Research Scientist Intern, User Modeling and Reinforcement Learning (PhD)

Meta; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 141,000; Full time

Job summary

Meta seeks Research Scientist Interns to join Core Ads Growth (CAG). You will conduct original AI/ML research and collaborate with researchers and engineers to bring ideas into production at Meta scale. The internship duration ranges from 12 to 16 weeks or 24 weeks with multiple start dates.

You will have mentorship from researchers and engineers, with opportunities for publications and product impact. Applicants must be in a PhD program and able to work in the United States.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in CS, ML, AI, RL, statistics, or related field.
• Authorized to work in country at time of hire.
• Experience with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow).
• Proficient in Python, C++, or similar languages.
• Experience researching and building ML systems.

Responsibilities

• Conduct original research to advance artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers across Meta on ambitious research challenges.
• Bring promising research ideas to life in products used by people and businesses around the world.
• Share research findings through publications and engagement with the broader research community.

Skills

Deep learning

Python

C++

Research experience

ML experiments

Education

PhD in CS/ML/AI/RL/Statistics/Applied Math

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Meta is seeking Research Scientist Interns to join Core Ads Growth (CAG), where we build AI that improves ad relevance and helps advertisers succeed. Our research focuses on how user intent evolves across interactions and how ads systems can make better decisions when outcomes unfold over days, weeks, or longer. We are advancing representation learning to better understand how people's interests and intent evolve over time. You will help bring new research ideas into production systems at Meta's scale, shaping more relevant experiences and creating lasting value for people and businesses. As an intern, you will own a focused research project with close mentorship from researchers and engineers. The work connects new ideas to rigorous experiments and applications in Meta's ads systems, with opportunities to contribute to scientific publications and product development. Our internships are twelve (12) to sixteen (16), or twenty-four (24) weeks long, with various start dates throughout the year.

Research Scientist Intern, User Modeling and Reinforcement Learning (PhD) Responsibilities:

• Conduct original research to advance artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Explore novel ideas and help shape future research directions.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers across Meta on ambitious research challenges.
• Bring promising research ideas to life in products used by people and businesses around the world.
• Share research findings through publications and engagement with the broader research community.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Currently has or is in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Reinforcement Learning, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field
• Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment
• Experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
• Experience with Python, C++, or another relevant programming language
• Experience conducting research and building systems based on machine learning or deep learning methods

Preferred Qualifications:

• Intent to return to a degree program after completion of the internship/co-op
• Experience in one or more of self-supervised learning, transformers, temporal sequence modeling, representation learning, or recommender systems
• Experience in reinforcement learning, causal inference, counterfactual evaluation, or learning from delayed and censored outcomes
• Proven track record of achieving significant research results as demonstrated by grants, fellowships, patents, as well as first-authored publications at leading workshops or conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, KDD, RecSys, and similar conferences or workshops
• Experience manipulating and analyzing complex, high-volume, high-dimensional data and designing controlled machine learning experiments
• Demonstrated software engineering experience through internships, research implementations, or open-source contributions
• Self-directed quantitative problem-solving and experience working and communicating across disciplines in a team environment

About Meta:

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.

Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.

Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

$7,650/month to $12,667/month + benefits

Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.