Machine Learning Intern

Job Description

About the Job: Machine Learning Intern at Pinterest

About Pinterest:
Pinterest is a global platform where millions of people find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities, and plan for lasting memories. Our mission is to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love. We are a company that values innovation, growth opportunities, diverse experiences, and work flexibility. With over 550 million users worldwide and 300 billion ideas saved, Pinterest offers a unique opportunity to contribute to personalized experiences.

With just over 3,000 global employees, our teams are described as small, mighty, and still growing. As a Machine Learning Intern, you will gain hands-on access to an incredible vault of data and contribute to large-scale recommendation systems in ways you won’t find anywhere else.

As a Machine Learning Intern at Pinterest, you will:

• Work on tackling new challenges in machine learning and artificial intelligence.
• Conduct cutting-edge research that can be applied across Pinterest engineering teams.
• Engage in external collaborations and mentoring.
• Perform research in any of the following areas: image recognition, user modeling, recommender systems, search, ads, ranking, natural language processing, neural networks, personalization, graph representation learning, and big data analytics.

Internship Logistics & Important Notes:

• Application Process: By applying to this role, you will be considered for multiple intern roles across various ML teams. Please apply only once within the USA or Canada to avoid delays in recruitment.
• Duration: Internships are 12 weeks paid.
• Fixed Start Dates (2026):
  • May 18, 2026 – August 7, 2026
  • June 15, 2026 – September 4, 2026
• Location: Depending on the team, summer internships will be located either remote or hybrid in San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York, or Seattle offices.
• US based applicants only.

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities):

• Lead your own project from start to finish, contributing to cutting-edge research in machine learning and artificial intelligence applied to Pinterest problems.
• Collect, analyze, and synthesize findings from data, and build intelligent data-driven models.
• Write clean, efficient, and sustainable code.
• Utilize machine learning, natural language processing, and graph analysis to solve modeling and ranking problems across discovery, ads, and search.
• Scope and independently solve moderately complex problems.
• Demonstrate accountability for the quality and completion of your tasks and projects, collaborating with your team and seeking guidance as needed.

What We’re Looking For (Qualifications):

Required Qualifications:

• Working towards a PhD in Computer Science, ML, NLP, Statistics, Information Sciences, or a related field.
• Proficiency in at least one systems language (Java, C++, Python) or one ML framework (Tensorflow, Pytorch, MLFlow).
• Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop/Spark) and scalable real-time systems that process stream data.
• Experience in research and in solving analytical problems.
• Strong communicator and team player with the ability to find solutions for open-ended problems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Publications in machine learning, AI, data science, data analytics, statistics, or related technical fields.
• Interest in research and in applying ML to impactful real-world problems on the Pinterest product.

Why Intern at Pinterest?

• Meaningful Work: Contribute to projects that impact millions of users worldwide.
• Mentorship: Learn from and be guided by experienced engineers and researchers in the field.
• Growth and Development: Participate in professional development workshops and networking events to build your skills and connections.

In-Office Requirement Statement:

Pinterest embraces a collaboration style guided by the type of work. While not always in the office, we gather for key moments of collaboration and connection. This role may require you to be located near an office for in-person collaboration, and therefore may need to be located a commutable distance from one of our Pinterest offices.

Salary:
The base salary for this position is $12,100 monthly. Final salary is based on a number of factors including location, travel, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise.

Our Commitment To Inclusion:
Pinterest is an equal opportunity employer, making employment decisions based on merit. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to various protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Pinterest aims for a workplace that is equitable, inclusive, and inspiring for every employee. Information regarding Pinterest’s culture and benefits is available here.