Software Engineer Intern, Backend (Summer 2026)

at Lyft

Toronto, Canada

At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive.

We care deeply about delivering the best transportation experience; this means the best experience for the passenger and the best experience for the driver. We believe this quality of service can only be achieved with a deep understanding of our world, our cities, our streets… how they evolve, how they breathe.

Interns work side-by-side with top engineers in the industry while having autonomy from the get-go. They contribute to user-facing products and are able to see their work go live quickly. Lyft fosters a collaborative environment in the office, so there's always a sharp mind eager to hear about your next idea. So what's yours?

Responsibilities:

Own your project, while checking in with other team members throughout the day with questions and updates
You leave the code in a better state than when you found it (progressive refactor)
You value reliability, ensured by testing (unit, integration and load tests)
Participate in code reviews to ensure code quality and distribute knowledge
Continuous integration and deployment
Go home knowing that your work today is meaningfully improving the lives of every Lyft driver and every Lyft passenger!

Experience:

Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science from a university in Canada (required), with a graduation date between December 2026 and Summer 2027 (required). For any candidates who are master's students who worked between their bachelor's and master's programs: candidates should also have less than 2 years of relevant full-time work experience
Available during Summer 2026 for the internship in Toronto
Strong knowledge of CS fundamentals
Excellent communication skills
Passion for community, sustainability, and/or transportation
Ability to thrive in a startup environment
Experience with real-time technology problems
Contributions to open source projects
Experience working with databases
Experience solving real-time technology problems
Experience with mobile development

Benefits:

Mental health benefits
In addition to holidays, interns receive 2 days paid time off and 3 days sick time off
Subsidized commuter benefits

Lyft is committed to creating an inclusive workforce that fosters belonging. Lyft believes that every person has a right to equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, pardoned record of offences, or any other basis protected by applicable law or by Company policy. Lyft also strives for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibits harassment of any kind. Accommodation for persons with disabilities will be provided upon request in accordance with applicable law during the application and hiring process. Please contact your recruiter if you wish to make such a request.

Lyft highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule — Team Members will be expected to work in the office at least 3 days per week, including on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Lyft considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role. Your recruiter can share more information about the various in-office perks Lyft offers. #Hybrid

The expected base pay range for this position in the Toronto area is $40-$45/hour CAD. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Range is not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Your recruiter can share more information about the salary range specific to your working location and other factors during the hiring process.