Intern - Software Engineer, AI User Experience

Rakuten • Bellevue, WA

2d

About The Position

Rakuten is seeking an innovative, dedicated Software Engineer Intern to join its AI User Experience team. Rakuten AI aims to serve as an AI companion and the AI core of Rakuten’s ecosystem, connecting Rakuten services and users to improve customer experiences. In this role, you will help advance AI user experience across Rakuten products by developing a flexible, scalable framework. You will contribute to front-end and back-end web applications, Agentic AI frameworks, data and APIs, testing, and performance improvements. Candidates from other engineering fields are welcome, including those without direct AI experience; Rakuten offers mentorship and resources to support growth and transition into AI.

Requirements

• Proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with experience using at least one modern front-end framework such as React, Angular, or Vue.
• Proficiency in back-end development and knowledge of server-side languages such as C#, Java, Python, Node.js, Ruby, or PHP.
• Familiarity with building RESTful APIs and knowledge of web development frameworks.
• Knowledge or familiarity with data schema design and relational databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL and/or NoSQL databases such as MongoDB or Cassandra.
• Proficiency in debugging and problem-solving across front-end and back-end systems.
• Ability to write clean, organized, readable, and maintainable code and follow coding standards and best practices.
• Adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies and respond to changing project requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree or above in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with testing practices, including unit, integration, and end-to-end testing.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in AI-related projects or products is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable, high-performing front-end and back-end features for web applications.
• Create intuitive, responsive AI user interfaces using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue.
• Build server-side logic and APIs using technologies such as Node.js, Python, Java, or Ruby.
• Develop a flexible, scalable Agentic AI framework using AI toolsets such as LangChain.
• Design and manage data schemas and databases to support efficient data storage and retrieval.
• Integrate external APIs and third-party services as needed.
• Write unit, integration, and end-to-end tests; troubleshoot issues and resolve bugs across the application.
• Optimize application code, databases, and server configurations to improve performance, reduce latency, and increase efficiency.

Benefits

• Professional development workshops.
• Interactions with Rakuten leadership.
• Relationship-building opportunities with other interns and company professionals.
• Mentorship and resources to support growth in AI domains.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern