Software Engineer Intern

About the company

Bending Spoons aims to build an exceptional long-term business that reaches a very large customer base, helps employees grow to their full potential, operates with outstanding efficiency, and creates strong value for shareholders while maintaining high ethical standards.

The company acquires and improves digital businesses with the intention of owning and running them for the long term rather than selling them. Its changes are often substantial, with the goal of accelerating innovation, improving customer outcomes, and strengthening business performance. Teams are intentionally small, talent-rich, and low on hierarchy, and the company works with the speed and urgency of a startup while managing established products. AI is embedded throughout the way work is done so that human judgment and machine intelligence complement each other.

For someone who is talented, motivated, and collaborative, this role offers a chance to learn quickly, contribute meaningfully, and advance at a very fast pace.

What you will do

• Take ownership of meaningful software projects from concept through production, building systems used at scale and continuously improving them.
• Use advanced AI tools throughout development, including for design, coding, testing, and documentation, while maintaining strong standards for correctness, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
• Work across multiple technology stacks and choose the most suitable tools for each problem, spanning systems such as monoliths, microservices, gRPC, REST, Kubernetes, Docker, Python, and Rust.
• Continuously reduce unnecessary complexity by improving architecture, build pipelines, and codebases so they remain scalable and easy to maintain.

What the company is looking for

• Strong analytical and reasoning skills, with the ability to solve complex problems from first principles and pay close attention to the details that matter.
• High drive and ambition, backed by initiative, persistence, and a strong sense of ownership over your work.
• A collaborative mindset, with willingness to support the team, value the best idea over personal preference, and contribute honestly and transparently.
• Professional proficiency in English for reading, writing, and speaking.

What is offered

• Opportunity to work with highly capable, entrepreneurial teams in small, autonomous groups focused on outcomes.
• Strong growth potential, with the chance to take on important responsibilities early and progress quickly.
• Competitive compensation plus equity access for permanent hires, with pay varying by location, experience, and expected impact.
• Flexible working arrangements, including flexible hours, remote work, and part-time-to-full-time progression.
• Learning and training support, health insurance, relocation support, parental support, and an annual retreat in a scenic location.

Compensation

For candidates with limited experience, the usual annual salary is £85,797 in London and €66,065 elsewhere in Europe. For candidates with considerable relevant experience, the typical range is £112,189 to £250,512 in London and €107,837 to €188,848 elsewhere in Europe. In exceptional cases, compensation may go beyond these ranges to match expected impact. Permanent hires may also receive part of their pay in company equity at a discounted price. If relocating to Italy, a 50% tax reduction may apply.

Commitment and contract

This role may be offered as either permanent or fixed-term, and it is full-time in the standard arrangement. The company also mentions part-time participation as a possible starting arrangement that can later transition into full-time as the candidate completes their degree.

Location

Work can be based in Milan, Madrid, Warsaw, London, or remote in selected approved countries. Candidates are advised to spend the first few months working from the Milan office to ramp up faster and build stronger team relationships; travel and accommodation support is provided for that period. Afterward, work may continue from Milan or London offices, or remotely from approved countries, subject to agreement at offer stage.

Selection process

The screening process emphasizes verifiable evidence of excellence rather than seniority. All candidates are assessed through the same process, and there are no special pathways beyond what the application shows.

Applicants who feel they lack experience or have an imperfect CV are encouraged not to self-reject if they believe they can excel in the role over time. Applications are reviewed only through the company careers page. Candidates who advance may be asked to complete one or more challenging tests that can take several hours and may include unfamiliar problem types.

The company states that it may keep a role open for months or repost it several times while searching for the right person. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities through a separate form.

Before you apply

If you have applied previously and did not receive an offer, the company recommends waiting at least one year before reapplying.

The environment is highly demanding and expects significant commitment. In return, it offers deep learning, strong achievement, and rapid career growth.

If the role is appealing and you are ready to give your best, the company welcomes your application.