PhD Residency - ML / SWE, Early Moonshots

Key Skills

Aartificial intelligence, C++, Effective communication skills, JAX framework, Machine learning techniques, Python Programming, PyTorch, TensorFlow

Job Description

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP YOU CAN EXPECT:

• To be placed on one of our confidential or public X projects
• To get paid competitively and with Google benefits
• To be part of a lively community of other Interns and Residents
• To attend colloquium and discussions with team leads from across Google, DeepMind and external organizations

DETAILS:

• Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
• Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
• Duration: a flexible 4 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability

REQUIREMENTS:

Must be enrolled in an academic program and working towards completing a PhD

What you'll be working on:

In this role you will assist in the evaluation of what we call “early moonshots,” preliminary investigations of new ideas that have the potential to disruptively impact existing business models. You’ll develop prototypes and datasets. Some days, you’ll integrate those elements with other code to build demos that demonstrate the value of the technology being considered. Other days, you’ll use the prototypes and datasets to show that a particular idea won’t work, and you’ll then turn your attention to other things. All of the early moonshots you’ll be working on will:

• Have positive social impact,
• Be based on machine learning in some way,
• Be robust against hallucinations, and
• Be hard enough to be moonshots.

How you will make 10X Impact:

• Collaborate with X project team to experiment and build novel insights relevant to various business opportunities
• Rapidly develop AI / ML prototypes
• Apply the latest in data science techniques to build and deploy data pipelines and exploratory data analysis on large-scale datasets
• Work cross-functionally with experts across, X, Alphabet, and academia
• Dispassionately assess your work and be fearless about letting colleagues know when you disagree with them
• Engage with the intern community during the program (attending tech talks, colloquium, and learning moonshot thinking), and most importantly HAVE FUN!

What you should have:

• PhD student in Computer Science
• Working experience with ML and data pipelines
• Fluency in Python and ML APIs (Tensorflow, Pytorch or JAX) beyond the level of homework assignments
• Very strong analytical skills. Ability to gather and analyze large quantities of information, and turn them into insightful business recommendations
• Good at problem stating and problem solving, and turning ambiguous problem spaces into radical solutions. Must be able to break down problems independently
• Can do attitude, willing to learn new tools and content to become an effective thought partner with project teams
• Excellent communication skills such as delivering presentations, and an openness to liaising with senior external partners
• Strong desire to make the world a better place through technology, and to be part of a team that makes this happen

It’d be great if you also had these:

• Fluency in C++
• Mathematical background at least at the level of multivariable calculus
• An existing self-driven project that demonstrates your technical skills
• Demonstrated ability to think outside the box
• An ability to thrive on ambiguity, setting your own goals and effectively delivering them in a fast-changing environment
• Adept at influencing without authority, working cross-functionally with different teams in order to drive decision making

Additional public information:

https://www.wired.com/video/watch/astro-teller-captain-of-moonshots-at-x-speaks-at-wired25

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-10-10/alphabet-x-s-astro-teller-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video

PLEASE NOTE:

This role requires exposure to technologies subject to heightened controls under US export laws. Due to our immediate need to fill this role and the lengthy process required to obtain export licenses, we will not be able to move forward with anyone requiring a license for such technologies. This applies to individuals ineligible for license exception TSR (commonly described as controlled-country nationals) under the US Commerce Department's Export Administration Regulations. As of July 2018, a controlled country national is anyone who is a national of one of the following countries (excluding US green card holders and US citizens with dual citizenship): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Cuba, the People's Republic of China, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Libya, Macau, Moldova, Mongolia, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Please review up-to-date information about the Commerce Department's export regulations, including the current list of countries, here. 

The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $118,000 - $145,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include benefits.