PhD Intern, Software Engineer - Interaction Design (2027)

The shape of it

In the posting’s own words

As a PhD intern, you’ll combine HCI research with hands-on-engineering to help define the next generation of interactive experience design tooling. You’ll work closely with a mentor and teammates and get to learn, contribute, and grow in a supportive environment, while applying your research background to drive real-world impact.

What it asks for · 4

• Current enrollment as a 4th or 5th year senior PhD student pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex research concepts into practical, scalable solutions
• A track record of rigorous problem-solving through academic or applied research
• Proficiency in at least one general purpose coding language

Also a plus

• A creative portfolio of work consisting of time-based media, animation, game development, digital illustration, or another creative field.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated experience collaborating across functions
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) to write, debug, and optimize code
• Applied engineering skills via industry experience, prior internships or similar experience
• First-author publications in top academic conferences related to our team’s focus areas

What the job covers

• Be fully embedded onto a Figma team working on problems that intersect with your research area
• Drive projects that apply research insights to meaningful product challenges
• Collaborate with engineers, PMs, designers, and researchers to scope and execute your work
• Develop, validate, and document solutions from prototypes to production-ready systems
• Share your expertise through presentations, design reviews, and cross-functional collaboration
• Deliver a project with real impact by the end of your internship

Degree language

• Current enrollment as a 4th or 5th year senior PhD student pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field

Tools and skills named

Words the posting leans on

• experience8×
• design6×
• research6×
• interaction4×
• complex3×
• creative3×
• excited3×
• interactive3×
• internship3×
• phd3×
• prototypes3×
• skills3×
• academic2×
• animation2×
• applied2×
• area2×

Counted from the posting after the mission statement and the legal notices are set aside. The ones near the top are the ones a screener is looking for.

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