Machine Learning Internship, Manipulation

persona.ai; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Persona AI in Houston, TX seeks a Machine Learning Intern (Manipulation) to help build ML models and infrastructure for humanoid robots. You will work with the ML team on model development, evaluation, and integration into the Persona software stack for manipulation, navigation, and perception.

Ideal candidates have hands-on projects in robot learning, experience with PyTorch/JAX or TensorFlow, and comfort coding in a fast-paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow).
• Cloud computing experience (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Strong understanding of robot learning and manipulation.
• Ability to write high-quality software.
• Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve machine learning models and the infrastructure.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of models in the real world.
• Collaborate on the design and development of the Persona ML software stack for manipulation, navigation, locomotion, and perception.

Skills

PyTorch

JAX

TensorFlow

AWS

Azure

GCP

Robot learning

Collaboration

Software development

Education

Master's or PhD in CS/Robotics

Tools

Git

Job description

Job Title: Machine Learning Internship, Manipulation

Department: Robotics Software Engineering

Employment Type: Internship

Location: Houston, TX – Onsite

Who We Are

Persona AI is developing and commercializing rugged, multi-purpose humanoid robots that perform real work. Persona AI’s founding team has a decades-long history in humanoid robotics, bionics, and product development delivering robust hardware that has touched the stars, worked miles below the surface of the ocean, and even roamed Disney Parks. Our mission is focused squarely on shipping beautiful, reliable products at massive scale, while building a customer-focused team to achieve these aims.

About the Role

We're looking for a Machine Learning Intern (Manipulation) to help build Persona's machine learning models and infrastructure. We are primarily interested in candidates with experience and relevant projects in robot learning, but can be flexible depending on aptitude and energy.

As a Machine Learning Intern at Persona, you will have an incredible opportunity to work with humanoid robots and solve practical problems in the real world.

What You’ll Do

• Work with the ML team to develop and improve machine learning models and the infrastructure.

• Monitor and evaluate the performance of models in the real world.

• Collaborate on the design and development of the Persona ML software stack and support its application in manipulation, navigation, locomotion, and perception.

What We’re Looking For

• Courage and grit to tackle some of the hardest problems in embodied AI.

• Enthusiasm for working collaboratively in a high paced team environment.

• Experience with deep learning frameworks (Pytorch, JAX, TensorFlow, etc.)

• Experience with cloud computing to develop models, manage data, etc. (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• Strong understanding of the state of the art research in robot learning (behavior cloning and reinforcement learning for manipulation, world models, etc.).

• Understanding of the challenges of deploying neural network models in the real world.

• Capable of writing high-quality software.

• Thrive in fast-paced and ambiguous environments.

• Strong first principles thinker.

Preferred or Bonus Qualifications

• An advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in computer science, robotics, machine learning, or another related field.

• Published papers at top ML/Robotics conferences (ICML, ICRA, CoRL, RSS, NeurIPS).

Our Internship Program

At Persona AI, our internship program gives you direct, hands-on experience building cutting-edge humanoid robotics alongside industry experts. We offer full-time term opportunities across three upcoming cohorts:

• Fall 2026: August – December

• Spring 2027: January – May

• Summer 2027: May – August

As an intern, you’ll be paired 1:1 with a senior engineer mentor to accelerate your growth and guide your technical contributions. You will bond with your cohort through intern group lunches, gain cross-functional perspective during company-wide learning lunches, and unwind with fun team activities throughout the term. Whether you're working on advanced motion planning or real-world system testing, you'll tackle meaningful engineering challenges while immersing yourself in our collaborative startup culture.

We evaluate applications as they are received rather than waiting for the posted deadline to pass. Positions for each cohort are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and the portal will close as soon as all available roles are finalized.

To give yourself the best chance of securing a spot, keep these tips in mind:

Persona AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.