PhD Intern, AI Applied Scientist (2027)

The AI Research team at Figma works on optimizing agentic systems for design quality and end user experience, building robust evaluators for Design and post-train models. The PhD internship will develop innovative AI solutions for design and creative products through fundamental and applied research, contributing to new AI-driven features in Figma products. The internship can take place in Winter 2027 or Summer 2027 in San Francisco or New York. The role is based in Figma's San Francisco or New York hub offices.

Responsibilities

Drive fundamental and applied research in Generative AI with Figma product use cases in mind; Formulate and implement new modeling approaches both to improve the effectiveness of Figma's current AI models as well as enable the launch of entirely new AI-powered product features; Explore the boundaries of what is possible with the current technology set and experiment with novel ideas; Depending on your project, publish research in leading AI/ML conferences

Requirements

Are a 4th or 5th year senior Ph.D student in AI, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Human Computer Interaction or a related field; Proven expertise in AI through publications on recent advancements in AI, such as Large Language Models or Agentic systems; Track record in applying machine learning techniques to projects in academia or industry; Experience in Python and machine learning frameworks (such as PyTorch, TensorFlow); Experience solving sophisticated problems and comparing alternative solutions, trade-offs, and diverse points of view to determine a path forward

Nice to have

Related industry experience via a past internship or full-time role; Experience communicating your solutions effectively to different audiences; Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) to write, debug, and optimize code

Benefits

Housing stipend; Travel reimbursement