Intern - Software Engineer (Systems)

Job Summary

We invest heavily in new talent because fresh perspectives help us innovate and elevate what’s possible. As AI transforms how organizations use and manage their data, NetApp is helping shape the next generation of intelligent data infrastructure across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.

As an intern, you’ll be encouraged to bring forward new ideas, take ownership of meaningful work, and drive results alongside a team that succeeds together, while receiving the mentorship, resources, and feedback you need to grow.

As a Software Engineer Intern on one of our Systems teams, you’ll work alongside experienced engineers to design, develop, test, and enhance software that powers NetApp’s data infrastructure. Depending on your team and project assignment, you may contribute to areas such as ONTAP, storage and file systems, data protection and replication, distributed systems, business continuity, systems infrastructure, and performance.

You’ll gain hands-on experience across the software development lifecycle while learning how reliable, high-performance systems are designed, developed, tested, and operated.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, test, debug, and enhance system-level software using C and/or C++.
• Apply operating system and systems programming concepts such as processes, threads, concurrency, synchronization, and memory management.
• Contribute to software supporting storage, file systems, replication, data protection, or distributed systems.
• Investigate software defects and performance issues and help identify root causes.
• Develop automated unit, integration, or system tests to validate functionality, reliability, and performance.
• Participate across the software development lifecycle, from design and implementation through debugging, testing, and delivery.
• Collaborate across engineering teams to solve complex technical problems and improve system reliability, scalability, and performance.

Example Project Work

Intern projects vary based on team priorities and business needs and may include:

• ONTAP & Storage Systems: Develop or enhance C/C++ functionality within ONTAP and its underlying storage or file-system components.
• System Reliability & Data Integrity: Build capabilities related to checkpointing, logging and tracing, data integrity, corruption detection, or automated testing.
• Business Continuity & Data Protection: Develop and test software that helps systems remain available or recover during disruptions.
• Replication & Distributed Systems: Contribute to software supporting data protection, data mobility, replication, and distributed infrastructure.
• Performance & Optimization: Analyze system behavior and improve software performance, efficiency, scalability, or reliability.
• Test & Reliability Automation: Build automated tests that improve product quality and system reliability.

Job Requirements

• Programming experience with C and/or C++ through coursework, projects, research, internships, or other hands-on experience.
• Understanding of data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and software engineering fundamentals.
• Familiarity with Linux or Unix environments.
• Exposure to systems programming concepts such as processes, threads, memory management, concurrency, or synchronization.
• Strong analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to learn and apply new technologies.
• Coursework, projects, or experience in areas such as operating systems, computer architecture, file systems, distributed systems, storage, networking, multithreading, or performance analysis is a plus.
• Curiosity about AI and emerging technologies, with exposure through coursework, projects, or hands-on use considered a plus.

You don’t need experience in every technology or area listed above. We value strong software engineering fundamentals, curiosity, technical problem-solving skills, and the ability to learn.

Additional Details:

• Job Posting Info: This is a pipeline position used to fill internship opportunities across multiple engineering teams, and recruiting will continue as individual teams identify project and hiring needs.
• Program Details: This is a 10–12 week summer internship, with start dates in May or June 2027.

Education & Experience

• Must be enrolled in an educational or professional program through the summer of 2027.
• Candidates pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field are encouraged to apply.

Compensation: Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off (PTO), various Leave options, Performance-Based Incentives, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU’s), with all offerings subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. Benefits may vary by country and region, and further details will be provided as part of the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in-office and/or in-person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You'll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment—you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

If you're ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment - make your next move your best one. Apply now.

Submitting an Application

To ensure a streamlined and fair hiring process for all candidates, our team only reviews applications submitted through our company website. This practice allows us to track, assess, and respond to applicants efficiently. Emailing our employees, recruiters, or Human Resources personnel directly will not influence your application.

AI Disclosure

For select roles, some stages of our hiring process may use artificial intelligence tools to help evaluate applications and candidate selection. These tools support—rather than replace—human decision-making.