IAE Software Engineering Intern - Spring 2026 (Student Assistant Role)

INTERN POSITION SUMMARY

The IAE is seeking a Software Engineering Intern with emphasis in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to support ongoing research and development projects at the institute. The intern will work directly with engineering staff on projects involving the design, development, testing, and validation of intelligent software systems. This role provides hands-on experience in applying software engineering practices to AI/ML-enabled applications, including data handling, model experimentation, and integration of machine learning components into larger system concepts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Software Engineering Intern (AI/ML emphasis) will collaborate with engineers and peer interns to support research, experimentation, and software development. Specific responsibilities include:

• Participate in concept definition, maturation, and use case refinement for AI/ML- enabled systems.

• Assist in identifying and evaluating machine learning algorithms, frameworks, and tools for project use cases.

• Support data exploration, preprocessing, and analysis for training/testing ML

models.

• Develop prototype applications in Python or other high-level languages to integrate ML models into system workflows.

• Conduct experiments with ML algorithms to demonstrate feasibility and

performance.

• Contribute to development of system/software architectures incorporating ML

components.

• Establish and maintain project documentation, including requirements, analyses, experimental results, and designs.

• Present findings and progress to project leads and team members.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates for this internship should be full-time students (at least sophomore, junior,) pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Robotics, Engineering program of study. Candidates should have classroom or team project experience in software development, with interest or exposure to AI/ML concepts.

Desired qualifications include:

Due to the nature of working with DoD/CUI information, U.S. Citizenship is required for candidates.

• This role is open to active USF Students only. 

• Experience developing applications in one or more higher-level programming

languages (e.g., Python, Java, C/C++) with a solid background in data structures and algorithms.

• Basic understanding of machine learning principles (e.g., supervised vs.

unsupervised learning, model training/testing, evaluation metrics).

• Familiarity with at least one ML framework (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, HuggingFace).

• A basic understanding of software design concepts and (preferably) experience with UML.

• Experience with Linux and shell scripting.

• Familiarity with software version control tools (e.g., Git, Bitbucket, CodeCommit).

• Awareness of the software development lifecycle and agile development concepts.

• Excellent communication skills: able to work in a diverse team; able to write and review technical documentation; able to present concepts and designs clearly.

• Initiative: able to self-organize, self-motivate, and work proactively and productively with minimal supervision.