---
title: 'Internship - Search Backend Infra Engineer at Perplexity'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/internship-search-backend-infra-engineer-perplexity-belgrade-j7wpag5f9nne'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Internship - Search Backend Infra Engineer at Perplexity

- **Company:** [Perplexity](https://feeny.ai/companies/perplexity)
- **Location:** Belgrade, Serbia
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-07-01
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Perplexity/be94e89b-89d5-4f2a-a58b-7929c8d97f92/application

**Skills:** Rust, Go, C++, Linux, AWS, CI/CD, Monitoring, Cloud infrastructure, Linux systems

> Support the search team by building and maintaining robust infrastructure and backend services. Collaborate with senior engineers to design, deploy, and monitor cloud-native systems on AWS while contributing to CI/CD pipelines and internal automation tools.

## Job description

Perplexity is looking for a Backend/Infrastructure Engineer Intern to support our small, high-impact team building the systems that power our search experience. You will work closely with experienced engineers to help design, build, and operate robust infrastructure and backend services that keep Perplexity fast, reliable, and scalable.

Internship program: 12 - 24 weeks, full-time, part-time, in-person in the Belgrade office.

Responsibilities:

- Build and maintain infrastructure that supports high-performance search systems, with mentorship from senior engineers.
- Design internal tools and automation to improve developer workflows and operational efficiency.
- Support the design, deployment, and monitoring of cloud-native systems on AWS.
- Contribute to improving CI/CD pipelines, testing infrastructure, and release processes.
- Debug and optimize Linux-based services, containers, and backend systems.
- Contribute to product codebases, primarily using Rust, Go or C++.

Qualifications:

- Working towards a degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Familiarity with at least one programming language such as Go, Rust, or C/C++, through coursework or projects.
- Basic understanding or exposure to cloud infrastructure (e.g. AWS) and Linux systems is a plus, not a requirement.
- Interest in infrastructure, distributed systems, or backend engineering, with willingness to learn about CI/CD, monitoring, and performance.
- A proactive and curious learner who enjoys collaborating in a fast-paced, innovative environment

What we're looking for:

- You’ve built something you’re proud of: Not just a class assignment - we want to see a project you genuinely cared about and took the initiative to build and finish.
- You’re currently enrolled at a Serbian university: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD program or you’re self-taught with a strong passion for software engineering and technology.
- You’re curious, persistent, and self-driven: you take ownership, work through challenges, and follow through on what you start.
- You’re eager to learn and improve: you’re willing to put in the work, develop your skills, and get better every week.
- You’re comfortable working in English: in a collaborative, professional environment.
- You thrive in a high-performance environment: you’re comfortable with high standards, direct feedback, and a fast pace.
- You’re willing to challenge and be challenged: You’re comfortable asking questions, sharing your perspective, and pushing back constructively when it matters.

## About Perplexity

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Perplexity builds an AI-powered answer engine that delivers accurate, real-time answers to any question, serving curious minds and professionals who demand precision and speed.
- **Entity Type**: Private (total funding $1.7B across 16 rounds)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, Andy Konwinski

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: AI-powered search and knowledge retrieval, Software Development
- **Target customers**: B2C (general users), B2B (enterprise API customers), and power users seeking reliable information
- **Mission**: “AI for people who expect more – more accuracy, more agency, more signal, less noise.”

## Products & Services
- **Perplexity AI (Free Tier)**: Real-time conversational search engine that synthesizes web results with citations, accessible via web and mobile app. *Type*: SaaS
- **Perplexity Pro**: Subscription offering enhanced features such as advanced AI models, multimodal search, and increased usage limits. *Type*: SaaS (subscription)
- **Perplexity API Platform**: Enables developers to integrate Perplexity’s search and reasoning capabilities into their own applications. *Type*: API
- **Perplexity Browser Extension**: Brings AI-powered search directly into the browser for quick answers without leaving the page. *Type*: Browser extension

