Masters/PhD Research Intern

Job Description

About Shopify

Shopify is a leading commerce company dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and enterprises globally. Established in 2006, Shopify aims to democratize opportunity by providing individuals with the tools to start and scale their own businesses. The company has grown significantly, employing over 8,300 individuals and facilitating over $1 trillion in sales for millions of merchants across 175 countries. Shopify’s mission is to put independence within reach for anyone with a dream, fostering a future with more voices and choices in the commerce landscape. The work at Shopify is described as “life-defining,” impacting both the lives of entrepreneurs and the professional growth of its employees.

Shopify’s culture embraces change, complexity, ambiguity, and a degree of chaos. Employees (“Shopifolk”) are expected to thrive in this dynamic environment, comfortable with being uncomfortable. Key traits for success at Shopify include deep care for making commerce better, a drive for professional and personal hypergrowth, the ability to keep pace with a fast-moving workweek, resilience and resourcefulness in the face of ambiguity, critical thinking, and the ability to embrace differences and disagreement to achieve results. Shopify operates on a “digital-first” model for daily work and encourages the reflexive use of AI tools in fundamental workflows.

About The Role: Masters/PhD Research Intern (AI/ML)

This internship at Shopify offers a unique opportunity for Masters and PhD students to contribute to the future of e-commerce by developing and deploying cutting-edge AI solutions. The role is centered on redefining the e-commerce landscape through advanced AI and Machine Learning.

Key Responsibilities and Activities:

• Model Development and Deployment: Engage with petabyte-scale data to develop, refine, and deploy advanced machine learning and AI models. This involves pushing boundaries with technologies like LLM post-training, reinforcement learning, and model quantization.
• Real-World Problem Solving: Conduct research that directly addresses current challenges faced by Shopify’s merchants and customers globally, ensuring practical impact.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with engineers, applied scientists, and other teams. This collaboration supports research experiments and prototypes, with the long-term goal of integrating successful work into production.
• Design, Build, and Deploy: Undertake long-term research projects that require designing, building, and deploying models, either directly in production environments or as proofs of concept.
• Continuous Learning and Sharing: Stay updated with the latest AI/ML techniques, understand the trade-offs between different models and approaches in real-world scenarios, and share knowledge within Shopify to foster collective growth.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Currently pursuing or has completed a Master’s or Doctorate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Research Experience: Demonstrated research experience in areas such as Machine Learning, Search, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Recommendation Systems, Pattern Recognition, Agents, Large Language Models (LLM), or Generative AI.
• Technical Proficiency:
• Hands-on experience with popular ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, or equivalent.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, or MATLAB.
• Experience with systems software or algorithms.
• Problem-Solving and Impact:
• Adept at translating complex insights into actionable business recommendations.
• Proven ability to identify, design, and independently complete medium to large features.
• Enjoys tackling complex problems and evaluating alternative solutions to determine the most effective path.
• Track Record: A strong proven track record of building and shipping high-quality, reliable work, evidenced through internships, prior work experience, conference presentations, academic papers, coding competitions, or open-source contributions.

Internship Experience Details:

• Matching Process: Shopify employs a unique process to pair interns with teams that best align with their skills and the company’s needs.
• Work Environment: Following onboarding, interns have the flexibility to work in-office three days a week, coordinating with their Manager and Mentor for optimal team synergy.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in Canada or the US for the entire duration of the internship. Shopify does not provide immigration support for interns.
• Locations: Interns will work from Shopify offices located in Bellevue, NYC, or Toronto. Relocation to the closest office is required if the intern is not already based there.

Application Process:

• Resume Submission: A resume must be included with the application.
• Application Questions: All application questions must be fully answered.
• Technical Assessments: Candidates who advance will be required to complete mandatory technical assessments.

Application Timeline: Applications will be open from Tuesday, December 2, 2025, to Friday, December 5, 2025.

Why Apply?

This internship offers a chance to shape the future of e-commerce through cutting-edge AI solutions, work in a dynamic and innovative environment that values creativity and experimentation, and enhance professional skills with hands-on experience and growth opportunities. Shopify emphasizes that this is not just an internship, but an opportunity to “craft the future.”