Software Engineering Intern

Location: Washington DC Department: Technology

Join Our Talented Team at Protagonist

We fuse rigorous, methodologically sound analysis with our cutting-edge technology platform, Narrative Analytics®. This powerful combination enables us to quantitatively analyze open-source media, deliver strategic recommendations, and craft executive-level communication strategies for clients with missions that matter.

Why Us?

Our team is a vibrant mix of communication specialists, data scientists, and subject matter experts with extensive experience across U.S. Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and Fortune 500 companies. By joining Protagonist, you’ll immerse yourself in a collaborative environment where innovation thrives, and your contributions truly matter.

What We Do

Innovative Solutions: We co-develop cutting-edge solutions with our clients to address tough communication problems and capitalize on opportunities to make a tangible impact.

Data-Driven Insights: Our tools and methodologies provide actionable insights that help clients meet their communication objectives and stay ahead of global challenges.

Applied Expertise: We integrate our solutions within client organizations, leveraging our profound expertise to address critical issues and ensure sustainable success.

Be Part of Something Bigger

At Protagonist, you’ll work on compelling projects that make a real difference. We seek talented individuals eager to contribute to our mission and grow alongside us. If you’re passionate about communication, data analysis, and making an impact, we invite you to explore a career with Protagonist.

Explore Your Future with Us!

Ready to take the next step in your career? Join us at Protagonist and be part of a team that's making a difference.

Washington, DC | Minimum 20 hours/week | In-Office with Remote Opportunities (Starting Immediately)

About You

Protagonist is seeking a Software Engineering Intern to join our small, collaborative engineering team and contribute directly to the development of our Narrative Analytics® platform, which analyzes millions of online conversations to uncover the beliefs and narratives shaping how people think and act.

This is a hands-on opportunity to write real code for a real product, working across backend development, user-facing applications, data pipelines, and AI-powered features. You'll work alongside experienced engineers, data scientists, and analysts to solve real technical challenges, gain exposure to modern development tools and technologies, and see firsthand how your contributions make an impact. Rather than working on hypothetical projects, you'll contribute to technology that our teams and clients use in practice.

Responsibilities

Build API endpoints in Python (Django REST Framework) and the React/TypeScript components that use them

Write steps in our data pipelines (Metaflow) that pull in documents, enrich them with LLMs, and index them in OpenSearch

Help build and evaluate LLM features: prompt templates, structured outputs, and scorecards that tell us whether a prompt is working

Gain hands-on experience with AWS services, including S3, Bedrock, and EKS, to support development, troubleshooting, and deployment Write tests, upgrade dependencies, fix what breaks, and help track down production bugs

Collaborate with data scientists and analysts to understand how the platform is used and how engineering contributions support analytical workflows

Requirements

Authorized to work in the US

Must meet applicable U.S. Government contract eligibility requirements, including any citizenship or security clearance requirements associated with assigned work.

Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

Available to work a minimum of 20 hours/week throughout the semester

This is not a fully remote position; interns must be able to work in our Washington D.C. office 1-2 days per week

Comfortable in Python

You’ve used Git for real, not just for a class assignment

Some exposure to web development (any framework), SQL, or JavaScript

Curious about NLP, machine learning, or large language models

Ideal Candidate

A class project or side project in Django, React, or TypeScript

Pandas or other data work in Python

You’ve called an LLM API and built something with it

You use AI coding tools and can tell when they’re wrong

Docker, or any cloud provider

Additional Information

If you’re passionate about technology and making an impact, apply today! Protagonist is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and innovative environment where everyone’s voice can make a difference.

Protagonist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The internship pays $20.00 / hour or the applicable local minimum wage rate, whichever is higher.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.