[Remote] AI Research Scientist PhD (Intern) - United States

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Cisco is a leading technology company focused on revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect in the AI era. The AI Research Intern will work with a collaborative team to analyze data and build machine learning models, contributing to research initiatives and helping to drive strategic decisions. Responsibilities Contribute to sophisticated research in large language models (LLMs), natural language processing (NLP), and multimodal deep learning Help build, implement, and evaluate machine learning models and algorithms Participate in data collection, preprocessing, and analysis Assist in developing and fine-tuning AI models for a variety of applications Support research initiatives by creating experiments, comparing algorithms, tuning hyperparameters, and documenting results Share findings with the team, contribute to reports and presentations, and help onboard new team members Skills Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field Strong understanding of machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing concepts, validated through academic, project, or professional work Experience training large language models (LLMs)—including modeling, optimization, fine-tuning, and serving—using Python and common AI libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face Transformers), evidenced through academic, project, or professional work Familiarity with agentic AI concepts, agent frameworks, and related applications Proficiency in software development, with experience in relevant programming languages (such as Python and Go) and associated tools Experience working with inference engines (e.g., vLLM, Triton, TorchServe) for LLM serving and optimization Familiarity with containerization and cloud platforms (such as Docker and AWS), as well as distributed systems for scaling and deploying AI models Benefits Medical, dental and vision insurance A 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution Paid parental leave Short and long-term disability coverage Basic life insurance 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday Paid year-end holiday shutdown 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees Flexible vacation time off program 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter Up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer Annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies Company Overview Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, telecommunications equipment, and other technology services and products. It is a sub-organization of Cisco Press. It was founded in 1984, and is headquartered in San Jose, California, USA, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is Company H1B Sponsorship Cisco has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 1238 in 2025, 1231 in 2024, 1273 in 2023, 2127 in 2022, 1991 in 2021, 1173 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.