Backend Engineering Intern

**Location**s**:Zurich, Berlin
- Technology

**In short**:
Whether you’re looking to jump start your career or gain first hands-on experience in a new field, an internship at On offers you a unique growth experience, the chance to make an impact from day 1 and contribute to On’s growth journey. We are looking for fresh ideas, curious minds and passionate individuals ready to make a difference. Our internships generally last 6 months and you will be fully embedded in a team.
- Start date: ADD DATE (Sept 1 or March 1)
- Duration: 6 months
- Prerequisite: Interest in area relevant to the internship, passion for On, right to work in EU / Switzerland
- Note: This is a paid internship

**Your Mission**:
Are you excited about learning how scalable backend systems are built and how data powers global products? Join On’s Product Core Technology team as a Backend Engineering Intern, where you’ll contribute to building the systems that enable our product data to flow across our digital ecosystem — from design and development to ecommerce and marketing. This internship offers a unique opportunity to work on meaningful challenges at the intersection of product data, backend systems, and digital experiences. You’ll be part of a team that builds GraphQL APIs, Kafka-based streaming systems, and backend services that power On’s website, mobile app, and internal platforms. If you’re curious, eager to learn, and ready to grow your backend development skills in a fast-paced and collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you

In Your First Month:

- Get to know On’s product data landscape, tools, and engineering practices
- Shadow senior engineers and participate in team rituals like stand-ups, code reviews, and pair programming
- Contribute to small tasks or improvements in our services and documentation

After Three Months:

- Help implement new features or improvements to internal tools, APIs, or data flows
- Contribute to the development of backend services in TypeScript and Node.js
- Learn how event-driven systems (e.g. Kafka) are used in large-scale data pipelines

Beyond:

- Own on intern-level projects that improve data visibility, tooling, or developer workflows
- Present what you’ve built to the team and gather feedback
- Take initiative in learning new backend concepts and frameworks used in production systems.

**Your story**:

- Some experience with backend development — ideally with Node.js and TypeScript (through personal projects, coursework, or previous internships)
- Curious about APIs (especially GraphQL), databases (SQL or NoSQL), and cloud systems
- Eager to learn event-driven architecture and real-world data engineering patterns
- A team player who communicates clearly and enjoys collaborating
- Enthusiastic about data, technology, and building tools that help others

Bonus Points
- You’ve built or contributed to a backend or data-related project (personal, academic, or open-source)
- Git, tooling and deployment patterns
- Interest in how products are developed and brought to market
- A passion for sports, technology, or both

**About the Team**:
At On, we believe in learning by doing. As an intern on the Product Core Technology team, you’ll gain hands-on experience with systems that support a fast-growing global brand. You’ll work alongside talented engineers, product managers, and data experts — and have the chance to shape real features and tools. This is more than just an internship — it’s a launchpad. If you’re ready to grow, make an impact, and learn from the best, we’d love to meet you.

**Most lived Spirit in our team**:
**Explorer**:
**Explorer**:
Our team exists to think differently. Wild curiosity and a thirst for knowledge keeps moving our tech forward. There are no boxes here. We’re always dreaming of what’s possible - and searching for new ways to get there.
- Learn about out Spirits

**Zürich**:
Just by the banks of the Limmat you’ll find our largest global hub in Zürich West - On Labs - where you can hike up 12 floors through our custom-built spiral trail.

Förrlibuckstrasse 190,
8005
Switzerland

**Berlin**:
In a former 19th Century postal building by Berlin’s river Spree, you’ll find our future-focused, creative hub.

Köpenicker Str. 122,
10179
Germany
- Gioia
- HEAD OF OPERATIONS PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

My journey has evolved for sure and, actually, change can lead to infinite possibilities. Those core values that were there when I joined are still here today and I really find them extraordinary every day.
VivekDIRECTOR OF ENGINEERINGWe’re closely connected to the whole business. Every day, we’re making quick decisions to improve the customer experience. Because these live changes impact the whole business, we deeply respect individual opinion and what others think about the end customer experience.
- Gioia
- HEAD OF OPERATIONS PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

My journey has evolved for sure and, actually, change can lead to infinite possibilities. Those core values that were