--- title: 'PhD Intern, Software Engineer - Graphics (2027) at Figma' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/phd-intern-software-engineer-graphics-2027-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-bevv0xxk0y2a' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-18' --- # PhD Intern, Software Engineer - Graphics (2027) at Figma - **Company:** Figma - **Location:** San Francisco CA • New York, NY - **Compensation:** $74/hr - **Posted:** 2026-10-13 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/figma/jobs/6219995004?gh_jid=6219995004 ## Job description Figma is growing our team of passionate creatives and builders on a mission to make design accessible to all. Figma’s platform helps teams bring ideas to life—whether you're brainstorming, creating a prototype, translating designs into code, or iterating with AI. From idea to product, Figma empowers teams to streamline workflows, move faster, and work together in real time from anywhere in the world. If you're excited to shape the future of design and collaboration, join us! The Rendering & Animation team (R&A) builds the graphics engine which renders the canvas for all Figma applications. Our mission is to make rendering performant, feature-rich, reliable, maintainable and extendible across all products & surfaces. The team plays a core, bedrock role for the company because it underpins the technology driving the user experience, touching many other teams, and as such is one of the most impactful areas of Figma. The R&A team is devoted to hiring individuals with graphics expertise. We are interested in a variety of sub-domains, including 2D GPU-driven rendering, computational geometry & vector graphics, animation frameworks, anti-aliasing algorithms, shader effects, and more recently branching into video/image processing. A PhD Intern specializing in any of these areas would be a phenomenal fit for the team with a lot of exciting projects available. As an intern on our team, you'll take ownership of a high-impact project at the intersection of your technical strengths and our most pressing graphics, rendering, or media challenges. You'll work closely with your intern manager, team leads, and collaborators across 1–2 partner teams to deliver tangible results within your internship. This is an opportunity to do significant, portfolio-worthy work that directly supplies Figma's visual platform. This is a 12 or 16-week internship role that can be held from one of our US hubs (San Francisco or New York) starting in May or June of 2027. What you'll do at Figma: - Learn from industry graphics engineers and participate as an embedded team member of the Rendering & Animation team - Collaborate with engineers, PMs, designers, and researchers to scope and execute your work - Develop, validate, and document solutions from prototypes to production-ready systems - Drive projects that apply research insights to meaningful product challenges - Contribute to exciting domain areas; some examples: crafting and optimizing shaders for sophisticated effects, investigating improvements to anti-aliasing algorithms, improving media processing capabilities, animating spline interpolation, and more! We'd love to hear from you if you have: - Current enrollment as a 4th or 5th year senior PhD student pursuing a PhD in Computer Graphics, Media Processing, or a related field - Experience working with OpenGL, WebGL, WebGPU, Vulkan or Metal and their respective shader languages (GLSL, WGSL) or other low-level graphics APIs - Proficiency in either C++ or Rust - A track record of rigorous problem-solving through academic or applied research, with experience thinking holistically about use cases and the low-level technology required While it's not required, it's an added plus if you also have: - Demonstrated expertise in computer graphics, supported by publications at conferences such as SIGGRAPH, Eurographics, High Performance Graphics, NVIDIA GTC, or Pacific Graphics - Proficiency in WebAssembly, web graphics, 2D graphics, performance optimization, animation, geometry, or media - Interest in art and design applications - Experience using AI tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) to write, debug, and optimize code - Related industry experience via a past internship or full-time role - Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated experience collaborating across functions At Figma, one of our values is Grow as you go. We believe in hiring smart, curious people who are excited to learn and develop their skills. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with the points outlined in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Pay Transparency Disclosure This internship role is based in either Figma’s San Francisco or New York hub offices, and has the hourly base pay rate stated below.  