Untitled role

AI Automation Intern - K1 - Career Page Skip To Job Description

K1 is a values-driven firm and has built a culture based on passion, persistence, humility and excellence. The Principals have complementary skills, extensive industry experience and, on average, have been working together for over a decade.

The team is divided into functional specialists across

sourcing, execution, diligence, reporting, and operations. K1 has built dedicated teams focused on these activities to allow each Principal and team member to focus on his or her strengths and contribute to the investment process within his or her area of expertise.

AI Automation Intern

Manhattan Beach, CA

Internship

K1 Investment Management

Entry Level

Share

AI Automation Intern

Founding AI Team Reporting Directly to Partner

If you want to move fast, ship real things, and have outsized impact at a leading PE firm—keep reading.

Position Summary

K1 is seeking an AI Automation Intern to join our founding AI team in Manhattan Beach, CA.

This is not a typical internship.

You will be one of three founding members of K1's internal AI function, reporting directly to a Founding Partner with no middle management, no busywork, and real ownership from day one. You will work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, enterprise software, and private equity operations — shipping real automations, building real tools, and driving real impact across a portfolio of 275+ companies. Top performers will convert to full-time roles with a mandate to build and lead their own team. The right candidate will embody the values of K1 – Passion, Persistence, Humility, and Excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Designing, building, and deploying AI-powered automations using Claude, Microsoft 365 (Power Automate, Copilot, SharePoint), and custom integrations to eliminate manual processes across the firm and portfolio companies;
• Rapidly prototyping AI tools and agents — from competitive intelligence scrapers to board-report generators — and iterating quickly based on real user feedback;
• Evaluating emerging AI models, tools, and frameworks and synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations for the investment team;
• Building internal dashboards, data pipelines, and agentic workflows that give K1's investment professionals an unfair advantage;
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Open to May 2026 graduates (including out-of-state candidates willing to relocate) and 2027–2028 graduates based in the Los Angeles area.
• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Business + CS, or a related field;
• At least one prior internship or substantive project experience in AI/ML, software engineering, or data science;
• Proficiency with Claude (Anthropic) as a daily working tool — prompt engineering, multi-step workflows, and integration into real tasks;
• Working knowledge of Microsoft 365 (Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams); familiarity with Power Automate or Copilot Studio is a plus;
• Proficiency in Python and/or JavaScript — you don't need to be a systems engineer, but you need to be able to ship working code;
• Bias toward action, comfort with ambiguity, and a genuine obsession with where AI is headed;
• Ability to work in-office in Manhattan Beach 2–3 days per week.

Perks

• Direct access to a Founding Partner — no layers, no bureaucracy
• Full-time conversion opportunity with an accelerated path to building your own team
• Portfolio-wide exposure across 275+ enterprise software companies
• Flexible scheduling around your class schedule
• Competitive hourly compensation

About K1

K1 Investment Management is one of the largest investors in small-cap AI-powered software. Dedicated to transforming lives and industries by building category leaders in technology, K1 has invested in over 275 companies since inception. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, the firm partners early with founders and management teams to build AI-powered, mission-critical systems of record for enterprise clients globally.

For more information, visit k1.com and follow K1 Investment Management on LinkedIn.

Share Apply

Apply for this position

Required*

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone*

Address*

Resume* We've received your resume. Click here to update it.

Attach resume or Paste resume

Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

What year did you / will you graduate from university (undergrad)?* -- No answer --201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026202720282029 or Later

Are you a first generation college student (i.e. neither parent received a four year college or university degree)?* -- No answer --YesNoPrefer not to answer

Please report your undergraduate GPA (cumulative, 1 decimal point)* -- No answer --2.62.72.82.93.03.13.23.33.43.53.63.73.83.94.04.14.24.3

What High School did you attend?*

Please report your High School GPA*

Will you now or in the future require Visa sponsorship for employment? If yes, please specify.* -- No answer --YesYes, I'm on CPT/OPTNo

Please share one process you'd automate with AI and how you'd build it.*

Which of the following K1 Campus Recruiting events did you attend? Select N/A if you did not attend any of these events.* -- No answer --University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraClaremont McKenna CollegeCalifornia State Long BeachLoyola Marymount UniversityUniversity of VirginiaOccidental CollegeN/A

What were your SAT or ACT scores? Please include the full section breakdown. If you didn’t take either exam, write “N/A."*

How did you find out about this opportunity? -- No answer --Our Career PageLinkedInHandshakeCampus Recruitment EventThrive ScholarsCareerSpringNextPlayUSEOCollege TrackReferralOther

Linkedin URL

The following questions are entirely optional. To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.

GenderDecline to answerFemaleMale

Race/EthnicityDecline to answerHispanic or LatinoWhite, not Hispanic or LatinoBlack or African-American, not Hispanic or LatinoAsian, not Hispanic or LatinoNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, not Hispanic or LatinoAmerican Indian or Alaskan Native, not Hispanic or LatinoTwo or More Races, not Hispanic or LatinoMENA (Middle Eastern and North African)

Human Check*

Submit Application