Intern, R&D Undergraduate Year-Round - Precision Discovery and Retrieval, Onsite
Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, USA
Job posting number: #7367319 (Ref:Sa698370)
Posted: July 14, 2026
Job Description
What Your Job Will Be Like:
The Precision Discovery and Retrieval department at Sandia National Laboratories invites applications for a student intern to participate in applied Artificial Intelligence research and development. This internship is for a motivated and enthusiastic individual with excellent communication skills and who desires to gain experience in a highly collaborative research environment. The successful applicant will be exposed to a wide range of Artificial Intelligence research and applications at Sandia and will have a strong project-based experience working directly with Sandia staff scientists.
What You Can Gain:
- Resume-building direct research and development experience with a Sandia staff member
- Exposure to Sandia R&D activities through group meetings, seminars, and interactions with other department staff
- Networking with world-class scientists and engineers
- Opportunities to author and publish technical articles with Sandia staff members
- Poster presentation and/or software demonstration experience
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.
Salary Range:
At Sandia, we value the important work done by our interns and its contribution to National Security. Because of this, our interns earn competitive pay rates. Our pay structure is based on earned credit hours, classification, and degree level. Your pay rate will be determined during the hire process and included in your offer package. You can view the Intern Pay Rate chart here (https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/51/2024/12/Student-Rate-Sheet-2025.docx) .
Qualifications We Require:
You bring the confidence and skills to be eligible for the job by meeting these minimum requirements:
- Currently attending and enrolled full time in an accredited undergraduate program
- Pursuing a science, engineering, or math major
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0
- Ability to work up to 25 hours per week during the academic year, and up to 40 hours per week during the summer
- Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship
Note: If you have not earned a HS diploma or equivalent, please apply to a high school intern position.
Qualifications We Desire:
- Pursuing a Computer Science or Applied Computing degree
- Ability to perform in collaborative and interdisciplinary, team-focused environments
- Ability to develop technical ideas and results and present them in oral and written form to audiences with diverse technical backgrounds
- Dedication to encouraging an inclusive culture
- Programming experience in a language such as Python
- Familiarity with Git workflows
- Familiarity and experience with AI methods, such as Generative AI or machine learning
- Ability to acquire and maintain a Q clearance
Posting Duration:
This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.
About Our Team:
The Precision Discovery and Retrieval department conducts cutting-edge research and development in machine learning and artificial intelligence for national security applications. Our mission is to research, develop, and deploy methods that augment large language models to extract and synthesize high-fidelity information from complex data sources. Specific focus areas include development of high-precision retrieval architectures, insight extraction, and analysis of scientific and engineering documents to drive design and discovery. We interact and collaborate with a broad range of Sandia staff and government customers while also maintaining a research presence in the external professional community by collaborating with universities and industry. Members of the department publish peer-reviewed literature, participate in professional societies, and referee for conferences and journals.
About Sandia:
Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:
- Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
- Extraordinary co-workers
- Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
- Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
- Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
- Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*
World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov
*These benefits vary by job classification.
Security Clearance:
Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.
Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.
EEO:
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.
NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs:
If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.
If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.
Job ID: 698370
Job Family: 91
Regular/Temporary Position: T
Full/Part-Time Status: P
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.



