PayPal · 2 hours ago
Machine Learning Engineer PhD Intern
San Jose, CA
Internship
Hybrid
Intern
$66/hr - $66/hr
Start in 2026 SummerPayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. The MLE PhD Intern plays a critical role in ensuring PayPal’s adherence to a complex and evolving landscape of local and global regulations by leveraging advanced machine learning and data-driven insights to design innovative solutions that streamline compliance processes and strengthen risk mitigation.
E-Commerce PlatformsFinTechMobile PaymentsTransaction Processing
No H1B
Responsibilities
Gain hands-on experience working on real-world large language model (LLM) and machine learning projects within the domains of commerce, personalization, recommendation, and user behavior understanding
Assist in the fine-tuning, evaluation, and deployment of LLMs for tasks such as personalized recommendations, semantic search, and behavioral modeling
Collaborate with experienced engineers, data scientists, and product experts to translate business requirements into actionable LLM and ML-driven solutions
Analyze data, build prototypes, and explore new methodologies to improve the effectiveness of personalization and recommendation systems
Contribute to the development and documentation of LLM training pipelines and model evaluation frameworks, ensuring reproducibility and maintainability
Present findings and recommendations to stakeholders across the organization, highlighting the business impact of personalization and LLM applications
Network with talented professionals and gain valuable insights into the world of financial technology, personalization, and applied machine learning
Qualification
Required
Strong understanding of machine learning concepts, algorithms, and techniques (e.g., supervised learning, unsupervised learning, deep learning)
Familiarity with large language models (e.g., GPT, LLaMA, Mistral) and techniques for fine-tuning, prompt engineering, or embeddings-based retrieval
Proven ability to work with Python, libraries like NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Hugging Face Transformers
Experience with data analysis, cleaning, and wrangling
Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills
A passion for learning and exploring new technologies
Highly motivated and proactive with a strong work ethic
Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related field
Strong theoretical foundation in ML algorithms, optimization, and statistical learning theory
Demonstrated ability to implement and evaluate ML models using Python and libraries such as NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch
Experience conducting independent research, with publications in relevant ML/AI conferences or journals (preferred)
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to present research to both technical and non-technical audiences
Highly motivated, curious, and proactive in exploring new research directions
Must be enrolled in a PhD program at an accredited university, returning to studies after the internship
Must reside in the U.S. during the program
Must be authorized to work in the U.S. for the duration of the internship
Preferred
Experience conducting independent research, with publications in relevant ML/AI conferences or journals
Benefits
Flexible work environment
Employee shares options
Health and life insurance
Company
PayPal
PayPal is a financial service company that provides online payment solutions to its users worldwide.
Founded in 1998
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$12.17BKey Investors
Kohlberg Kravis RobertsBlueRun Ventures
2025-11-17Post Ipo Debt· $6.95B
2023-06-07Post Ipo Debt· $5B
2015-07-20IPO
Leadership Team
Simon Bladon
CEO, UK
chaloem khompitoon
President & CEO
Recent News
2025-12-31
The European Financial Review
2025-12-31
Company data provided by crunchbase