AI Software Development Engineer - Intern

**Job Details:** ================ **Job Description:** -------------------- **AI Engineer – Agentic AI Systems (Fall Intern)** **Why This Role Matters** AI is shifting from models to **autonomous systems**. At Altera, we are building **agentic AI platforms tightly coupled with FPGA acceleration**, enabling intelligent systems that can **reason, act, and scale in real-world environments**. This role is designed for **high-potential engineers early in their careers** who want to: * work on **cutting-edge AI (LLMs + agents + RAG)** * gain exposure to **hardware-software co-design** * and grow quickly into **technical leaders in AI systems** **What You’ll Work On** **Build Real Agentic AI Systems** * Develop **LLM-powered agents** that use tools, APIs, and data to complete complex tasks * Implement **RAG pipelines** for large-scale knowledge integration * Ship end-to-end systems from **data ingestion → reasoning → action** **Go Beyond “Model Usage”** * Design **multi-step reasoning workflows**, not just prompt calls * Evaluate and improve model behavior (accuracy, latency, cost) * Work with both **open-source and frontier models** **AI Meets Hardware (Differentiator)** * Collaborate with FPGA/ASIC teams on **hardware-aware AI design** * Learn how AI systems are optimized across **CPU / GPU / FPGA** * Explore **efficient inference and system-level performance tradeoffs** **Build Platforms, Not Just Features** * Develop reusable components for: * memory and context management * tool integration * knowledge retrieval * Contribute to internal AI platforms used across teams The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.   $48/hr\- $52/hr USD We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.  **Qualifications:** ------------------- **What We’re Looking For** **Background** * Currently pursuing a Master’s or PhD in CS, EE, or related field **Technical Strength** * Strong coding skills in **Python** (C++ is a plus)   * Hands-on experience building: * AI/ML projects, OR * backend / distributed systems   * Solid fundamentals in: * data structures * system design basics **Signal of Excellence (What Sets You Apart)** * You’ve built something non-trivial: * AI project, open-source contribution, or research prototype * You learn new frameworks quickly and **ship working systems** * You’re curious about **how systems work end-to-end**, not just models **Bonus Points** * Experience with: * LangChain, LlamaIndex, or similar * vector databases (FAISS, Milvus, etc.)   * Exposure to: * RAG, prompt engineering, or agent workflows * hardware acceleration or performance optimization **What You’ll Get** **Fast Growth** * Work directly with **senior architects and domain experts** * Clear path toward **Senior Engineer → Architect roles** **High Learning Density** * Exposure to both: * **modern AI systems (LLMs, agents)** * **hardware acceleration (FPGA/ASIC)** **Real Ownership** * Build production systems—not demos * Your work will be used in **real engineering workflows** **Unique Positioning** * Few roles combine: * **Agentic AI systems** * **EDA / semiconductor domain** * **hardware-aware AI optimization** **Job Type:** ------------- Student / Intern (Fixed Term) **Shift:** ---------- Shift 1 (United States of America) **Primary Location:** --------------------- San Jose, California, United States **Additional Locations:** ------------------------- **Posting Statement:** ---------------------- All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.