Software Engineering Intern (AI/ML) - Summer 2027
Relay, a dynamic and rapidly growing tech startup based in Raleigh, is on a mission to revolutionize frontline work. For decades, technology has supercharged the desk worker while leaving behind the 80% of the global workforce who don’t sit at a desk. The builders, the caregivers, the operators, the movers—the frontline—still rely on walkie-talkies, paper notes, and shouted instructions.
At Relay, we believe it’s time for a change. Our smart, rugged radios and connected cloud ecosystem harness the power of voice and AI to close this digital chasm. We’re building tools that meet frontline workers where they are, capturing tribal knowledge, and turning communication into action. By transforming every spoken word into intelligence, we’re delivering safety, productivity, and empowerment to the workers who keep our world moving.
We are looking for a motivated and ambitious undergraduate (or graduate) student expected to graduate in December 2027 or Spring 2028 to join our Engineering team for a paid Internship during the summer of 2027.
High-performing interns may be considered for full-time roles after graduation, depending on business needs.
What makes our Sumer Intern program different:
- Executive and senior leadership team exposure - regular touchpoints with Relay's leadership team, including Q&A coffee chats, Breakfast with the CEO, and working sessions.
- Cross-functional cohort - work alongside interns across every part of the business, not just your team.
- Structured learning - regular skill-building sessions covering topics from product strategy to financial modeling to sales craft to professional networking and interviewing skills.
- Real ownership - you'll own a project from kickoff to final presentation, with mentors and fellow Relayers who are invested in your success.
- Intern showcase - present your work to the full company at the end of the summer
- Raleigh HQ experience - team lunches, volunteer Intern Impact day, social events, and a chance to see how a scaling tech company operates up close!
Take a look at our website at
Job Overview
This internship offers a chance to build technology that matters—products that directly empower frontline workers. You’ll collaborate with engineers in a high-growth environment, helping to develop tools that turn voice into structured data, integrate AI into workflows, and make communication instantly actionable.
Interns will gain hands-on experience across the engineering stack, from core product functionality to tools that accelerate development to AI-powered experiences that put intelligence directly into the hands (and voices) of frontline teams.
Summer interns are expected to work full-time in-office during the summer in our amenity rich, world class headquarters in Raleigh, NC.
We use a diverse set of languages, including Python, Erlang, Elixir, Rust, and Javascript. Our systems are generally Linux-based. Our culture is based on Impact, Team, and Learning.
What You Will Do
- Work in close coordination with other engineers to contribute to product functionality, enablement tools, and issue resolution.
- Analyze requirements to determine feasibility, propose architectures, assess risk, and estimate effort.
- Participate in the team’s software development process and tooling, gaining real-world Agile experience and getting code into production.
- Develop automated tests to ensure quality, reliability, and performance.
- Research and share best practices in software development, including AI/ML applications, to continuously raise the bar for the team.
- Collaborate with engineers to identify opportunities for machine learning solutions and stay current on the latest AI/ML advancements.
- Assist in designing, training, and evaluating machine learning models using techniques such as supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning.
- Help prepare and preprocess datasets—including data cleaning, feature engineering, and data augmentation—to improve the efficiency of model training.
- Work alongside the engineering team to integrate ML models into production systems, with a focus on scalability and reliability.
What You Will Bring
- Undergraduate or graduate student at a university in Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill with an expected graduation date of December 2027 or Spring 2028.
- Currently enrolled in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related technical field with a GPA of 3.5 or above.
- 1+ years of development experience.
- Strong machine learning skills, including designing new ML models, implementing training harnesses, and optimizing inference engines, through prior experience, coursework, or personal projects.
- Ability to thrive in a collaborative team environment and show empathy for colleagues.
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
- Commitment to tackling challenging problems with curiosity and initiative; eager to learn and grow.
- Care deeply about quality and customer experience, building elegant, simple, and valuable solutions.
- Adaptable to change and motivated to contribute independently when needed.
- Evaluate ideas based on merit and consistently seek to generate customer value.
- Some experience with Python and familiarity with a machine learning framework such as PyTorch or JAX (coursework and research experience counts).
- Desired, but not required: experience with LLMs, context management, or applied AI/ML projects.
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