Machine Learning Engineer I (Intern) – United States

Cisco Systems; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

12-week internship

Mentorship

Networking opportunities

Job summary

Cisco is seeking undergraduates for a 12-week Product Internship focused on building generative AI applications using state-of-the-art models. You will contribute to model development, training, and deployment, gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI architectures.

You will work alongside leaders in AI and product engineering, exploring cloud-native deployment, data pipelines, and NLP concepts, and learn how Cisco delivers intelligent experiences at scale.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program (Associate's or Bachelor's).
• Experience with model building, AI/LLM development, and programming in Python, SQL, or Go.
• Experience training or fine-tuning a neural network model with attention to performance or scalability.
• Experience with Docker, cloud-native deployment, data pipelines, AI security concepts, and ML tooling.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement generative AI applications using large language models.
• Optimize models for performance, scalability, and deployment in real-world products.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate AI features into Cisco platforms.

Skills

AI/LLM development

Python/SQL/Go

Neural network training/finetuning

Undergraduate enrollment

Education

Undergraduate degree (Assoc./Bachelors)

Tools

Docker

Cloud-native platforms

Data pipelines tooling

AI security / Guardrail

Pandas/NumPy/Scikit-learn/SciPy

Job description

Meet the Team

The Cisco Product Organization is the engine behind the platforms, technologies, and solutions defining the next generation of connectivity. Spanning AI Software & Platforms, Core Product Engineering, Collaboration, Security, Networking, Silicon, and Observability, we build the critical infrastructure that powers the digital world. Millions of people rely on our platforms every day, and our teams work together to build, refine, and scale products that drive meaningful impact. We are a team of passionate innovators, united by our curiosity, collaboration, and dedication to helping one another do our best work. Ready to help us build what's next?

The Cisco Product Internship Program offers a 12-week summer experience designed to welcome early-career talent into this mission. We embed interns within high-impact teams, where they collaborate directly on the products, platforms, and architectures shaping Cisco's future and powering the AI era. Throughout the program, interns have the opportunity to participate in targeted learning sessions, multi-functional networking, and direct engagement with leaders across the organization. By immersing interns in real-world challenges, we help them build the technical skills, confidence, and collaborative approach needed to envision a long-term, impactful career at Cisco.

Your Impact

You’ll dive into the development and implementation of cutting-edge generative AI applications using large language models like GPT-4, Claude, and Llama. You’ll optimize neural networks for natural language processing and machine perception, focusing on performance, scalability, and reliability as you train and fine-tune models for deployment. By building and fine-tuning cutting-edge generative AI and transformer-based models to deliver high-impact, intelligent experiences, you keep Cisco at the forefront of AI innovation and help us shape the future of intelligent products.

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program (Associate's or Bachelor's)

Qualifying education should be in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, Mathematics, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Expected to continue enrollment in degree program following completion of the internship.

• Previous experience with model building, AI/LLM development, and programming in Python, SQL, or Go, including the use of common AI libraries, in an academic, project, or professional capacity.
• Experience training or fine-tuning a neural network model, including attention to performance or scalability considerations

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with cloud-native solutions, Docker container orchestration, or modern rapid deployment platforms
• Knowledge of data pipeline design, tools, and maintenance
• Exposure to AI security, cybersecurity, or AI validation techniques (e.g., Guardrail)
• Experience with data science toolkits such as Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, or Scikit-learn
• Understanding of Natural Language Processing (NLP) concepts

#productintern27

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees
• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)
• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;
• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;
• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and
• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$44,000.00 - $185,000.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$44,000.00 - $185,000.00

• For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Cisco is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.