Internship - Search Backend Infra Engineer

About this role

Perplexity is looking for a Backend/Infrastructure Engineer Intern to support our small, high-impact team building the systems that power our search experience. You will work closely with experienced engineers to help design, build, and operate robust infrastructure and backend services that keep Perplexity fast, reliable, and scalable.

Internship program: 12 - 24 weeks, full-time, part-time, in-person in the Belgrade office.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain infrastructure that supports high-performance search systems, with mentorship from senior engineers.
• Design internal tools and automation to improve developer workflows and operational efficiency.
• Support the design, deployment, and monitoring of cloud-native systems on AWS.
• Contribute to improving CI/CD pipelines, testing infrastructure, and release processes.
• Debug and optimize Linux-based services, containers, and backend systems.
• Contribute to product codebases, primarily using Rust, Go or C++.

Qualifications

• Working towards a degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Familiarity with at least one programming language such as Go, Rust, or C/C++, through coursework or projects.
• Basic understanding or exposure to cloud infrastructure (e.g. AWS) and Linux systems is a plus, not a requirement.
• Interest in infrastructure, distributed systems, or backend engineering, with willingness to learn about CI/CD, monitoring, and performance.
• A proactive and curious learner who enjoys collaborating in a fast-paced, innovative environment
• What we're looking for:
• You’ve built something you’re proud of: Not just a class assignment - we want to see a project you genuinely cared about and took the initiative to build and finish.
• You’re currently enrolled at a Serbian university: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD program or you’re self-taught with a strong passion for software engineering and technology.
• You’re curious, persistent, and self-driven: you take ownership, work through challenges, and follow through on what you start.
• You’re eager to learn and improve: you’re willing to put in the work, develop your skills, and get better every week.
• You’re comfortable working in English: in a collaborative, professional environment.
• You thrive in a high-performance environment: you’re comfortable with high standards, direct feedback, and a fast pace.
• You’re willing to challenge and be challenged: You’re comfortable asking questions, sharing your perspective, and pushing back constructively when it matters.