Backend Engineer Intern

⚠️ **Note:** We are not able to sponsor visas for this role. Candidates must already be based in or near Tokyo, or planning to relocate soon. We're building Mynago, an AI-powered language learning platform rooted in proven polyglot methods. Real dialogues, cultural context, and spaced repetition. AKA, we are committed to creating a product for people who ACTUALLY want to learn. Our mission is to bring real, learning-first technology to the world. We build every lesson around the learner: their goals, their level, their life. Not generic content served the same way to everyone. We're looking for a Backend Engineer Intern to help build and ship the services and APIs that power our platform - the infrastructure that makes the AI actually work for real learners. **What You'll Do** * Build and maintain backend services and APIs powering an AI language learning app used by learners worldwide * Work with Supabase (Postgres), Edge Functions, and third-party integrations (RevenueCat, Stripe, PostHog) * Debug and optimize AI pipelines: TTS, lesson generation, model routing * Own monitoring, bug detection, and proactive fixes **What Makes This Role Special** * **Learn by Doing:** Build production features that go live and matter to real users - from day one * **Real Impact:** Your code will be in the critical path for product stability and growth. This isn't a sandbox * **Startup Culture:** Fast-moving, internationally minded team in Shibuya, Tokyo's tech heartbeat * **Ownership:** End-to-end responsibility for services you can point to in your portfolio, not tickets from a backlog no one cares about * **Meaning:** Be part of a team that genuinely cares about building something meaningful in the language learning space **Who We're Looking For** * University student or recent graduate based in Tokyo, Japan * Native or fluent English speaker (Japanese is a strong plus) * Strong interest in backend development and applied AI * Comfortable with Git and basic cloud deployment on platforms like Vercel, Railway, Render, or similar * Self-starter who doesn't wait for instructions * You're resourceful - you dig into docs, debug independently, and bring solutions not just questions * Independent, detail-oriented, and scrappy, you like turning ambiguity into working software * Can commit a minimum of 15 hours per week Bonus points if you have a GitHub, side project, or portfolio you can share. We love seeing what people build on their own time. **The Details** * **Commitment:** 3+ months, flexible scheduling * **Work Style:** Hybrid. In-person every working day during the first 2–3 weeks of onboarding, then at least 1 day per week in Shibuya for team sync. Flexible remote the rest of the time * **Compensation:** This is an unpaid internship. We're upfront about that. What you get is direct access to the founder with real ownership for projects, hands-on experience building an AI startup in Tokyo, and a clear path to a paid role based on performance. University credits available on request **About Mynago** * **Company:** Mynago * **Website:** mynago.com * **LinkedIn:** linkedin.com/company/langaholic * **Location:** Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan **How to Apply** Send your resume to [email protected] with "Backend Engineer Intern" in the subject line. Even better, include a link to something you've built. A repo, an API, a side project, anything that shows us how you think and what you can ship.