AI/ML Intern

Company Summary Smith & Associates knows electronic components inside and out. We use that knowledge to offer procurement and supply chain services to electronics manufacturers. As the world’s #1 independent distributor of electronic components, we are looking for quick, independent, motivated, and talented people to join our expert international team to help customers save money and keep their productions going. Position Summary Qualified candidate will work Monday through Friday, 40 hours a week. As an AI/ML Intern, you will be responsible for the end-to-end development and deployment of production-grade machine learning solutions, with a specialized focus on large language models (LLMs) and agentic workflows. You will design and implement sophisticated RAG pipelines, develop multi-agent systems involving complex planning and tool use, and build diverse models across NLP, computer vision, and predictive analytics. Your role involves writing high-quality Python code to create robust data pipelines, integrating SQL/NoSQL databases and vector stores, and deploying services on AWS infrastructure using S3, Lambda, and SageMaker. Additionally, you will be expected to establish rigorous evaluation frameworks and guardrails, monitor production performance—specifically regarding latency and model drift—and maintain technical excellence by rapidly prototyping emerging research into functional, scalable features. Qualifications • Pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, or software engineering, with a core background in AI/ML. • Experience in any of the following areas: • Strong understanding of algorithms and data structures, with the ability to analyze complexity and select appropriate approaches • Solid grasp of core machine learning principles, including bias and variance, feature engineering, cross-validation, regularization, and metric evaluation • Familiarity with LLM fundamentals, such as tokenization, model families, fine-tuning, RAG patterns, and LLM evaluations • Exposure to agentic AI concepts, including tool calling, planning, memory management and basic orchestration of multi-agent systems • Knowledge of Model Context Protocol (MCP) for secure context sharing, integrations, and tool orchestration • Proficiency in Python and common libraries (NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn, with PyTorch or TensorFlow preferred • Comfortable with AWS basics (IAM, S3, compute/container runtimes) or comparable cloud platforms • Experience with writing efficient SQL, understanding database normalization and indices, and basic familiarity with NoSQL databases like DynamoDB • Awareness of vector databases such as FAISS, Pinecone, or Milvus is a plus • Competence with version control using Git and adherence to software craftsmanship practices like testing, linting, and code reviews Nice to Have • Understanding of data engineering fundamentals, including Airflow or Prefect, message queues, and data validation techniques • Experience in API development using FastAPI or Flask, and exposure to observability practices such as logging, metrics, and tracing • Awareness of security, privacy, and responsible AI concerns, including handling personally identifiable information (PII), prompt injection basics, and a red-teaming mindset • Comfort with mathematical topics like linear algebra, probability and calculus Minimum Qualifications • Qualified candidates must be a self-starter; results oriented, and have a previous track record of achievement • Candidate must be pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science • Participation in school or extracurricular activities Location: Fully in Office at 5306 Hollister Street, Houston TX 77040 Students with F-1 visas should consult with their designated school official (DSO) before applying. Smith is an equal opportunity employer. We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.