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Introduction

At IBM, we're revolutionizing our approach to technology sales. Our Client Engineering teams are champions of co-creating solutions in real-time to solve complex business challenges.

 

 

IBM Client Engineering Designers take a human-centered perspective in value engineering. They understand the human needs behind a client's challenge through lean user research and participative activities (Enterprise Design Thinking) in client conversations. 

 

In a world where technology moves at speed, it's essential that we stay ahead of the curve to provide tailored solutions that meet our clients' needs. It's not enough for us to have the technical expertise. We need to be great with people, too. To empathize. To understand. To collaborate on technical solutions that will improve lives all over the world.

 

This is a summer 2026 position. As an Innovation Designer intern, you will uncover client needs to be addressed with IBM Technologies, leading to cross-and up-sell opportunities. You are responsible for translating client needs into desirable experiences that connect business, technology, and user goals. We increase client satisfaction with meaningful outcomes and drive adoption by bringing real value to real people.

 

IBM’s Sales Internship Program culture will set you up for positive impact and success, whilst ongoing development will continually advance your skills. Our sales environment is collaborative and experiential. Part of a team, you'll be surrounded by bright minds – always willing to help– as you apply passion to work that will compel our clients to invest in IBM's products and services.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Designer intern within Client Engineering, you'll be a key player in a multi-disciplinary team made up of Architects, AI Engineers, Platform Engineers, and Business Technology Leaders to deliver a unique client co-creation experience that uses IBM technology to accelerate and prove value for our clients.

 

Your primary responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

  • User-Centric Design: Synthesize research, client insights, and requirements to create user experiences that establish enduring connections between individuals and products, services, and brands.
  • Facilitate User Sessions: Lead and facilitate user sessions, involving both clients and the IBM team. Utilize modern methods and tools to identify and prioritize technical challenges, revealing opportunities, fostering innovation, and translating ideas into reality.
  • UX and Customer Journey Design: Take charge of UX and customer/user journey design for prioritized use cases and Minimal Viable Solutions, often reimagining how work processes are carried out.
  • Continuous Learning: Exhibit a growth mindset and an ongoing commitment to learning. Develop concept and process designs to guide clients in solving business challenges and delivering human-centered solutions.
  • User Advocacy: Champion the user's perspective to craft meaningful and engaging experiences that bridge the connection between human needs, business objectives and technology solutions.

 

To be successful in this role, you will need: 

  • Proven understanding of design thinking and methodologies.
  • Ability to use human-centered design to drive business and client value.
  • Strong presentation skills with a creative and compelling storytelling style.
  • Familiarity with developing and leading workshopping techniques to facilitate a diverse group of business driven outcomes.
  • Adaptability to processes and methodologies based on constraints and needs of the client.

 

 

For this position, the design work is strategic in nature – working with clients to uncover business value, defining problems, shaping solutions, and proving them out. What you create will look less like a visual designer’s portfolio and will be more service, research, and strategic design outputs.

 

This position requires you to be in one of the following IBM offices: Atlanta GA, Austin TX, Chicago IL, Dallas TX, New York NY, Raleigh NC, San Francisco CA, and Washington DC.

 

Readiness to travel up to 50% annually.

 

~ IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

Required education
High School Diploma/GED
Preferred education
Bachelor's Degree
Required technical and professional expertise
  • Actively Enrolled: Registered undergraduate or graduate university student.
  • Education: Seeking B.S. or M.S. degree in Design, similar discipline or design bootcamp training paired with working experience.
  • Design Portfolio: Portfolio with a strong, proven understanding of user-centered design principles and practices that demonstrates, but is not limited to, framing and defining problems, user understanding, ability to synthesize insights, ideate solutions, ability to finalize and communicate user centered outputs.
  • Tech Savvy: Ability to understand complex technical problems.
  • Team Player: Demonstrates team collaboration and can navigate different communication styles.
  • Excellent Communication Skills: Possess verbal, written, and interpersonal skills that are engaging, compelling and influential. 
  • Self-Starter: Growth mindset, motivated to work with clients and can lead projects independently.
Preferred technical and professional experience
  • Design Thinking/Design Sprint certification or comparable expertise.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM has a global presence, operating in more than 175 countries with a broad-based geographic distribution of revenue. The company’s Global Markets organization is a strategic sales business unit that manages IBM’s global footprint, working closely with dedicated country-based operating units to serve clients locally. These country teams have client relationship managers who lead integrated teams of consultants, solution specialists and delivery professionals to enable clients’ growth and innovation. By complementing local expertise with global experience and digital capabilities, IBM builds deep and broad-based client relationships. This local management focus fosters speed in supporting clients, addressing new markets and making investments in emerging opportunities. Additionally, the Global Markets organization serves clients with expertise in their industry as well as through the products and services that IBM and partners supply. IBM is also expanding its reach to new and existing clients through digital marketplaces.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.


Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.


Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.


Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 50 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business. 


At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.


OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

Supplemental 1 employees may be eligible for up to 8 paid holidays, minimum of 56 hours paid sick time and the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan. IBM offers paid family medical leave and disability benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law.
This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.
We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.