Software Engineer Intern - FT Core at Financial Times · Sofia

The Financial Times (FT) is one of the world’s leading business news and information organisations. We are recognised globally for our authority, integrity and accuracy. We provide a broad range of essential services, including news, comment, data and analysis, to the growing audience of internationally minded business people.

We believe the Financial Times is a great place to work. Our technical stack is modern and forward-looking, built on cloud-native, microservices architectures and a mix of open source and commercial technologies. Our product development practices are equally progressive - data-driven, customer-focused, and empowering engineers to make meaningful contributions. Engineers have the autonomy to choose appropriate tools and influence how we build and operate systems. Importantly, we also prioritise a healthy work-life balance.

Position Summary

We are looking for a Software Engineer Intern to join our Product & Technology department. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience within a globally recognised organisation, working on real-world systems that power critical FT products and services.

Based in Sofia, and collaborating closely with distributed teams in London and Sofia, you will be embedded within an Agile engineering team. You will contribute to building and operating scalable, reliable platforms, while learning modern engineering practices and technologies.

This role is well-suited to someone who is curious, eager to learn, and comfortable navigating an evolving technical landscape. You will be supported by experienced engineers and encouraged to grow your skills while contributing to meaningful work.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of backend services and platform components used across FT systems
• Support the design and implementation of scalable, reliable and secure APIs and services
• Participate in the full lifecycle of services, including development, testing, deployment and operation
• Assist in improving system observability, monitoring and operational reliability
• Work with modern infrastructure and tooling, including cloud platforms and containerised environments
• Collaborate with engineers and stakeholders to understand system requirements and deliver solutions
• Learn and apply engineering best practices such as automated testing, CI/CD and code reviews
• Support debugging and troubleshooting of distributed systems

Person Specification (Candidate Profile):

Essential

• Good command of written and spoken English
• Basic understanding of backend programming concepts and paradigms (e.g. APIs, services, data handling)
• Familiarity with at least one backend-oriented language such as Java, Go, Python or Node.js
• Understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms
• Strong willingness to learn and curiosity about how systems work at scale
• Awareness of software engineering best practices (e.g. testing, version control, CI/CD)
• Comfortable working in a Linux or Unix-like environment

Desirable

• Exposure to concepts such as RESTful APIs, microservices or distributed systems
• Basic understanding of cloud computing (e.g. AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Familiarity with containers and orchestration (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes)
• Understanding of Agile development methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban
• Experience with version control systems such as Git
• Relevant academic or personal projects related to backend or platform engineering

What’s in it for you?

• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program
• Life Insurance
• Food Allowance
• Multisport Card
• Comprehensive in-house training, and external training programs (subject to approval)

We currently operate a hybrid model which requires staff to work onsite 50% of the time, subject to role requirements & regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for all roles. We believe this balanced approach supports flexibility and protects our culture, making collaboration and communication easier, building stronger relationships and team cohesion, and supporting peer learning. We reserve discretion on reasonable notice to change this approach either generally or for specific individuals or teams.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email talent@ft.com and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Further information

At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may leverage AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is essential that all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications.

Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all.

Please beware of fraudulent job postings and offers claiming to be from the Financial Times. All legitimate opportunities will direct you to apply through the official Financial Times careers site, and the FT will never ask for financial information, payments, or referrals to third parties during the hiring process. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a job posting or suspect any scam activity, please contact talent@ft.com.

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