2023-03-13T11:35:10-04:00 X, The Moonshot Factory
2023 PhD Residency - System Dynamics Modeling
Internship
Mountain View, CA

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup.

THE FOUNDATION OF AN AMAZING JOURNEY

Our goal at X is to make the world a radically better place. In order to do that we seek fresh unexpected perspectives, from different fields, and that’s why we’re excited about you. 

Life here isn’t easy, but it’s fun. We’re trying to build things most people can’t even imagine, and we’re doing it with the hope of making a huge, positive impact on the world. You’ll be embedded into a moonshot project, where you’ll partner with team members to solve key challenges. 

This isn’t your ordinary internship. You’ll be positively challenged and pushed professionally, in ways that you may have never experienced. If this excites you - keep reading.

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP YOU CAN EXPECT:

  • To be placed on one of our confidential or public X projects
  • To get paid competitively and with Google benefits
  • To be part of a lively community of other Interns and Residents 
  • To attend colloquium and discussions with team leads from across Google, DeepMind and external organizations

DETAILS:

  • Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
  • Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
  • Duration: a flexible 4 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be enrolled in an academic program and working towards completing a PhD degree

ABOUT THE TEAM:

One of X’s confidential projects is looking for new team members interested in building breakthrough technologies that advance equity, justice and dignity for historically oppressed groups. As part of this early-stage work, the team is experimenting with quantitative and qualitative modeling techniques. Experience in developing system dynamics stock-and-flow models is a plus.

WHAT YOU'LL BE WORKING ON:

  • Collaborate with the team to marry novel approaches to graph neural networks, reinforcement learning, transformers, and machine learning with the latest in system dynamics modeling techniques and tools 
  • Develop MVPs to test the team’s underlying hypotheses and dispassionately assess their performance against X’s moonshot criteria
  • Rapidly build prototypes that make it possible to easily  model and learn from complex systems more broadly accessible and useful 
  • Identify and work with external partners to explore new, more accessible approaches to system modeling
  • Work cross-functionally across, X, Alphabet and academia with relevant experts 
  • Attend X talks and symposia, and learn as much as you can about the moonshot factory’s unique approach

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Currently enrolled or already completed in a PhD program in System Dynamics, with a strong interest in machine learning, mathematics, and AI and ML fairness. 
  • Experience developing and working with complex systems models
  • Passionate about the impact of new technologies on historically oppressed peoples
  • Ability to work in a small team / rapid prototyping environment and deal with uncertainty and fluidity

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Hands-on experience with system dynamics
  • Experience with data analytics, machine learning and graph neural networks
  • Familiarity with Python, java, and/or SQL

The US base salary range for this role is between $114,000 - $134,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include benefits.

At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at: x-accommodation-request@x.team.

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Thank you for applying to X, the moonshot factory!

Your application has been received. We appreciate your interest in the open roles at X. Our team will review your materials and if there is a fit, a member of our team will contact you with more information.

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