Operations Research Intern (PhD), Summer 2027

DoorDash•Sunnyvale, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

DoorDash is hiring an Operations Research PhD intern for a 12-week summer 2027 internship on the Assignment Engine team. Reporting to a manager on that team, the intern will be immersed in the team and help develop, maintain, and ship products that address real customer and business problems. The role focuses on improving DoorDash’s real-time, on-demand dispatching algorithm through optimization research, detailed delivery data analysis, and collaboration on scalable solutions. The position is hosted in person at DoorDash’s Sunnyvale, California office. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; F-1 students may be eligible using Curricular Practical Training (CPT), while DoorDash does not support J-1 students for this position.

Requirements

Be a PhD student in operations research, industrial engineering, computer science, or a related field, graduating between Fall 2027 and Summer 2028.
Have research or industry experience solving complex optimization problems using mathematical programming or metaheuristics.
Have strong programming fundamentals, experience with object-oriented and/or functional programming languages, and a solid understanding of algorithms.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing algorithms for logistics problems, especially vehicle routing problems (VRP) and real-time dispatching.
Experience with mathematical programming software packages such as CPLEX, Gurobi, COIN-OR, or Xpress.
Production experience with a JVM-based language such as Java, Kotlin, or Scala.
Experience with the software development lifecycle, including clean code, version control, and unit testing.
Production experience with modern web applications at scale.
Experience with statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms.
Proficiency in SQL and a visualization tool such as Tableau, Chartio, or Mode.

Responsibilities

Design and implement improvements to the real-time on-demand dispatching algorithm.
Analyze delivery data at a detailed level, conduct research, and identify new areas of work.
Collaborate with engineers, data scientists, product managers, business operators, and others to develop cross-functional, scalable solutions for consumers, Dashers, and merchants.
Develop, maintain, and ship products as part of the Assignment Engine team.
Receive and apply feedback from a mentor and team members.