Figma also offers interns a housing stipend and travel reimbursement. Figma’s compensation and benefits are subject to change and may be modified in the future. Internship $74—$74 USD At Figma we celebrate and support our differences. We know employing a team rich in diverse thoughts, experiences, and opinions allows our employees, our product and our community to flourish. Figma is an [equal opportunity workplace](https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/EEOC_KnowYourRights_screen_reader_10_20.pdf) - we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. We will work to ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to apply for a role, participate in the interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you require accommodation, please reach out to accommodations-ext@figma.com. These modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity not only to get a job, but successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as people without disabilities. Examples of accommodations include but are not limited to: - Holding interviews in an accessible location - Enabling closed captioning on video conferencing - Ensuring all written communication be compatible with screen readers - Changing the mode or format of interviews To ensure the integrity of our hiring process and facilitate a more personal connection, we require all candidates keep their cameras on during video interviews. Additionally, if hired you will be required to attend in person onboarding. By applying for this job, the candidate acknowledges and agrees that any personal data contained in their application or supporting materials will be processed in accordance with [Figma's Candidate Privacy Notice](https://www.figma.com/legal/candidate-privacy-notice/). Application limits: To help candidates focus on the opportunities most relevant to their skills and experience, Figma limits the number and frequency of applications. These limits apply to all roles: - Candidates may submit up to 5 applications during any rolling 30-day period. - Candidates may not reapply to the same role while an application is active or within 90 days of receiving a rejection. Once the applicable days has passed, candidates are welcome to apply again. ## About Figma ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Figma is a collaborative, AI-powered interface design and digital whiteboarding platform that enables teams to brainstorm, design, and build digital products together in a web-based environment. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series F, raised $749M total) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States - **Founded**: 2012 - **Founders**: Dylan Field (CEO) and Evan Wallace ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Collaborative design software, product development platforms - **Target customers**: B2B and B2C; serves designers, developers, product managers, marketers, and educators across enterprises, SMBs, and individual creators. 95% of the Fortune 500 uses Figma [figma.com](https://www.figma.com/). - **Mission**: To make design accessible to all. The company believes that "nothing great is made alone." ## Products & Services - **Figma Design**: The core web-based collaborative interface design tool for exploring, iterating, and prototyping digital products. Features include vector editing, prototyping, and design systems. - **FigJam**: An online digital whiteboard for brainstorming, meetings, and collaborative work, built for all skill levels. - **Dev Mode**: A dedicated workspace in Figma that helps bridge the gap between design and code, allowing designers and developers to work in different modes within the same files. - **Figma Sites**: A tool enabling designers to build and publish dynamic websites with limitless interactions and customizations, powered by code and AI. - **Figma Buzz**: A product for brand and marketing teams to create visual assets at scale while maintaining brand consistency, featuring built-in AI capabilities. - **Figma Make**: An AI-powered prompt-to-code tool that turns written descriptions or existing designs into working prototypes or apps. - **Figma Motion**: A new timeline-based animation tool introduced at Config 2026 for creating motion designs directly on the canvas. - **Figma for Education**: A dedicated offering for educational institutions. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed (the planned $20B Adobe acquisition was blocked by regulators in 2023; subsequent Series F in 2024 was at an undisclosed valuation). - **Key Metric**: Over $749M in total funding raised across 7 rounds (latest: Series F, $416M, May 15, 2024) [tracxn.com](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/figma/__ax4OtPOcmyjsFUT81_oGsjztypgqH8K3cQ0_zcUnNBo). - **Notable Investors**: Greylock Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital [tracxn.com](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/figma/__ax4OtPOcmyjsFUT81_oGsjztypgqH8K3cQ0_zcUnNBo). - **Growth Signals**: Over 1,600 employees globally (as of Q1 2025); 2,877 as of April 2026 [tracxn.com](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/figma/__ax4OtPOcmyjsFUT81_oGsjztypgqH8K3cQ0_zcUnNBo). Approximately 85% of monthly active users are based outside the U.S., and over 50% of revenue is from outside the U.S. Two-thirds of monthly active users are not designers, indicating strong cross-functional adoption [figma.com/newsroom](https://www.figma.com/newsroom/). Recently achieved ISO 42001 certification for responsible AI use (July 2026). ## Competitive Advantages - **Browser-native architecture**: Figma was the first design tool built for the web, enabling real-time multiplayer collaboration without installation or file