Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2026)
Content + Source + Freshness • 17 Dec 2025 • 95% confidence
Offer value
Fairly high value due to potential for learning and development with a well-funded startup, though competition and expectations are considerable.
- Compensation: $58 - $60/hour
- Opportunities for mentorship and real project involvement
- Ideal for tech-focused students
- Requires adaptability in a fast-paced startup culture
Pros
- Hands-on experience in a rapidly growing tech startup
- Direct mentorship from experienced professionals
- Involvement in impactful projects from day one
Cons
- Internship roles come with a learning curve
- High expectations but potentially limited training
- May require longer hours in a fast-paced environment
Who it's for
Intern / Entry-Level • Hybrid / Remote
Good fit
- Aspiring software engineers
- Students looking for startup experience
- Individuals interested in practical tech applications
Not recommended for
- Experienced professionals seeking senior roles
- Candidates looking for minimal learning challenges
- Those preferring established corporate structures
Motivation fit
Key skills
About the job
Location
San Francisco
Employment Type
Intern
Location Type
Remote
Department
Engineering
The simple task of buying software, services, or tools at work has become hopelessly complicated at even the most innovative companies in the world. Today, enterprises spend $120T+ per year globally (>30 times larger than annual consumer e-commerce spend) and rely on vendors more than ever before to run their businesses.
Our cofounders started Zip in 2020 to address this seemingly intractable problem with a purpose-built procurement platform that provides a simple, consumer-grade user experience. Within the last 4 years, Zip has created a new category and developed the leading solution in this $50B+ TAM space. Today, the world’s leading companies like OpenAI, Snowflake, Anthropic, Coinbase, and Prudential rely on Zip to manage billions of dollars in spend.
We have a world-class team coming from category-defining companies like Airbnb, Meta, Stripe, Salesforce, Apple, and Google. With a $2.2 billion valuation and $370 million in funding from Y Combinator, Tiger Global, BOND, DST Global, and CRV, we’re focused on developing cutting-edge technology, expanding into new global markets, and—above all–driving incredible value for our customers. Join us!
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 2026 - June 2027
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
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
The estimated hourly pay range for this role is $58 - $60.
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!
