Software Engineer Internship (AI + Database)

Role description This is a remote Software Engineering Internship (AI + Database) role. The intern needs to have completed at least 3 years of an undergraduate degree or graduated, although we are open to more advanced applicants. We are currently conducting MVP testing for TuitionPlanner with prospective users. We are seeking a candidate who is passionate about rapid development and iterative improvement based on direct user insights.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include supporting the development team with writing and testing code. The intern will design databases, build APIs, and build and test features end-to-end. This is not a typical "implement tickets" internship. You will own core technical decisions, ship production code, and directly impact underserved students discovering thousands in scholarships.

• Support the development team with writing and testing code
• Design databases, build APIs, and build and test features end-to-end
• Own core technical decisions and ship production code

Compensation will be $20/hour, 20+ hours a week for a 6 month contract. We can only hire US citizens or permanent residents for this role.

Qualifications

We are looking for versatile engineers who: Have solid fundamentals:

• SQL and database design (relationships, normalization, indexing)
• LLM API experience (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, or similar)
• TypeScript/JavaScript proficiency
• Understanding of REST APIs and HTTP clients
• Git and version control

Bring the right mindset:

• Excited about working across the stack (database to AI to frontend)
• Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration
• Genuinely care about educational equity and social impact
• Strong communicator who asks good questions
• Learning-oriented: "I haven't done X, but here's how I'd approach it"

Nice to have:

• Experience with Vite, React, Supabase
• Prompt engineering or model evaluation experience
• Previous internship or significant project experience
• Familiarity with agentic frameworks (LangChain, LangGraph)

Sample projects you will build

• Build scalable APIs and databases to support personalized tuition planning
• Implement Row-Level Security and role-based access control
• Set up authentication and data validation
• Create agentic scholarship matching system with personalized recommendations
• Conduct model evaluations: compare Claude vs OpenAI, measure accuracy/cost/latency
• Optimize database queries and LLM token usage
• Integrate AI features with React components and state management

Why join?

• Real impact: Help underserved students discover scholarships and afford college
• Rare breadth: Most internships silo you; here you will own database architecture and AI features
• Ownership: Make real technical decisions, not just implement tickets
• Portfolio project: Ship production code you can showcase

How to Apply

Submit your application through our Google Form at https://www.spend-match.com/join-our-team You will need:

• Resume and GitHub profile
• Brief note (200-300 words) covering:
• Why you are interested in working on both AI and Database Systems
• A project you have built (coursework, side project, or internship) showing your skillsets in AI and/or Database Systems
• What excites you about educational equity

What to expect in application review We will review your application and get in touch within 1-2 weeks. If selected after initial screening, next steps include:

• Technical project: A small take-home assignment to showcase your skills (expect 4-6 hours of work)
• Video interview: A 1-on-1 conversation with our founding team to discuss your project, experience, and fit

We aim to make the process respectful of your time while giving us a clear sense of how you approach problems and communicate about your work. More info As a member of the SpendMatch team, each employee is expected to:

• Foster a work environment where everyone feels valued and included.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all members of the SpendMatch team, stakeholders in general, and particularly for the communities we serve.
• Follow the SpendMatch Code of Conduct helping to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and exploitation.

SpendMatch is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.