syncing issues. - **Massive installed base**: 95% of Fortune 500 companies use Figma, creating a powerful network effect and ecosystem lock-in. - **Cross-functional adoption**: With 2/3 of MAUs being non-designers, Figma has successfully expanded beyond design teams into product, engineering, and marketing. - **AI-native platform**: Recent investments in AI (Figma Make, AI design agents, AI-powered code generation) position the platform at the intersection of design and AI. - **Open ecosystem**: Strong plugin and community ecosystem, plus open-source contributions. ## Strategic Focus - **AI integration**: Deepening AI capabilities across the entire product suite, including AI-powered design agents, prompt-to-code tools, and automated workflows. - **Expanding beyond design**: Growing into a full product development platform that spans ideation (FigJam), design (Figma Design), development (Dev Mode, Figma Make), and publishing (Figma Sites, Figma Buzz). - **Global expansion**: Over half of revenue comes from outside the U.S., with dedicated offices in São Paulo, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, London, Berlin, Paris, and Tel Aviv. - **Enterprise adoption**: Building out enterprise-grade security (ISO 42001 certified), compliance, and governance features. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Values-driven with a focus on "Build Community," "Run with It," "Love Your Craft," "Grow as You Go," and "Play." Emphasis on kindness, connection, and lifting each other up [figma.com/careers](https://www.figma.com/careers/). - **Remote/Hybrid**: Hiring across global hubs and remotely in the US and Canada. Offices in 13 locations worldwide: San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Singapore, Bengaluru, Sydney, São Paulo, and Tel Aviv. - **Engineering culture**: Strong investment in engineering with active hiring for AI/ML, distributed systems, graphics, infrastructure, and security roles. Annual "Maker Week" encourages exploration of wild, imaginative ideas. - **Benefits**: Competitive salary & equity; health, dental, and vision insurance; retirement with company contribution; parental leave & fertility support; mental health and wellness benefits; generous PTO; company recharge days; learning & development stipend; work from home stipend; cell phone reimbursement [figma.com/careers](https://www.figma.com/careers/). - **Diversity**: Equal opportunity workplace with Figmate Community Groups focused on shared characteristics and life experiences. Dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, or veteran status. - **Growth**: Fast-growing company (1,600+ to 2,877 employees in ~1 year) with significant opportunities for career advancement and impact. ## Sources 1. [Figma Careers Page](https://www.figma.com/careers/) 2. [Figma Website](https://www.figma.com/) 3. [Figma Newsroom](https://www.figma.com/newsroom/) 4. [Tracxn Company Profile](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/figma/__ax4OtPOcmyjsFUT81_oGsjztypgqH8K3cQ0_zcUnNBo) 5. [Greenhouse Job Board](https://boards.greenhouse.io/figma/jobs/5814274004?gh_jid=5814274004) ## Other roles at Figma - [Compliance Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/compliance-engineer-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-fknby0hbkpt4) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States - [Director, Governance Risk & Compliance](https://feeny.ai/job/director-governance-risk-compliance-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-ve36jtyeqdx3) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States - [Senior Order Management Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-order-management-analyst-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-rse36w72zt67) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States - [Director, Product Communications](https://feeny.ai/job/director-product-communications-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-vk1rs8hj3egp) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States - [Early Career, Inside Sales Representative (2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/early-career-inside-sales-representative-2027-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-qv3wmkxhaf96) — San Francisco CA • New York, NY - [Brand Designer, Web](https://feeny.ai/job/brand-designer-web-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-wdr26rj3rrkb) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States - [Executive Assistant, Product](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-assistant-product-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-g3wwm7c347p8) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States - [Early Career, Associate Product Manager (2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/early-career-associate-product-manager-2027-figma-san-francisco-ev8z3echvyd9) — San Francisco, CA - [Business Systems Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/business-systems-analyst-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-d0ezzycv8q1m) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States - [Researcher, Figma Design](https://feeny.ai/job/researcher-figma-design-figma-san-francisco-ca-new-york-ny-v8e8jtvys29m) — San Francisco CA • New York NY •, United States