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Backend Engineer Intern Jobs in Maryland (NOW HIRING)

HCI

AI Developer Fall Intern

Ellicott City, MD

$30 - $40/hr

AI Developer Intern -- 90 Day Internship with Potential Full-Time Opportunity. This position is ... Familiarity with full-stack development is a plus, including frontend, backend, APIs, databases ...

HCI

AI Fall Intern

Ellicott City, MD

$30 - $40/hr

AI Developer Intern -- 90 Day Internship with Potential Full-Time Opportunity What We're Looking ... Familiarity with full-stack development is a plus, including frontend, backend, APIs, databases ...

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Backend Engineer Intern information

What is a backend engineer intern?

Backend Engineer Interns are students or entry-level professionals who assist in designing, developing, and maintaining the server-side components of web applications. They work with databases, APIs, and server logic to ensure smooth data flow and application performance. During their internship, they often collaborate with senior engineers to learn industry best practices, debug code, and help implement new features. This role provides valuable hands-on experience in backend technologies and prepares interns for a career in software engineering.

What types of projects and tasks can a backend engineer intern expect to work on during their internship?

As a Backend Engineer Intern, you will typically work on tasks such as building and maintaining APIs, optimizing database queries, writing unit tests, and assisting with the integration of new backend features. Interns often collaborate closely with senior engineers and cross-functional teams, learning best practices for scalable and maintainable code. You may also participate in code reviews and contribute to ongoing projects, giving you exposure to real-world production environments and the software development lifecycle.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a backend engineer intern?

To thrive as a Backend Engineer Intern, you need a solid understanding of programming languages like Python, Java, or Node.js, along with foundational knowledge of algorithms, databases, and APIs. Familiarity with version control systems (such as Git), cloud platforms, and frameworks like Django or Express is commonly expected. Strong problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills set top candidates apart in collaborative and fast-paced environments. These skills and qualities are crucial for building reliable backend systems, integrating with other software, and ensuring efficient team collaboration.

What is the difference between Backend Engineer Intern vs Software Developer Intern?

AspectBackend Engineer InternSoftware Developer Intern
Required SkillsKnowledge of server-side languages, databases, APIsProficiency in programming languages, problem-solving
Work EnvironmentFocus on backend systems, server managementBroader software development tasks, front-end and back-end
Industry UsageCommon in tech companies with backend servicesWidespread across various software development roles

While both roles involve software development internships, a Backend Engineer Intern specializes in server-side and database work, whereas a Software Developer Intern may work on both front-end and back-end tasks. The Backend Engineer Intern role is more focused on backend systems, making it ideal for those interested in server management and APIs.

What are the most commonly searched types of Backend Engineer jobs in Maryland? The most popular types of Backend Engineer jobs in Maryland are:
What cities in Maryland are hiring for Backend Engineer Intern jobs? Cities in Maryland with the most Backend Engineer Intern job openings:
Backend Engineer Intern jobs near you

AI Developer Fall Intern

HCI

Ellicott City, MD

$30 - $40/hr

Full-time, Internship

Posted 17 days ago

Job description

Job description

AI Developer Intern — 90 Day Internship with Potential Full-Time Opportunity. This position is located in our Ellicott City, MD HQ working with the rest of our AI developers. It requires being in-office and is not a remote or hybrid position.

What We're Looking For

HCIactive is a forward-thinking, highly experienced AI development organization that has fully transformed into an AI-first development shop. We are looking for a highly motivated AI Developer Intern for a 90-day summer internship / trial period, with the shared intention of transitioning into a full-time role immediately afterward if the fit is strong for both the candidate and HCIactive. Candidates must have already graduated or be on track to graduate no later than December 2026.

This internship is designed for someone who can quickly adopt and effectively use our mature AI development toolkits, workflows, and engineering patterns. During the 90-day period, the candidate will have the opportunity to demonstrate their technical ability, communication skills, learning speed, initiative, and alignment with HCIactive's AI-first development approach.

The ideal candidate will have an exceptionally strong foundation in computer science, excellent communication skills, and a strong desire to work with the bleeding edge of AI-powered software development. This role requires someone who can learn quickly, follow established development patterns, adapt to shifting priorities, and take initiative in a fast-moving environment.

Key qualities and experience include:

  • Excellent communication skills, both internally with team members and externally with stakeholders or users.
  • Strong computer science fundamentals, including software design, data structures, algorithms, debugging, and problem-solving.
  • Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities, emerging technologies, and evolving project needs.
  • High enthusiasm for bleeding-edge AI technologies, including AI-assisted development, prompt-driven workflows, and modern AI tooling.
  • Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to take initiative, ask good questions, and move work forward independently.
  • Ability to follow mature engineering patterns, since HCIactive has been using AI-assisted development practices for over three years and has well-established workflows.
  • Familiarity with full-stack development is a plus, including frontend, backend, APIs, databases, and cloud-based application architecture.
  • Experience with AI development tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, or similar tools is a strong plus. Must have Cursor experience.
  • Strong willingness to learn and adopt HCIactive's AI development toolkits, coding standards, and implementation patterns within the 90 day internship period.
  • Candidates must have already graduated or be on track to graduate no later than December 2026

Compensation between $30-$40/hour base on experience.

**Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. The Company is not able to sponsor employment visas or provide employment-based immigration sponsorships now or in the future for this position.