Software Engineer Intern, AI-Powered Picture Quality Tools at Roku

Teamwork makes the stream work. Roku is changing how the world watches TV Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and we've set our sights on powering every television in the world. Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. Our mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. We connect consumers to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers unique capabilities to engage consumers. From your first day at Roku, you'll make a valuable - and valued - contribution. We're a fast-growing public company where no one is a bystander. We offer you the opportunity to delight millions of TV streamers around the world while gaining meaningful experience across a variety of disciplines. About the Team The Roku TV Technology Engineering team drives innovation and develops proof-of-concept designs for next-generation TV features and reference architectures. Our focus areas include core TV technologies such as Picture Quality, Display, Audio, and System Architecture, with the goal of creating breakthrough solutions and bringing them to production. About the Role We are offering a 12-week Software Engineering Internship on Roku TV Tech team that builds internal automation tools for display calibration, color accuracy measurement, and firmware quality validation on real consumer TV products. As an intern, you will own a tool from start to finish — designing and prototyping an AI-driven feature that makes our engineers' daily calibration and testing work smarter and more efficient. This is not a "shadow and observe" internship. You will write real code, work with real measurement data, and deliver a working prototype that the team can evaluate for production integration. You will be paired with a mentor who will guide you through the codebase, the domain knowledge, and the engineering practices — but the creative direction of your project is yours to shape. What You Will Be Doing You will spend the majority of your internship focused on one AI-driven project. Example directions include: • MCP-Based Tool Integration — Design and implement a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes the existing calibration tool's capabilities as structured tools and resources, enabling any MCP-compatible AI client to orchestrate picture quality workflows through natural language. • Natural Language Test Builder — Prototype an LLM-powered interface where engineers describe a test procedure in plain English and the system generates an executable workflow definition using structured output, function calling, or prompt chaining. • Calibration Report Summarizer with RAG — Build an AI tool that uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to ingest historical calibration reports, measurement standards, and device specifications, then generates human-readable summaries with pass/fail verdicts, trend analysis, and actionable recommendations grounded in real data. • Your Own Idea — If you have a creative concept that applies AI application-layer technologies to display testing, calibration data, or engineering workflow automation, we want to hear it. Along the Way • Get familiar with the existing automation codebase written primarily in Python, with supporting REST API layers and native C++ components. • Work with real measurement datasets through Picture Quality algorithms. • Collaborate with PQ engineers to understand their workflow pain points and validate your prototype against real use cases. • Present your project and findings to the team at the end of the internship. We Are Excited If You Are • Currently pursuing a Master/PhD in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. • Having hands-on experience (coursework or personal projects) in one or more scripting-based languages: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, or Ruby. • Familiar with AI application-layer concepts and technologies — not just model training, but how to build real applications on top of LLMs. For example: o LLM API integration (OpenAI, Anthropic, or similar) with function calling / tool use o Model Context Protocol (MCP) or similar tool-serving architectures o Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with vector databases o Prompt engineering, structured output parsing, and multi-step reasoning chains • Comfortable with Git and working in a shared codebase. • A self-starter who can take a loosely defined problem, break it into steps, and make steady progress with guidance. What You Will Learn • How display calibration works in practice — on real TV products that ship to millions of customers. • How to architect AI-powered applications that go beyond chatbots — designing tool-use schemas, MCP servers, agentic loops, and structured integrations that connect LLMs to real engineering systems with real consequences. • How to scope, prototype, and present a creative technical project within a fixed timeline. • What it is like to work on an engineering team that bridges software, hardware, and display science. • Be a real part of the team — Participate in design discussions and attend technical reviews. You will have a dedicated mentor for guidance, regular check-ins with the team lead, and full exposure to Roku work culture and how a product engineering team operates at Roku. #LI-GW1 Our Hybrid Work Approach Roku fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment where teams work in the office Monday through Thursday. Fridays are flexible for remote work except for employees whose roles are required to be in the office five days a week or employees who are in offices with a five day in office policy. Benefits Roku is committed to offering a diverse range of benefits as part of our compensation package to support our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefits include global access to mental health and financial wellness support and resources. Local benefits include statutory and voluntary benefits which may include healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), life, accident, disability, commuter, and retirement options (401(k)/pension). Our employees can take time off work for vacation and other personal reasons to balance their evolving work and life needs. It's important to note that not every benefit is available in all locations or for every role. For details specific to your location, please consult with your recruiter. Accommodations Roku welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and provides reasonable accommodations and adjustments in accordance with applicable law. If you require reasonable accommodation at any point in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to [Upgrade to PRO to see contact]. The Roku Culture Roku is a great place for people who want to work in a fast-paced environment where everyone is focused on the company's success rather than their own. We try to surround ourselves with people who are great at their jobs, who are easy to work with, and who keep their egos in check. We appreciate a sense of humor. We believe a fewer number of very talented folks can do more for less cost than a larger number of less talented teams. We're independent thinkers with big ideas who act boldly, move fast and accomplish extraordinary things through collaboration and trust. In short, at Roku you'll be part of a company that's changing how the world watches TV.  We have a unique culture that we are proud of. We think of ourselves primarily as problem-solvers, which itself is a two-part idea. We come up with the solution, but the solution isn't real until it is built and delivered to the customer. That penchant for action gives us a pragmatic approach to innovation, one that has served us well since 2002.  To learn more about Roku, our global footprint, and how we've grown, visit [Upgrade to PRO to see link] By providing your information, you acknowledge that you want Roku to contact you about job roles, that you have read Roku's Applicant Privacy Notice, and understand that Roku will use your information as described in that notice. If you do not wish to receive any communications from Roku regarding this role or similar roles in the future, you may unsubscribe at any time by emailing [Upgrade to PRO to see contact].