About the role#
The Rider Science team is looking for an Applied Scientist intern to build next-generation user simulation methods. You will create LLM-based Rider Agents that act as behavioral proxies for real users. The goal is to study how these simulations provide reliable signals about rider responses to product changes before running online experiments. This role involves LLM engineering, agent-based modeling, machine learning, and causal inference.
What you'll do#
- Develop LLM-based Rider Agents that represent diverse rider contexts, preferences, and behaviors.
- Build agent-based simulation environments to evaluate how riders interact with product experiences.
- Create evaluation pipelines to assess the realism and robustness of simulated behavior.
- Analyze how simulated populations interact under different marketplace conditions.
- Run experiments and ablation studies to test agent behavior and simulation validity.
- Apply the simulation framework to real product problems to assist with hypothesis generation and pre-experiment evaluation.
- Share technical findings and recommendations with science, engineering, and product partners.
What you'll need#
- Currently pursuing a Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, Data Science, or a related field.
- Graduation date between December 2027 and Summer 2028.
- Proficiency in Python and experience working in a production coding environment.
- Hands-on experience with large language models or agent-based systems.
- A solid foundation in machine learning and empirical model evaluation.
- Ability to develop prototypes and solve open-ended technical problems independently.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Familiarity with A/B testing, causal inference, or experimental design.
Location & details#
- Location: San Francisco, California.
- Term: Summer 2027.
- Modality: Hybrid (3 days per week in-office).
- Status: Full-time, paid internship.
- Sponsorship: Not provided.
About Lyft
Lyft operates in the ground passenger transportation industry. Founded in 2012, the company provides rideshare, bike, and scooter services through a single mobile application. It is based in San Francisco and employs between 5,001 and 10,000 people. The organization functions as a public company.
How to get in at Lyft
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