Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)
Software Engineer · Intern · Internship
Opens Zip's application page
Role
What you'll do.
Join Zip as a Software Engineer Intern during Summer 2027 and contribute to an AI-powered enterprise procurement platform trusted by industry leaders like T-Mobile, OpenAI, and AMD. You'll design and build highly reliable, scalable products alongside a team of experienced engineers from top tech companies, working with Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, React, and GraphQL to ship real features used by millions. This full-time, hybrid internship offers mentorship, hands-on experience with modern backend and frontend architectures, and the opportunity to make immediate impact at a Y Combinator-backed fintech company valued at $2.2 billion.
Responsibilities
- Design and Build Reliable Products: Architect and develop highly reliable and resilient products and features that power Zip's AI-driven enterprise procurement platform, ensuring systems can handle complex workflows at scale
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with product managers, design teams, and customer-facing teams to understand requirements, gather feedback, and ship thoughtful solutions that address real user needs
- Write High-Quality Code: Produce clean, extensible, and maintainable code that follows best practices and architectural patterns, making contributions that other engineers can build upon
- Frontend Development: Design and build scalable frontend applications and React components with TypeScript that provide intuitive user experiences and handle complex state management
- Backend API Development: Design and implement GraphQL and REST APIs using Python that drive existing and new features for Zip's web-based procurement platform
- Scope Technical Challenges: Take ownership of problem definition, break down complex technical challenges into manageable components, and propose effective solutions with guidance from senior engineers
Qualifications
What we look for.
Technical
Full-stack Web Development
Ability to work across the entire application stack, from designing GraphQL APIs to building React frontend components with TypeScript
Scalable Architecture Design
Understanding of designing reliable, resilient systems that can handle enterprise-scale procurement workflows and high transaction volumes
Code Quality & Best Practices
Commitment to writing maintainable, well-documented, extensible code following SOLID principles and industry standards
Rapid Learning
Ability to quickly acquire proficiency in new frameworks, programming languages, and architectural patterns as project requirements evolve
Education
Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science
BS or MS in Computer Science with expected graduation between December 2027 and June 2028
Technical Coursework Foundation
Academic background in technical fields involving coding such as mathematics, physics, or engineering disciplines
Experience
Web Application Development Experience
Demonstrated experience building web applications with frontend and backend components
API Development
Hands-on experience designing and implementing APIs for web-based applications
Startup Environment Exposure
Prior internship or professional experience in a high-growth startup with fast-paced development cycles and rapid iteration
Skills
Required
Web Application Development
Hands-on experience building web applications and understanding modern frontend architecture patterns, component design, and user interaction flows
API Development
Experience designing and implementing REST or GraphQL APIs that power web applications and integrations
Python
Proficiency in Python for backend development, data manipulation, and server-side logic implementation
JavaScript/TypeScript
Strong command of JavaScript or TypeScript for frontend and backend development with modern ES6+ features
React
Experience building interactive user interfaces with React, including component lifecycle, hooks, and state management
GraphQL
Understanding of GraphQL query language and schema design for efficient data fetching and API development
Preferred
Database Design & Optimization
Nice to haveExperience designing efficient database schemas and optimizing queries for scalable applications
Cloud Platforms
Nice to haveFamiliarity with AWS or other cloud infrastructure platforms for deployment and scaling applications
Startup Experience
Nice to havePrior internship or work experience in a high-growth startup environment with fast-paced development cycles
System Design
Nice to haveUnderstanding of scalable architecture patterns, microservices, and designing resilient systems
CI/CD & DevOps
Nice to haveFamiliarity with continuous integration, deployment pipelines, and development environment setup
Generative AI Integration
Nice to haveExperience or interest in integrating LLMs and AI agents into applications
Tech stack
Languages
Frameworks
Databases
Tools
Other
Compensation
Pay and benefits.
Base·USD 116,480 – 124,800
Benefits
Catered Meals
Complimentary catered breakfasts, lunches, and dinners provided throughout the internship to support focus on work
Team Building & Social Events
Regular team building activities and happy hour events to foster connections and community within the organization
Apple Equipment
Provision of Apple equipment including MacBook and accessories to support development work
Housing Stipend
Internship housing stipend to support relocating interns in the San Francisco Bay Area
Mentorship & Professional Development
Access to experienced engineers from top tech companies (Apple, Airbnb, Meta) who provide constant guidance, code reviews, and learning opportunities
Real Impact Projects
Opportunity to work on projects with immediate real-world impact—previous interns' work is actively used across the organization and by end users
Process
Interview steps.
