Backend Engineering Intern (Scala)

Location: Vienna, Austria; hybrid work with 40% home office. Candidates must be based in Vienna or be open to relocating and must have the right to work in the EU/Austria. Visa sponsorship is not available. The internship requires at least 32 hours per week and runs for 4–6 months.

Salary: €2,000 gross per month, starting rate.

Company

hirify.global develops a photo-printing app that uses smart technology and machine learning to help more than 10 million users create Photo Books and Prints.

What you will do

• Contribute to the Scala-based Photobook software solution and its machine-learning-driven layouting algorithm.
• Develop new backend features and REST APIs used by millions of users.
• Improve the performance, scalability, and reliability of production systems.
• Identify and fix bugs, technical debt, and other areas for improvement.
• Write maintainable code, participate in code reviews, and collaborate with backend, frontend, machine-learning, design, and product teams.
• Learn how production systems are built, tested, and deployed.

Requirements

• Basic to intermediate backend development experience through studies, internships, or personal projects.
• Familiarity with at least one JVM language: Java, Kotlin, or Scala.
• Understanding of REST APIs and web application communication.
• Basic knowledge of SQL or NoSQL databases and/or software algorithms.
• Some experience with Git and collaborative development workflows, plus good communication and willingness to learn.
• EU/Austria work authorization and residence in Vienna are required; student visas limited to 20 hours per week are not suitable.

Nice to have

• Experience with PostgreSQL or Redis.
• Interest in code performance optimization or genetic algorithms.
• Personal or academic software projects and willingness to work with complex codebases.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work model with 40% home office days and flexible hours.
• Breakfast, coffee, tea, and fresh daily lunches in the in-house eatery.
• Vienna public transport card covered for the internship.
• Company MacBook available for personal use.
• Weekly in-house German lessons and premium membership on hirify.global products.

Hiring process

• One 1.5-hour interview with the future mentor and an Engineering team member.
• Applications should include a CV in English and a cover letter.