Backend Software Engineering Intern - Undergraduate
Undergraduate internship on Sony Interactive Entertainment's PlayStation Personalization team in San Mateo, building and improving large-scale backend services for personalized game/content recommendations. Day-to-day involves APIs, microservices, distributed systems, cloud/CI/CD, and working alongside ML-driven services.
- Compensation
- $50 / hr
- Location
- United States, San Mateo, CA
- Work setup
- Hybrid
- Seniority
- Intern
- Employment
- Internship
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Backend
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or related field
- Expected graduation between May 2026 and December 2029 (undergraduate)
- Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Java, Kotlin, Python, or C++
- Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, object-oriented programming, and software design principles
- Basic understanding of databases, APIs, and backend software development
- Self-motivated with ownership, curiosity, and willingness to learn new technologies
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills, able to collaborate in a team
- Available for the entire 12-week internship (May 17 - Aug 6 or Jun 14 - Sep 3)
- Authorized to work for any US employer without needing SIE work visa sponsorship now or in the future
Nice to have
- Familiarity with microservice architectures, distributed systems, or cloud technologies
- Experience with Spring Boot, AWS, Docker, or Kubernetes
Full description
Role Summary:
Join the Personalization engineering team at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and gain hands-on experience developing the backend systems that help millions of PlayStation players discover games, content, and experiences tailored to their interests.
Our team builds and maintains large-scale services that use player data, business logic, and machine learning models to power personalized recommendations and content discovery across the PlayStation ecosystem.
As a Software Engineering Intern, you'll work alongside experienced engineers to design, develop, and improve scalable backend services. You'll gain practical experience with distributed systems, cloud technologies, and modern software development while contributing to projects that support personalized player experiences. Through mentorship and regular feedback, you'll strengthen your technical skills and learn how engineering teams build and operate reliable systems at scale.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Design, develop, and improve backend services that power personalized recommendations and content discovery across PlayStation.
- Build and integrate APIs, microservices, and data processing components within distributed systems.
- Collaborate with engineers to design, test, and deploy scalable software solutions that support performance and reliability.
- Participate in technical design discussions, code reviews, sprint planning, demos, and deployment activities to gain experience with the full software development lifecycle.
- Work with engineers, product managers, and cross-functional teams to understand requirements and develop practical technical solutions.
- Analyze existing systems and processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and propose solutions that enhance efficiency and performance.
- Present your work, share technical learnings, and contribute to team discussions while developing your communication and collaboration skills.
- Gain hands-on experience with cloud technologies, data processing, CI/CD, and how machine learning models support personalized experiences.
What We’re Looking For:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- Proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Java, Kotlin, Python, or C++.
- Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, object-oriented programming, and software design principles.
- Basic understanding of databases, APIs, and backend software development.
- Self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership, curiosity, and willingness to learn new technologies.