Software Engineer Intern

Job Description

Hi! We’re Forerunner.

We believe that climate adaptation is a necessity, not a luxury, and communities deserve access to powerful software that helps them plan for the future. The challenge of climate change is complex – it implicates how municipalities plan, manage capital, and communicate to both residents and higher levels of government. Forerunner helps local communities do these things better by empowering them to access, understand, and mobilize local-level flood risk data at scale.

The Role

We’re looking for a curious, motivated Software Engineering Intern to join our team for the summer. As an intern at Forerunner, you’ll work alongside experienced engineers to build real features that support the critical work of local governments preparing for climate-driven risks. This is not a “shadowing” internship — you will be fully involved in the product development cycle. You’ll contribute production code, collaborate across disciplines, and help ship software used by communities across the country using the latest AI tools.

What You’ll Do

• Build and ship product features. You’ll contribute to real engineering projects that improve the reliability, usability, and performance of Forerunner’s platform.
• Work across the stack. Depending on your project, you may build frontend components, APIs, mobile features, or data pipelines that power our products.
• Collaborate with a cross-functional team. You’ll partner with engineers, product managers, designers, and customer-facing teammates to understand problems and deliver solutions.
• Learn modern engineering practices. You’ll participate in code reviews, design discussions, and sprint planning while learning how production software is built and maintained using an AI-first development environment.
• Engage with real-world problems. Our software supports local governments responding to climate-driven risks — your work will help modernize workflows that impact real communities.

What We’re Looking For

As an intern on our engineering team, you’ll be expected to learn quickly, take ownership of meaningful work, and collaborate with others to solve complex problems. In general, you might be a good fit if you:

• Are currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Have experience building software projects through coursework, internships, open-source contributions, or personal projects.
• Are comfortable programming in at least one modern language (such as TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, or similar).
• Have a strong foundation in core computer science concepts such as data structures, algorithms, and system design fundamentals.
• Are a thoughtful problem solver who enjoys tackling ambiguous challenges.
• Communicate clearly and enjoy collaborating with teammates.
• Are excited about using technology to help communities adapt to climate change.
• Bonus (not required):
  • Experience with web development frameworks (e.g., React, Node.js).
  • Experience with React Native mobile development.
  • Familiarity with SQL or working with data.
  • Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or similar).
  • Interest in climate tech, civic technology, or government systems.
  • Based in Berkeley; we are a hybrid working environment, with hubs in Berkeley, CA, New York City, NY, Portland, ME. Some people work remotely, but in-office is encouraged 2-3 days/week.

What We Offer

Forerunner is an early stage company with an interdisciplinary team. We are motivated by seemingly intractable problems and work hard to support one another.

• We’re mission-driven. Our mission orients our business strategy and pushes us to work with a sense of urgency. We’re in the weeds - our entire team spends time engaging with our partners in the field to better understand the real-world problems they face.
• We’re a small and mighty team. As a member of our growing team, you will quickly become an invaluable part of our organization and have a meaningful impact on our business and technical direction. We welcome unique perspectives and backgrounds. Your opinion matters and we hope you’ll share it.
• We build each other up. A team works best when its members are adequately equipped with the tools to tackle the problems they are facing. Forerunner strives to provide adequate feedback and appropriate learning opportunities to help all its team members expand their skills.

Internship Time Period: May 26, 2026 - Aug 14, 2026

Pay Range: $45-55/hr for 40 hrs/ week