Node.js Backend Intern for Search & Data Services
Starting point
Search is the feature candidates use most and complain about most. Right now a job search on MailerMen is an ILIKE query across three PostgreSQL columns, and it shows. This six month internship is remote and open worldwide, and it is about replacing that with something defensible.
The build
You begin by instrumenting the current queries so we finally know what people type, then design and populate a search index, tune ranking against a labelled set of roughly two thousand query and result pairs, and expose the whole thing through a clean Express endpoint with caching for the common queries. Relevance work has to be measured, so you write the evaluation script before you write the ranker.
Working style
The team is spread across time zones, which means most communication is written. You will be asked to produce short design notes ahead of larger changes and to keep a decision log others can read months later. Four hours of daily overlap with India Standard Time is enough. Final year students and recent graduates apply on equal terms; what matters is that you can show something you built and explain why it works.
Responsibilities
- Instrument current search queries to capture what candidates actually type
- Design and populate a search index to replace the existing ILIKE queries
- Tune ranking against a labelled set of roughly two thousand query and result pairs
- Write the relevance evaluation script before the ranker so changes can be measured
- Expose search through a clean Express endpoint with caching for common queries
- Write short design notes ahead of larger changes and maintain a decision log
- Report weekly on precision and latency numbers rather than on activity
Requirements
- Final year student or recent graduate anywhere in the world; no experience needed
- Strong written English, since most of the team communicates asynchronously
- Node.js fundamentals plus enough SQL to explore a PostgreSQL dataset
- At least four hours of daily overlap with India Standard Time
- One project you can show and explain in technical detail
Skills
Benefits
- Work from anywhere for the full six months
- A measurable relevance project you are free to write about publicly
- Written design feedback from senior engineers on every proposal
- Certificate of completion and an open reference
MailerMen
MailerMen runs a verified job board covering startup and product roles across twelve markets, and takes on interns across engineering, data, design and marketing to build it.