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available in provided sources (prior reports indicate ~$9B valuation as of 2024, but not confirmed in this data set)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding $1.7B (16 rounds); annual revenue ~$50M (LinkedIn estimate)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not explicitly listed in provided search results; widely known investors include IVP, NEA, Jeff Bezos, and others (not sourced here)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 11.3% YoY to 1,152 employees; operates in 54 countries; LinkedIn followers grew 131.8% yearly to >1.6M; active hiring across 48+ open roles including AI Research, Engineering, and Go-to-Market teams

## Competitive Advantages
- **Real-time, cited answers**: Unlike traditional chatbots, Perplexity grounds answers in live web results with transparent sources, building trust and accuracy.
- **Multimodal and agentic capabilities**: Continuously pushes frontier research (e.g., query-aware context compression, agents for knowledge work) that differentiates from generic LLM interfaces.
- **Vertical integration from research to product**: In-house AI research team tackles open problems unique to Perplexity’s scale, enabling fast iteration on novel methods.
- **Strong brand and user base**: Rapid consumer adoption with millions of monthly active users and high engagement.

## Strategic Focus
- **Pushing the frontier of search**: Evolving from retrieval services to code generation, agents, and full autonomy in knowledge work.
- **Expanding enterprise and API revenue**: Growing B2B footprint with API platform and enterprise solutions.
- **Global hiring and office expansion**: Offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York, Austin, Washington D.C., London, Berlin, and Belgrade, with “4 days in office” hybrid model.
- **Investing in AI research**: Dedicated research division (Perplexity Research) exploring reasoning, agents, and systems to redefine how people navigate the internet.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Environment**: “Thoughtful support” culture with emphasis on craftsmanship, ownership, entrepreneurship, scholarship, and partnership. Hybrid schedule (4 days in-office) based on location.
- **Perks**: Daily catered meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner in office), office snacks, ride home program, commuter benefits, home office reimbursement, fitness classes, gym memberships.
- **Compensation & Benefits**: Competitive salary and equity packages; retirement plans with company match; flexible PTO; holiday shutdown between Christmas and New Year; 12 weeks paid bonding leave; comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
- **Relocation & Visa Support**: Relocation assistance and visa/green card sponsorship for eligible roles. Partners with immigration firm to support the process.
- **Engineering Excellence**: “Technical assessment for relevant roles”; values hands-on contribution, broad skill sets, and merit-based evaluation. Frequent Tech Talks and exposure to greenfield AI research problems.

## Sources
1. [perplexity.ai/hub/careers](https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/careers)
2. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/perplexity](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/perplexity)
3. [perplexity.ai](https://www.perplexity.ai/)
4. [linkedin.com/company/perplexity-ai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/perplexity-ai)
5. [research.perplexity.ai](https://research.perplexity.ai/)

## Other roles at Perplexity

- [Member of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, Infrastructure)](https://feeny.ai/job/member-of-technical-staff-software-engineer-infrastructure-perplexity-san-phdw5wsw1ys9) — San Francisco, CA
- [Virtual Events Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/virtual-events-manager-perplexity-san-francisco-9z3wjardvdqq) — San Francisco, CA
- [Field Marketing Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/field-marketing-manager-perplexity-san-francisco-3dfbnq1x8c0j) — San Francisco, CA
- [Product Manager, SMB Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-smb-growth-perplexity-san-francisco-kd2qx39ttej6) — San Francisco, CA
- [Product Manager, Mobile Apps](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-mobile-apps-perplexity-san-francisco-v9491j337kha) — San Francisco, CA
- [Product Manager, AI Capabilities](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-ai-capabilities-perplexity-san-francisco-n1xpbf9crx7x) — San Francisco, CA
- [Product Manager, Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-growth-perplexity-san-francisco-bfyfj56nx1hk) — San Francisco, CA
- [Product Manager, Core Experience](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-core-experience-perplexity-new-york-mm01d1n10g8h) — New York, NY
- [Motion Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/motion-designer-perplexity-new-york-k6wvzd3d4mam) — New York, NY
- [Brand Designer, Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/brand-designer-growth-perplexity-san-francisco-75m10qjkqy8a) — San Francisco, CA