Software Engineering Intern

What You'll Do

• Ship real code: Design, build, and ship features that run in production and reach real users, not throwaway prototypes.
• Own a meaningful problem: Take a defined piece of work from design through delivery, with the support of your engineering manager and teammates.
• Build across the system: Develop and improve the services, APIs, and experiences that power OfferUp, and learn how the pieces fit together end to end.
• Move fast and do spike work: Investigate open-ended problems, prototype solutions, and turn technical spikes into clear recommendations the team can act on.
• Leverage AI tools: Use tools like Claude and Gemini to ramp up faster, navigate the codebase, accelerate spike work, and raise the quality of what you ship.
• Collaborate across the team: Work closely with engineers, product managers, and designers to turn ambiguous requirements into shipped, well-tested features.
• Care about quality: Write tests, participate in code reviews, and help keep our systems observable, reliable, and maintainable.
• Present your work: Share what you built and what you learned with the broader engineering and product teams at the end of your internship.

Who You Are

• A builder who likes to ship: You're motivated by getting working software into users' hands and iterating quickly.
• Strong on fundamentals: You understand data structures, algorithms, and how software systems are designed, and you can reason about how your code behaves in the real world.
• A strong communicator: You can explain a technical decision clearly: in a design doc, a pull request, or a room full of engineers.
• A self-starter: You don't wait to be told what to do next. You take initiative, ask good questions, dig into the codebase, and figure things out.
• Energized by a fast pace: You're comfortable with ambiguity and change, and you do your best work on a team that moves quickly.
• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate (or equivalent) program, returning to school after the internship.

Helpful, but not required

• Prior internship or project experience building software in a team setting.
• Familiarity with Java or a similar programming language.
• Exposure to cloud platforms, databases, APIs, or distributed systems.
• Experience with two-sided marketplaces, mobile apps, or large-scale consumer products.
• Comfort using AI coding assistants as part of your day-to-day workflow.

Compensation

The hourly rate for this internship is $48 – $56. Placement within this range reflects academic level (undergraduate vs. graduate), relevant technical experience, and demonstrated proficiency in applicable tools. This is a non-benefits-eligible internship. No additional compensation beyond hourly wages is offered.