We are The Markup (https://themarkup.org/)—a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism organization. We investigate how powerful actors use technology to reshape society.
With little accountability or oversight, technology is affecting who we vote for, how we raise our kids, and who is able to get housing, jobs, healthcare, and have a comfortable life. You deserve to know more about how this is happening, and what you can do about it.
About the Positions
The Markup is seeking two Web Engineering interns to join our Product and Technology team this summer. We’re looking for resourceful candidates with front-end and/or web development proficiency. The selected candidates will spend the summer developing features and improvements for Blacklight, The Markup’s online tool that scans and reveals user-tracking on websites. These are paid internships and completely remote positions.
The ideal candidates will have the curiosity to ask questions and the resourcefulness to answer them (though they won’t always need to do that on their own). Candidates should have a foundational computer programming knowledge from coursework, understanding of common software engineering workflows, and the ability to work with code written by others.
Research shows that underrepresented applicants often downplay their skills. If your experience doesn’t exactly match the qualifications listed, we still want to hear from you. Please apply!
The deadline to apply is April 28, 2023.
Responsibilities
- Update and improve existing tools like Blacklight, our real-time privacy inspector
- Assist with updates to our website as needed
- Propose creative technical solutions that advance the goals of the Product and Technology team
- Learn and implement best practices for preserving user privacy
Qualifications
- Either a student currently enrolled in a degree program pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree OR recent graduates of a coding boot camp
- Legally eligible to work in the US and residing in the country during the length of the internship
- Proficient with JavaScript (Node.js and client-side), HTML, and CSS
- Strong analytic, conceptual, and problem-solving abilities
- Ability to work remotely with reliable high-speed internet
Nice to Haves
- A passion for Open Source software
- Familiarity with web scraping (with Puppeteer in particular)
- Familiarity with TypeScript
- Experience working with WordPress code and customization
- Experience with AWS, especially Lambda, S3, and SQS
- Experience with automated testing
*Note: If you do not have experience in a newsroom, or working in a non-profit, and feel you are the right candidate for this job, please apply. We will put resources toward professional training, and your enthusiasm and motivation matters.
Compensation and Other Details
These internships are full-time, pay $24 per hour, and last 10 weeks between June and August. Exact start and end dates can be adjusted to fit the chosen candidate’s academic calendar.
These are fully remote positions open to eligible students located anywhere in the US.
Here’s what you should know about us
Our mission is woven into everything we do. We don’t take shortcuts—even if that means searching high and low for the right newsletter platform or taking the time to perfect an investigation. We pride ourselves on an organizational culture that is rigorous, collaborative, and courageous.
The Markup is committed to becoming an antiracist organization. And as an organization led by women, we do our best to center justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do—of which hiring is just one part. We encourage you to ask us about what concrete steps we are taking in service of these ideals. We strongly encourage applicants who are people of color, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and/or formerly incarcerated people. Grit, wit, kindness, and a strong work ethic are necessary.
Come do your best work with us. We’re excited to meet you!
How to apply
To apply, please fill out the form below. A cover letter or portfolio is recommended. Please do not contact the hiring manager directly, and please do not send a résumé to staff at their individual email addresses.
If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, don’t hesitate to contact [email protected].
We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, country of origin, citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by local, state, or federal laws.
