Software Engineering PhD Intern

At eBay, we're more than a global ecommerce leader — we’re changing the way the world shops and sells. Our platform empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. We’re committed to pushing boundaries and leaving our mark as we reinvent the future of ecommerce for enthusiasts.

Our customers are our compass, authenticity thrives, bold ideas are welcome, and everyone can bring their unique selves to work — every day. We're in this together, sustaining the future of our customers, our company, and our planet.

 Join a team of passionate thinkers, innovators, and dreamers — and help us connect people and build communities to create economic opportunity for all.

***Please submit only ONE application for eBay. Duplicate applications from the same candidate will result in all applications for that candidate being automatically declined. ***

***If your application is moved forward in the process, then you will be asked to complete a Codesignal Technical Assessment as the next step in the selection process. Prior to submitting your Coding Assessment/Codesignal report, please ensure that the email address you are using to apply through RippleMatch is the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS that is attached to your pre-existing Codesignal account, if applicable. Given the volume of applications that eBay is currently reviewing, we will be unable to redirect the Codesignal link to a different email address. As such, if your RippleMatch profile email address is different from the email address within your pre-existing CodeSignal account, you will need to retake the assessment utilizing your other email address”.  Again, eBay will not be able to re-direct/re-send a new Codesignal link to a different email address after you have submitted an application. Thank you.***

About the Software Engineering [PhD] Intern Role:

Our NuData team brings together like-minded engineers opening up the boundaries to build the next generation database platform for eBay. We have already built a distributed, hyperscale, and a highly-performant database platform which leverages open source cloud technologies. We are looking into enhancing our core database engine that powers our document, vector db,  graph, columnar and key-value stores that can horizontally scale to tens of thousands of shards, spanning across multiple regions.

The Software Engineering PhD Intern in this role should be passionate about pushing the envelope and not settling for the status quo. Our interns bring cutting edge academic research and industrial knowledge and ideas on how to develop innovative solutions smartly. The platform is being built by a team that has the culture and the environment that technologists find at a startup. We are looking for outstanding software engineering interns with strong research background, development experience in building scalable and geo-distributed solutions. Experience in building and deploying to production infrastructure is preferred. Having a portfolio of research paper authorships in distributed systems is desirable.

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of relevant programming languages, database internals, distributed systems, consensus algorithms, transaction systems, consistency levels, design patterns, and storage and network solutions. Exceptional problem solving abilities will be critical for success, as will be a focus on quality. In our environment, quality is everyone’s responsibility, passion is key, innovation and creativity is strongly encouraged. The successful candidate will have a noticeable impact on the product and is expected to participate in the design and development of a feature/benchmark/prototype/proof of concept, ranging from architecture through testing and possibly even production rollout! 

Our interns will gain access to hyperscale distributed systems and learn about all that goes into building and operating those in live production at a large scale. The summer internship will be highly productive and rewarding , working with industry leading engineers, on cutting edge distributed cloud technologies .

Note: By applying to this internship position, your application will be considered for our locations in: San Jose, CA

Primary Responsibilities:

• Be part of a team of energetic engineers building and enhancing next-gen database platform using the latest open source technologies
• Works with engineers and mentors in the US and in China
• Work with a team of passionate engineers from inception to the completion of a feature or a prototype/proof of concept or benchmark,  going from brainstorming sessions to converging on a design and ultimately building either a portion or entire feature that is potentially ready for production and usable by end customers
• Design and implement differentiated features in a fast-pace environment with focus on scalability, performance, geo distribution, and availability
• Passion to bring out innovative ideas and try out new solutions, while being open minded to feedback from the team
• Relentless focus on quality and automation

What you will bring:

• Currently enrolled as a student in an accredited PhD degree program within the United States graduating between December 2025 - Summer 2026
• Maximum of 0-3 years of Professional/Full time relevant work experience (Not including Internships/Co-ops)
• Programming expertise. Proficient with object-oriented programming concepts, design patterns, and the complete SDLC. Be comfortable with algorithms and data structures, such as dynamic array, linked list, stack, queue, binary search, binary search tree, hash map, depth first search, breadth first search, and merge sort
• A go-getter. Seeks new opportunities, doesn’t shy away from challenges, and brings energy and enthusiasm to the office every day
• Key skills: C++, Java, Python, Scala, JavaScript or any other Programming language. Solid understanding of OOP/OOD , distributed systems, cloud-related knowledge, distributed cloud databases, Hadoop, Kubernetes. Interest in Full Stack development (Front and Back)
• Proficient with design of highly available fault tolerant distributed systems
• Ability to build high performance, highly scalable, and highly available databases and database management software in a distributed environment
• Strong applied experience. You’ve built, broken, and rebuilt software applications in Private Projects, Academic Projects, Prior Internships and/or Previous Work experience
• Creative thinker who knows how to create real-world products
• Analytical. Able to convert abstract concepts into viable products using CS fundamentals
• Resourceful. Have the ability to do a lot with a little. Be able to aggregate information from various places and build relationships with key partners to get the information you need
• Data Driven. Able to use data to frame out and solve problems
• Familiar with Database Internals (Database Engine, Query Processing, etc.)
• Strong programming skills in Java, C and C++ and scripting skills (Bash) are required with demonstrated ability to solve complex problems
• Strong verbal and written communication skills are required due to dynamic nature of team discussions
• Working experience in a cloud environment (Docker/K8S) is preferred
• Strong knowledge of Linux system 
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum and previous experience in a story driven agile environment is a plus

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment in California is expected in the range below.

$4,960 - $5,120 Bi-weekly (Every two weeks).

Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including Location, Education level, Skills, and Experience. 


eBay Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, and disability, or other legally protected status. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at talent@ebay.com. We will make every effort to respond to your request for disability assistance as soon as possible.

For more information see:  EEO is the Law Poster and EEO is the Law Poster Supplement