- 01
Initial Application Review
Submit your resume, cover letter, and portfolio demonstrating web development projects. Highlight any startups experience, GitHub contributions, or notable technical projects
- 02
Technical Phone Screen
Initial conversation with a recruiter or engineer to discuss your background, coding experience, and familiarity with Python, React, TypeScript, and GraphQL
- 03
Technical Assessment or Take-Home
Complete a coding challenge or take-home project involving API design, frontend component building, or full-stack feature implementation to assess technical capabilities
- 04
Engineering Interview
Technical interview with one or more engineers focusing on system design, API architecture, component design patterns, and approach to solving complex problems
- 05
Cross-Functional Interview
Conversation with product or team members to assess communication skills, collaboration style, and ability to work in a cross-functional environment
- 06
Offer & Onboarding
Receive offer details including compensation, benefits, internship dates (May-August or June-September 2027), and hybrid work arrangement details for San Francisco HQ
Full posting
Original listing.
About Zip
Zip is the AI platform for enterprise procurement — built for humans and agents working together. By orchestrating procurement across teams, tools, and suppliers with the help of AI agents, companies can secure the resources they need to innovate faster than ever before.
The world’s most influential enterprises trust Zip, including T-Mobile, OpenAI, AMD, Mars, Dollar Tree, and more. Together they’ve saved over $8 billion and processed over $500 billion in spend. Zip’s team includes product leaders from Apple, Airbnb, and Meta, as well as former procurement leaders from United Health, Sanofi, MGM Resorts, Discover, and NASA.
Backed by Adams Street, Alkeon, BOND, CRV, DST, Tiger Global, and Y Combinator, Zip has raised $371 million, most recently at a $2.2 billion valuation and has been recognized by Forbes Fintech 50, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, Inc. Best in Business, and LinkedIn Top Startups.
Your Role
As a Software Engineer Intern, you will be shown how to build Zip’s core products and architecture. You will ship features that will be immediately used by our users and will work with a tight-knit team that values open communication and cross-functional collaboration. We move quickly to solve a wide range of complex technical and product challenges. While we are an experienced team that can provide constant guidance and mentorship, we value engineers who can scope and solve difficult technical challenges.
Previous interns have worked on:
Internal AI bot: a bot that uses generative AI to aggregate info from various sources (e.g. google doc, notion, Slack, Zip help site) and generate answers - it’s now actively used by both engineering and customer teams at Zip
Devbox: building a prototype that bootstraps the development environment in AWS cloud for all zip engineers - this project is now being used by 80+ engineers
Virtual Card Auto Lock: a feature that automatically locks virtual cards based on various policies, such as after a certain expiration date, when reported lost, or in the event of an overdraft. This feature, along with a self-serve onboarding tool, is now live in our virtual card product
You Will
Design and build highly reliable and resilient products and features
Work closely with cross-functional product and customer-facing teams to understand requirements and ship thoughtful solutions
Write high-quality, extensible, and maintainable code
Design and build scalable frontend applications and components
Design and build APIs to drive existing and new features for a web-based application
Qualifications
Pursuing a BS or MS in Computer Science or a related technical field involving coding (e.g. physics or math), with an expected graduation date between December 2027 - June 2028
Experience with web applications and API development. At Zip, our stack includes Python, Javascript/TypeScript, React, and GraphQL
Ability and interest to quickly learn new frameworks, architecture patterns, and programming languages as needed
Fantastic written and verbal communication skills
Prior internship in a high-growth startup environment
Our internships are full-time and hybrid, based in our San Francisco HQ office. Our Summer 2027 internship runs either May–August or June–September.
The estimated hourly pay range for this role is $56 - 60 per hour.
Perks & Benefits
At Zip, we’re committed to providing our employees with everything they need to do their best work
🍽️ Catered breakfasts, lunches & dinners
🚠 Team building events & happy hours
💻 Apple equipment
🏠 Intern Housing stipend
We're looking to hire Zipsters and that means hiring people who take ownership, communicate openly, have an underdog mindset, and are excited to increase the pace of innovation for every business in the world. We encourage all candidates to apply even if your experience doesn't exactly match up to our job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workspace where everyone (regardless of age, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and more) feels like they belong. We look forward to hearing from you!
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