Machine Learning Research Scientist Intern

Are you ready to revolutionize the advertising industry? At Cognitiv, we are not just another AdTech company—we are industry trailblazers redefining media buying with our Deep Learning Advertising Platform. Since 2015, we have harnessed the power of cutting-edge deep learning technology and data science to transform how brands connect with their customers. Our mission? To bring intelligence to advertising and deliver unparalleled precision, relevance, and impact at scale.   With our innovative platform, advertisers enjoy unprecedented flexibility—whether it is activating Dynamic Deals through their preferred DSP, leveraging our managed service DSP, or utilizing our industry-first ContextGPT product. As a part of Cognitiv, you will be at the forefront of AI-driven advertising solutions, driving change and achieving remarkable growth in a rapidly evolving industry.  Life At Cognitiv   Our solutions provide advertisers with more time and freedom to concentrate on what matters to them most, both professionally and personally. We carry this philosophy into our workplace, offering our employees more chances to grow, collaborate, and achieve their goals. At Cognitiv, you will get MORE:   - Festiv - Fun and positivity are integral to our work environment. From cross-departmental games to friendly competitions and unique events, we ensure a dynamic and enthusiastic culture.   - Responsiv - Making a difference for our clients is at the heart of what we do. To make this one of our superpowers, we strive to create a culture of open communication and continuous learning. You will work closely with clients and key company stakeholders, sharpening your communication skills in a supportive environment where your input and ideas are valued and integral to our success.   - Inclusiv - Diversity and inclusion are more than just words to us—they are principles we live by.  We celebrate unique perspectives, ensuring everyone feels valued and respected.   - Inventiv - As industry pioneers, we continuously reinvent and reimagine solutions. Sharing our knowledge and expertise to educate and lead the market is part of our DNA. If you love questioning the status quo, pushing boundaries, and challenging conventional thinking, you will fit right in. We admire intellectual curiosity and encourage it at every turn.  - Transformativ - We invest in the continuous growth and development of our team members, celebrating their contributions and supporting their work-life balance and overall well-being. Our holistic training, onboarding programs, and professional growth and development initiatives ensure you have the resources to succeed.   - Collaborativ - We transcend geographical boundaries, seamlessly operating across two coasts. Our culture thrives on cross-departmental collaboration and a unified sense of purpose, making teamwork a cornerstone of our success.  
We are looking for a Machine Learning Research Intern to join our AdTech research team this summer. This internship is ideal for students or recent graduates passionate about deep learning, model optimization, and performance tuning in real-world applications. You will work closely with our ML Research Scientists to enhance Deep Neural Network (DNN) models, focusing on improving key metrics in our real-time bidding (RTB) algorithms and Large Language Model (LLM) integrations. This role provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in optimizing deep learning architectures while contributing to cutting-edge ML solutions in AdTech. You will participate in research discussions, implement and evaluate model improvements, and collaborate with ML engineers to refine training pipelines. This position will be located in San Mateo, CA with a hybrid work schedule of 3 days in office (Mon/Tue/Wed) and 2 days remote (Thursday/Friday).

Responsibilities

• Optimize deep learning models to improve predictive accuracy, inference speed, and efficiency in AdTech applications.
• Work on hyperparameter tuning, model architecture exploration, and fine-tuning techniques to achieve better performance on key business metrics.
• Assist in constructing and preprocessing datasets for model training, ensuring high-quality inputs for ML pipelines.
• Conduct experiments using PyTorch and evaluate performance through well-defined metrics.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to develop scalable ML pipelines, ensuring smooth model deployment and updates.
• Stay updated with the latest deep learning research and propose innovative techniques for model improvements.
• Present research findings and experimental results in clear, concise reports to drive informed decision-making.

Requirements

• Pursuing or recently completed a Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Statistics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Solid foundation in deep learning architectures (e.g., Transformers) and familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch
• Hands-on experience in hyperparameter tuning, loss function design, and training pipeline optimization.
• Strong proficiency in Python for data manipulation and ML experimentation.
• Familiarity with common ML techniques such as gradient boosting (e.g., XGBoost), PCA, and distributed training.
• Basic understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and big data processing (Spark, Hadoop, SQL) is a plus.
• Good communication skills and willingness to work in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with LLMs and fine-tuning transformer-based models is a plus.
• Familiarity with AdTech, real-time bidding (RTB), or online advertising models is a bonus.
• Exposure to C++ for ML performance optimization is a significant advantage.

Salary

• $30-$32/HR

Actual compensation is based on multiple factors that are unique to each candidate, including and not limited to job-related knowledge, level of relevant experience, education and skills. Base salary is just one component of your total rewards package at Cognitiv. Employees are eligible for equity and various benefits. Here are some of the many benefits that our employees receive: ●       Medical, Dental and Vision coverage, including some plans that are 100% employer paid●       12 weeks paid parental leave●       Career Ladders slated to advance your career●       Unlimited PTO●       Work-From-Anywhere August●       Equity at all levels●       Comprehensive onboarding program (Cognitiv University)●       Hybrid work model●       Daily Lunch On Us●       Health and Wellness Stipend●       Cell phone reimbursement●       Parking Expense (CA & WA Offices)●       401(k) plan with employer match●       Employee Assistance Program●       Pre-tax commuter benefits and MORE! Cognitiv is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants, regardless of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.