Costco Digital Services Intern - Infosec AI/ML

Costco IT is responsible for the technical future of Costco Wholesale, the third largest retailer in the world with wholesale operations in fourteen countries. Despite our size and explosive international expansion, we continue to provide a family, employee centric atmosphere in which our employees thrive and succeed. 

This is an environment unlike anything in the high-tech world and the secret of Costco’s success is its culture. The value Costco puts on its employees is well documented in articles from a variety of publishers including Bloomberg and Forbes. Our employees and our members come FIRST.  Costco is well known for its generosity and community service and has won many awards for its philanthropy. The company joins with its employees to take an active role in volunteering by sponsoring many opportunities to help others. 

Come join the Costco Wholesale IT family. Costco IT is a dynamic, fast-paced environment, working through exciting transformation efforts. We are building the next generation retail environment where you will be surrounded by dedicated and highly professional employees.

The Costco Digital Services Division is inviting students currently enrolled in an IT or related undergraduate or graduate program at a college or university to participate in a 12-week paid internship program during 2027. Interns will work within specific areas in Costco’s Information Systems Division. Interns will attend presentations given by various members of Executive Management from IT and other areas of the Company. At the end of the internship period, the intern will create and present a summary of their experience to their management and peers. Interns will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses. Housing is not provided. The program runs mid-June to early September and is located in Issaquah, WA. No out of state work allowed. All interns are required to be in the office 5 days a week and must adhere to the CDS.

Are you excited by modern AI engineering, building with large language models, agentic systems, and AI-assisted development workflows, while grounding it in strong software fundamentals? The InfoSec AI/ML team at Costco is looking for innovative minds to help protect the Company and its members. Our team applies big data, automation, and AI/ML to strengthen Costco's information security posture. You'll work on modern, cloud-native applications that combine enterprise data with applied AI, including LLM- and agent-based systems that help our analysts work faster and make better decisions. It's a chance to see how AI is designed, built, and operated responsibly in a real production environment with meaningful data and real stakes. Our team operates on a fast-paced schedule and expects everyone to effectively utilize AI tools while also having a comprehensive understanding and ownership of the code they write. Possessing and sharpening the fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, system design, and writing clean, testable code) is key for succeeding in this role. As part of this team, you'll get hands-on experience with real data science, applied AI engineering, AI-augmented software development, and cloud engineering, guided by experienced professionals. 

NOTE: While participating in the IT Internship program, an individual will be classified as an hourly temporary employee for the duration of the program. During the program, the individual may be asked to undergo the normal interview process for a level 1 position. If the individual is offered a position, they will be converted to the employment status matching the open job they were selected for. If they are not selected for a regular position, the internship position will be complete in a maximum of twelve weeks.

If you want to be a part of one of the worldwideBEST companies “to work for”, simply apply and let your career be reimagined.

ROLE

• Works with stakeholders to identify solutions that support their business requirements.

• Works independently and within a team environment.

• Pays attention to detail, self motivated with the ability to follow instructions and completes assignments on time.

• Learns and applies new concepts, processes, and tools.

• Takes initiative to solve problems and multi-tasks by prioritizing projects and deadlines.

• Communicates effectively with team members, stakeholders, and all levels of management.

• Applies strong software fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, clean and readable code, version control, and testing) to write correct, maintainable, production-quality software.

• Collaborate with team members on AI/ML projects, contributing to the development, testing, and integration of models and algorithms.

• Participates in the design and implementation of automation processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy in data handling and security measures. 

• Conducts research on the latest trends and technologies in big data, automation, and AI/ML, including LLMs, agentic systems, retrieval, evaluation, and AI-assisted engineering; presents findings and suggests potential applications. 

• Works closely with team members across the application stack (web front end, back-end services, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure), gaining hands-on experience and providing support where needed. 

• Engage in learning opportunities to develop skills in big data analytics, AI/ML, and automation, guided by experienced professionals in the field. 

• Participates in team meetings and brainstorming sessions, offering fresh perspectives and ideas. 

• Helps in maintaining comprehensive documentation for projects, including progress reports and technical specifications. 

• Takes on ad hoc tasks as they arise, providing a flexible and adaptable approach to work. 

• Works with stakeholders to identify solutions that support their business requirements. 

• Pays attention to detail; self-motivated with the ability to follow instructions and complete assignments on time. 

• Takes initiative to solve problems and multi-tasks by prioritizing projects and deadlines. 

• Communicates effectively with team members, stakeholders, and all levels of management.

REQUIRED

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, or an engineering discipline. 

• Strong software fundamentals: solid grasp of data structures, algorithms, and clean coding practices, with the ability to reason about correctness and write readable, testable code. 

• A basic understanding of AI and machine learning concepts, even if primarily theoretical or from academic projects.

• Proficiency with programming languages and tools commonly used in data science and AI/ML, such as Python. 

• Highly self-directed and able to work with minimal supervision: can take an ambiguous problem, break it down, research what they don't know, and drive it to completion without needing step-by-step direction, while knowing when to ask for help. 

• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret data, with attention to detail and accuracy. 

• Experience in applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills, especially in technical or analytical contexts. 

• Ability to work effectively in a team environment, demonstrated by participation in team projects, research, or collaborative activities. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Possess good organizational, time, and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize, and stay well organized. 

• Must be maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

• Students currently enrolled in an IT or related undergraduate or graduate program at a community college, college or university.

Recommended

• Familiarity with version control systems like GitHub, including pull-request workflows and code review. 

• Familiarity with cloud technologies, especially Google Cloud Platform (GCP). 

• Proficiency in software engineering and writing production level code. 

• Knowledge of programming languages like Python, Java, TypeScript, C++. 

• Experience with machine learning algorithms, AI concepts, and large language models (LLMs) in ML research or building agentic systems.

• Proficiency in writing SQL queries. 

• Proficient in Google Workspace applications, including Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Gmail.

Required Documents

●      Cover Letter

●      Resume

California applicants, please click here to review the Costco Applicant Privacy Notice.

Pay Range:  $21.00/hr - $32.90/hr.
 

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, health benefits - medical/dental/vision/hearing aid/pharmacy/behavioral health/employee assistance, health care reimbursement account, dependent care assistance plan, short-term disability and long-term disability insurance, AD&D insurance, life insurance, 401(k), stock purchase plan to eligible employees.

Costco is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Costco is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other legally protected status. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected]

If hired, you will be required to provide proof of authorization to work in the United States. Applicants and employees for this position will not be sponsored for work authorization, including, but not limited to H1-B visas.