Staff Research Scientist - Intern - PhD Foundational AI

Visa’s Internship Program offers a 12-week immersive experience where you’ll work on impactful projects that advance Visa’s mission. As a Visa intern, you’ll build meaningful connections, strengthen your communication and business skills, and gain hands-on experience in a dynamic, global environment. You’ll have access to interactive workshops and learning sessions designed to build expertise, expand industry knowledge, and elevate your professional skills. You’ll not only learn, you’ll contribute, collaborate, and innovate. Beyond professional development, enjoy social events that foster community and connection. The program culminates in a final presentation, where you’ll share your project achievements and recommendations with Visa leaders—a chance to demonstrate impact and growth. ## Our Team Visa Research expands Visa’s technology research capabilities globally, conducting both applied and fundamental research. We partner closely with technology, product teams, academics, and governments to explore and develop technologies critical to the future of payments. ## Artificial Intelligence The GenAI Research team drives purpose-driven research to advance the next generation of AI for secure, intelligent, and scalable commerce. Our work spans: - Foundational AI: large language models, representation learning, embeddings, adaptive model training, and methods to advance fraud detection, risk modeling, personalization, and commerce intelligence.We unite long-term scientific inquiry with practical experimentation, partnering with product and engineering teams to translate research into real-world impact. ## Job Duties - Conduct generative AI and LLM research focusing on scalable methods, model adaptation, evaluation, and applied use cases. - Design, implement, and evaluate AI algorithms for enterprise-scale systems. - Develop proof-of-concept prototypes to transition research into innovative products. - Optimize workflows for model training, inference, and data pipelines. - Prepare technical publications, reports, and intellectual property submissions. - Collaborate with engineering, product, and cross-functional partners to deliver impactful AI solutions.All Visa roles require digital fluency, including the ability to work with emerging technologies such as Generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot) to support everyday work. Visa requires at least 3 days in office; expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager. ## Basic Qualifications - Students pursuing a Ph.D. with a graduation date in December 2027 or later. ## Preferred Qualifications - Strong research record demonstrated by publications, patents, presentations, or technical contributions. - Experience in Generative AI, LLMs, deep learning, scalable ML, fine-tuning, model evaluation, or AI agents. - Knowledge of large-scale model training, efficient inference, or distributed systems. - Proficiency in Python, C++, Java, or similar languages. - Familiarity with big data frameworks such as Hadoop and Spark is a plus. - Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and collaborate effectively. - Adaptability to evolving research priorities and problem-solving in an experimental setting.The estimated hourly range for a new hire into this position is $66.00 to $73.00 USD, which may include potential sales incentive payments if applicable. Salary may vary depending on job-related factors, including knowledge, skills, experience, and location. Work hours vary upon the needs of the department. This position requires travel 5–10% of the time. This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, and frequently operate standard office equipment such as telephones and computers.