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.
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.
- 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.
- Design Thinking/Design Sprint certification or comparable expertise.