Fall 2026/Spring 2027 - AI Engineer Intern - 90413047 - Washington

Amtrak; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 25,000 - 48,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Rail pass privileges

PTO day per academic year

Job summary

Amtrak is seeking an AI Engineer Intern to support the Digital Technology organization in Washington, DC, assisting the team that connects AI capabilities to Amtrak's business processes and ensuring smooth operation under supervision.

You will work with senior engineers to learn how AI-driven workflows are set up, tested, and monitored while building foundational skills in automation, documentation, and day-to-day platform support.

Qualifications

• Must be actively pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field.
• Must have at least 1 year of academic undergraduate studies completed or a sophomore status at minimum.
• Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.

Responsibilities

• Help build small features or components that add new AI-driven capabilities under senior guidance.
• Build and test automation scripts or workflow pieces to operate AI capabilities.
• Propose and prototype ideas for new or improved AI capabilities based on day-to-day problems.

Skills

Programming basics

Cloud concepts

AI model awareness

Education

Pursuing CS/CE/IS degree

At least 1 year of undergrad completed

GPA 2.8+

Job description

As we move America’s workforce toward the future, our goal is to connect businesses and communities across the country. The safety of our passengers, our more than 20,000 colleagues, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to your efforts.

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

Position Summary

The AI Engineer Intern supports Amtrak's Digital Technology organization by helping the team that connects AI capabilities to Amtrak's business processes and keeps those processes running smoothly. They will also work closely with and under the guidance of senior engineers, this role provides exposure to how AI-driven workflows are set up, tested, and monitored, while building foundational skills in automation, documentation, and day-to-day platform support.

Essential Functions

• Help build small features or components that add new AI-driven capabilities to Amtrak’s systems, under senior engineer guidance
• Build and test automation scripts or workflow pieces that support and operate those AI capabilities once they’re in place
• Propose and prototype ideas for new or improved AI capabilities based on problems observed in day-to-day work
• Assist senior engineers with connecting new AI capabilities to existing business processes and testing that they work as intended
• Investigate recurring issues or inefficiencies in AI capabilities or workflows and propose ideas for fixing or improving them (continuation)
• Monitor AI capabilities in day-to-day use, flagging issues and helping identify root causes rather than just reporting symptoms
• Research and share findings on new approaches or techniques that could improve the capabilities or workflows the team builds and runs
• Own small, well-defined pieces of larger capability-building or automation projects from start to finish, with guidance from senior engineers
• Maintain clear documentation for capabilities built, workflows, and any issues found and resolved
• Participate in team meetings, demos, and retrospectives, contributing ideas and observations from hands-on work

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be actively pursuing a degree at an accredited educational institution.
• Must be actively pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field.
• Must have at least 1 year of academic undergraduate studies completed or a sophomore status at minimum.
• Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.
• Basic familiarity with programming or scripting concepts.
• Basic understanding of how cloud-based systems and version control work.
• Basic awareness of how AI models or AI-driven features are built and how they work

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework or project experience involving automation or scripting.
• Coursework or project experience building or experimenting with AI models or AI-driven features.
• Experience with independent or team projects that involved researching a new approach and presenting findings.
• Familiarity with monitoring, testing, or troubleshooting automated processes.
• Demonstrated curiosity about how AI systems are built and improved.

Pay Transparency

The hourly range is $18.00 per hour - $35.00 per hour. Pay is based on factors including school year, program of study, etc. In addition, paid internships include Amtrak rail pass privileges as a part of the experience along with one (1) PTO day per academic year.

Requisition ID: 167082

Work Arrangement: 06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.

Relocation Offered: No

Travel Requirements: Up to 25%

You power our progress through your performance.

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions.

Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen.

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. 1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses.

Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.