At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our Research Team to tackle challenging problems in security, privacy, and systems at scale.
- Company: Cloudflare, a leader in building a better Internet with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and the chance to work on impactful projects.
- Other info: Internship in London with opportunities for growth and collaboration.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission-driven team that values curiosity and innovation in tech.
- Qualifications: Passion for problem-solving, coding skills, and a desire to learn.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
At Cloudflare, we are on a mission to help build a better Internet. Today the company runs one of the world’s largest networks that powers millions of websites and other Internet properties for customers ranging from individual bloggers to SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code.
Cloudflare’s Research Team pursues strategic projects that have a large impact on Cloudflare systems and the Internet at large. Our focus is on solving difficult problems to connect and protect users, applications, and data, while helping to make the Internet more resilient, efficient, and transparent. In our quest to help make a better Internet, we frequently find ourselves exploring open problems at the boundaries of knowledge in scalable computing, with a focus on security and privacy, using techniques including AI/ML and performance analysis.
What you'll do:
- Cloudflare's Research Team solves difficult problems in security, privacy, and systems at scale. This involves engineering, data analysis, open source software development, protocol design, implementation of primitives, with lots of measurement alongside.
- Interns and internship projects are designed to help maintain the integrity of the Internet, its systems, and its applications.
General Research Intern Requirements:
- Evidence of tackling hard or open-ended problems
- Proven track record of peer-reviewed research, open-source software contributions, or standards development
- Experience clearly communicating research ideas through papers, pre-prints, standards documents, blogs, or similar media
- Ability to work in a systems-level programming language (e.g. Rust, C, Go)
- Passion for debugging and ensuring system reliability
- Familiarity with continuous integration workflows and source control systems (e.g., Gitlab, Github)
- Willing and eager to share knowledge, with the skills to do so
Additional Requirements:
- Knowledge or experience with at least one of the following: Computer networking protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, BGP, QUIC, etc.) and related algorithms; Machine learning analysis, ideally in systems or network optimization; Authentication protocols, applied cryptography, PKI and SSL/TLS; Operating or distributed systems analysis or development; Measurement for network and computer systems; Proficiency in a scripting language, such as Python.
Internship Availability and Expectations:
- Ability to commit to a 12 week fall internship
- In office 3-4 days a week in London, UK
Cloudflare is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and place great value in both diversity and inclusiveness.
Research Engineer Intern (Fall 2026) employer: CloudFlare
Cloudflare is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration, making it an ideal place for aspiring AI professionals. Located in London, the company offers a dynamic work environment where interns can gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology while receiving mentorship from industry experts. With a strong commitment to employee growth and a mission-driven approach to building a better Internet, Cloudflare provides unique opportunities for meaningful contributions and personal development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Research Engineer Intern (Fall 2026)
✨Join Developer Communities!
Dive into online communities like GitHub or Stack Overflow. Contributing to open-source projects can really showcase your coding skills and catch the eye of hiring managers at companies like CloudFlare.
✨Attend Tech Meetups and Hackathons
Get your name out there by attending local tech meetups and hackathons. It's a perfect way to network with industry professionals and fellow interns, while also demonstrating your coding prowess in a collaborative setting.
✨Leverage University Career Services
Don't forget about your university's career services! They often have partnerships with companies like CloudFlare, and can help you access exclusive internship listings and workshops tailored for aspiring interns like us.
✨Show Off Your Work
Create a portfolio showcasing your coding projects on a platform like GitHub Pages or personal website. When applying for internships, we should link this to provide tangible proof of our skills and creativity, making us stand out to CloudFlare!
We think you need these skills to ace Research Engineer Intern (Fall 2026)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Side Projects:If you've got any side projects or contributions to open source, make sure to highlight them in your CV. We want to see what you can create! Include links to your GitHub or any relevant platforms to give us a taste of your coding style and skills.
Tailor Your CV for Software Engineering:Make your CV pop by tailoring it specifically for software engineering. List relevant programming languages, frameworks, and tools you’ve worked with, and showcase any tech stacks you're familiar with. This will help us quickly see how you fit into the CloudFlare team!
Let Your Passion Shine in Your Cover Letter:In your cover letter, don't just list your skills—tell us why you're passionate about software engineering! We love to see candidates who are eager to learn and grow, so share what excites you about this field and how a role at CloudFlare can help you on your journey.
Demonstrate Your Learning Mindset:As this is an internship, focus on your willingness to learn and adapt! We’re keen to see examples of how you’ve tackled challenges or learnt new skills in the past. Bring that eagerness to your application, showing us that you're ready to dive into a real-world software environment at CloudFlare!
How to prepare for a job interview at CloudFlare
✨Showcase Your Coding Skills
Since you're aiming for a software engineering internship, be ready to code on the spot or discuss your past projects. Brush up on your problem-solving skills, and practise coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank. We want to see how you approach problems and apply your knowledge, so having a few coding examples up your sleeve will definitely help!
✨Bring Your Portfolio to Life
Prepare a portfolio that highlights your coding projects—don't just list them! Be ready to explain your thought process, the technologies used, and any challenges you faced. It’s not just about the final product; we want to hear how you made it happen, so this narrative will show your depth of understanding and passion for software development.
✨Get Familiar with Technical Questions
Expect some technical questions or scenarios in the interview that assess your understanding of algorithms, data structures, and software design. Practise explaining your coding decisions clearly—it's less about getting the right answer and more about demonstrating your thought process and reasoning skills, which are crucial for growth in an internship.
✨Highlight Your Willingness to Learn
As an intern, your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn are key! During the interview, emphasise your willingness to tackle new challenges and pick up new skills. Companies like CloudFlare are often looking for candidates who can grow with them, so remind us why you're excited about opportunities to learn and contribute in a team environment.
