Backend Developer Internship Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

We are a cybersecurity company building a next-generation AI-driven operations platform, designed to power complex, high-stakes workflows. Our product integrates generative AI deeply into real-time operational environments-combining reasoning, retrieval, and automation into scalable, trustworthy systems.

The Opportunity

We're looking for ambitious undergraduate new graduates with a strong foundation in computer science and a genuine interest in AI to join us as an Applied AI Engineer. This is an ideal role for someone who has built projects, completed internships, or pursued coursework in backend systems and applied AI-and is ready to grow those skills in a fast-paced production environment. You'll work alongside senior engineers, product managers, and AI researchers to build systems that drive investigation speed, streamline operations, and unlock new modes of human-AI collaboration.

What You'll Do

Development

Build and maintain backend services and AI-integrated features for real-time, high-volume operational workloads.

Integrate LLMs and GenAI components into production workflows, including prompt orchestration, retrieval pipelines, and evaluation loops.

Help design data flows (event streams, message queues, job orchestration) to support next-generation SOC/NOC capabilities.

Write clean, well-documented code with clear API contracts between AI services, backend APIs, and frontend clients.

Contribute to trustworthy AI delivery: streaming responses, structured outputs, redaction/guardrails, and human-in-the-loop review.

Collaboration

Work with senior backend engineers to build data pipelines that power AI-driven features.

Collaborate with design and frontend engineers to translate complex backend/AI systems into intuitive user experiences.

Participate in code reviews, technical design discussions, and team retrospectives.

Communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical teammates about progress, blockers, and trade-offs.

Who You Are

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, AI/ML, or a closely related technical field (graduated within the past 6 months or graduating by Summer 2026).

Technical Skills

Core Backend & Platform

Proficiency in at least one modern backend language (e.g., Python, Go) demonstrated through coursework, personal projects, or internships.

Familiarity with API design (REST, WebSocket, or GraphQL) and basic understanding of event-driven or real-time systems.

Coursework or hands-on exposure to relational databases (e.g., Postgres) and data modeling fundamentals.

Basic understanding of authentication/authorization patterns and web application security.

Awareness of distributed systems concepts (load balancing, caching, message queues).

AI/ML Foundations

Completed coursework or projects involving machine learning, NLP, or deep learning.

Familiarity with AI/ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face) from class or personal projects.

Interest in or exposure to LLM-based applications, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation and agentic system design

Enthusiasm for learning about multi-agent architectures, fine-tuning workflows, and evaluation techniques.

Communication & Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving skills and intellectual curiosity.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Eagerness to learn quickly, take feedback constructively, and grow in a team environment.

Experience working on team-based projects (class projects, hackathons, clubs, or open-source contributions).

What Sets You Apart

Internship experience at a tech, cybersecurity, or AI company.

Personal projects demonstrating end-to-end application development (especially with LLM integrations).

Contributions to open-source projects in AI/ML, developer tools, or backend frameworks.

Participation in hackathons, programming competitions, or CTF (Capture the Flag) events.

A standout capstone or senior thesis project related to AI systems or distributed computing.

What We Offer

A structured onboarding experience with mentorship from senior engineers and researchers.

Opportunity to shape the future of AI-assisted cybersecurity and operations at scale.

Real ownership of product features used daily by enterprise customers-not busywork.

Continuous learning in AI/ML, distributed systems, and modern web technologies.

Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k), 11 paid holidays, vacation time, and sick time.

Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $123,000-$151,000. Exact salary offers will be determined by factors such as skill level, qualifications, academic achievements, and geographic location.

All roles are eligible to participate in the Fortinet equity program. Bonus eligibility is reviewed at the time of hire and annually at the company's discretion.