We are seeking remote PhD interns for Summer 2026!
As a PhD Research Intern, you will help train and adapt large models that better understand homes and users, advancing representation learning, multimodal modeling, computer vision and graphics for real‑world problems at Zillow scale. You’ll tailor and evaluate computer vision and generative models to our domain, build workflows that plan and act across multi‑step tasks, and define success via domain‑specific metrics. You’ll move quickly from prototype to impact, running rigorous offline evaluations and online experiments, collaborating with applied scientists, engineers, and product partners, and contributing to platform capabilities that power experiences like Zillow Copilot. Along the way you’ll author clear research docs, share results internally, and have opportunities to publish and present your work.
Responsibilities include:
- Research and develop methods for adapting 2D and 3D foundation models with Zillow’s domain-specific data
- Build and evaluate 3D computer vision and generative models
- Prototype generative and ML workflows; define metrics and run rigorous evaluations
- Partner across science, engineering, product, and design; share results via docs, presentations, and publications
Key Details
- 12-week paid internship during Summer 2026
- Based in Munich, Germany with flexible work arrangements (remote, hybrid, or in-person)
- Direct supervision from experienced Applied Scientists with publications in top-tier conferences (CVPR, ICCV, NeurIPS, 3DV etc.)
- Access to Zillow's unique large-scale indoor datasets and computer resources
- Opportunity to contribute to research projects that could lead to publications
- Integration into Zillow's vibrant research community through:
- Biweekly Applied Science Guild meetings
- Weekly demo sessions
- Research presentations and collaborations
This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.
Who you are
- Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence or a related field with a strong research track record
- Experience in one or more of the following:
- Sparse-view reconstruction, camera localization and scene understanding
- 3D Representations (Point Clouds, NeRFs, 3DGS)
- Representation learning with limited labels (self/semi/weakly-supervised)
- 2D, 3D or video Diffusion Models
- Evaluating generative/agentic systems; privacy‑aware and responsible AI practices (e.g., fair‑housing considerations) are a plus
- Proficiency in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face)
- Clear communication and a collaborative mindset; motivated to publish at top venues
