prior exposure to SDK or library development, open-source contributions, or developer-facing APIs.
Compensation & Benefits
The expected hourly rate for this internship is $48 – $70/hour, based on assessed skills, experience, and relevant coursework. Housing assistance and relocation support available for candidates outside the Bay Area — details provided during the offer process.
Location & Work Model
This internship is based in our San Francisco, CA office. We work in a high-collaboration environment and ask interns to be on-site a minimum of 4 days per week. To make that easy, we provide lunch every day and snacks are always stocked.
Inclusive Application
We know the strongest candidates don't always tick every box. If you're excited about this role and believe you could do it well, we encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't match every qualification listed — you may be exactly who we're looking for.
Equal Opportunity
Niantic Spatial is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at Niantic Spatial are considered without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected category under applicable laws. Niantic Spatial will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with applicable laws. Please contact your recruiter if you want to request an accommodation for the job application or interview process.
Candidate Privacy
I understand that by submitting my job application, the information I provide as part of that application will be used in accordance with Niantic Spatial's Privacy Notice for Job Applicants and Candidates https://www.nianticspatial.com/applicant-privacy-notice.
Skills Required
- Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
- Demonstrated experience building software in C++, Swift, Kotlin, or another native or systems language through coursework, personal projects, research, or prior internships
- Strong interest in native mobile development, SDKs, libraries, and developer-facing platforms
- Ability to independently investigate unfamiliar systems, debug across platform boundaries, and turn ambiguous technical problems into maintainable solutions
- Engineering judgment around testing, code quality, API ergonomics, and maintainability
- Comfort using AI-assisted development tools across iOS, Android, and shared C++ code
- Availability to work four days per week in the San Francisco office for the full 12-week internship
- Hands-on experience with iOS or Android development environments, including Xcode, Instruments, Android Studio, or Android NDK
- Familiarity with spatial computing, augmented reality, computer vision, or localization such as SLAM or VPS
- Experience with cross-platform build systems such as CMake or Bazel
- Prior exposure to SDK or library development, open-source contributions, or developer-facing APIs
What We Do
Niantic Spatial is building a living model of the world for machines, developing a geospatial AI model to understand and digitally map the physical world through spatial foundation and large geospatial models.
