Software Engineering Intern, Software Systems (Summer 2027)

HP IQ; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Flexible spending account

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Holidays

Flexible paid vacation and sick leave

Job summary

HP IQ is seeking a Software Engineering Intern on the Systems team in San Francisco to help build low-level software near the hardware.

You’ll explore performance bottlenecks, optimize system behavior, and collaborate across firmware, electrical engineering, and software teams to deliver real impact.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in a technical field such as CS, CE, EE, math or physics.
• Proficiency in C and/or C++ programming with fundamentals in data structures and algorithms.
• Familiarity with memory management, OS concepts, concurrency, or performance optimization.

Responsibilities

• Build and optimize low-level systems software using C/C++.
• Investigate bottlenecks and improve speed, efficiency and reliability.
• Work across software layers and interact with hardware and sensors.
• Debug complex software and system-level issues.
• Own a technical project from exploration to testing and evaluation.

Skills

C/C++ programming

DS & Algorithms

Memory management

Operating systems

Concurrency

Performance optimization

Hardware interaction

Communication

Education

Pursuing degree in CS/CE/EE/Math/Physics

Job description

Who We Are

HP IQ is HP’s new AI innovation lab. Combining startup agility with HP’s global scale, we’re building intelligent technologies that redefine how the world works, creates, and collaborates.

We’re assembling a diverse, world-class team—engineers, designers, researchers, and product minds—focused on creating an intelligent ecosystem across HP’s portfolio. Together, we’re developing intuitive, adaptive solutions that spark creativity, boost productivity, and make collaboration seamless.

We create breakthrough solutions that make complex tasks feel effortless, teamwork more natural, and ideas more impactful—always with a human-centric mindset.

By embedding AI advancements into every HP product and service, we’re expanding what’s possible for individuals, organisations, and the future of work.

Join us as we reinvent work, so people everywhere can do their best work.

About The Role

As a Software Engineering Intern on the Systems team at HP IQ, you’ll work on low-level software that sits close to the hardware and helps power intelligent experiences across our products. This role is ideal for students who enjoy understanding how complex systems work under the hood. You’ll have the opportunity to work across multiple layers of the software stack, investigate performance bottlenecks, optimize system behavior, and build software that interacts closely with hardware and system resources.

We’re looking for engineers who are curious about more than whether something works — you want to understand how it works, why it performs the way it does, and how to make it better.

What You Might Do

• Build and optimize low-level systems software using languages such as C and C++.
• Investigate performance bottlenecks and improve the speed, efficiency, and reliability of existing systems.
• Work on data processing and sensor pipelines that connect software with underlying hardware.
• Analyze and improve memory usage, resource management, and system performance.
• Work across multiple layers of the software stack to understand how individual components affect overall system behavior.
• Contribute to build systems, libraries, tooling, and system configuration.
• Debug complex software and system-level issues.
• Partner with firmware, electrical engineering, and other software teams to solve cross-functional technical problems.
• Own a meaningful technical project from exploration and implementation through testing and evaluation.

Essential Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field.
• Programming experience in C and/or C++.
• Strong understanding of computer science fundamentals, including data structures and algorithms.
• Familiarity with systems concepts such as memory management, operating systems, concurrency, computer architecture, or performance optimization.
• Experience building, debugging, or optimizing technically complex software through coursework, research, internships, or personal projects.
• Interest in understanding software at a deeper systems level and working close to hardware.
• Ability to break down complex technical problems and clearly communicate your approach.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with modern C++
• Experience with Android development, especially native apps or AOSP
• Experience with Linux Kernel driver development
• Experience porting reference algorithms to hardware accelerators (GPU, DSP, etc)
• Familiarity with ARM System-on-Chip (SOC) architecture
• Experience developing bare-metal firmware for microcontrollers
• Ability to use common lab equipment (eg, logic analyzers) to debug low-level SW issues

Hourly Pay Range:

$45.00–$51.00 per hour. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, qualifications, and experience.

2027 Internship Program Dates:

May/June–August/September 2027. Final dates will be based on student schedules.

Compensation & Benefits (Full-Time Employees)

The salary range for this role is listed above. Final salary offered is based upon multiple factors including individual job-related qualifications, education, experience, knowledge and skills.

At HP IQ, we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Long term/short term disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Life insurance
• Generous time off policies, including;
• 4-12 weeks fully paid parental leave based on tenure
• 11 paid holidays
• Additional flexible paid vacation and sick leave (US benefits overview)

Why HP IQ?

• Innovative Work Help shape the future of intelligent computing and workplace transformation.
• Autonomy and Agility Work with the speed and focus of a startup, backed by HP’s scale.
• Meaningful Impact Build AI-powered solutions that help people and organisations thrive.
• Flexible Work Environment Freedom and flexibility to do your best work.
• Forward-Thinking Culture We learn fast, stay future-focused, and imagine what comes next—together.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) Statement

HP, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, uniformed service status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national, federal, state, and local law(s).

Please be assured that you will not be subject to any adverse treatment if you choose to disclose the information requested. This information is provided voluntarily. The information obtained will be kept in strict confidence.

If you’d like more information about HP’s EEO Policy or your EEO rights under the law, please click here: Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law – Supplement