PhD Intern, Software Engineer
Figma
This job at a glance
- Who can apply
- New grads and up to 1 year
- Must know
- FigmaNetworkingEmbedded systemsMachine learning
- Nice to have
- Git
- Work
- On-site in San Francisco · internship
- Pay
- Not stated by the employer.
- Skill demand
- Machine learning39%Networking25%Embedded systems23%of 44 similar entry-level jobs posted in the US this week
- Listed
- Nov 4, 2026 · still open
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About the Role
Figma is seeking a PhD Intern, Software Engineer - Interaction Design for Summer 2027. This 12 or 16-week internship will be based in San Francisco or New York. The role involves combining HCI research with hands-on engineering to shape the next generation of interactive experience design tooling. Interns will work closely with a mentor and teammates in a supportive environment to drive real-world impact.
Key Responsibilities
- 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.
Requirements & Tech Stack
- 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.
Additional Qualifications (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 the team’s focus areas.