About the Position

Research Intern, ClickHouse Labs

Location

United States; Germany; The Netherlands

Employment Type

Intern

Location Type

Remote

Department

Engineering

Compensation

Internship Monthly Stipend: Commensurate with experience, $6K – $10K per month

About the Program

The ClickHouse PhD Research Internship Program offers doctoral students the opportunity to pursue ambitious research alongside ClickHouse Labs researchers and engineers working on some of the most interesting challenges in databases, systems, and data infrastructure.

Research interns join ClickHouse Labs for approximately 10-12 weeks to explore meaningful research questions, develop new ideas, and investigate technologies that have the potential to advance both the broader research community and the future of ClickHouse.

Program Overview

Program length: 10-12 weeks, with flexibility based on academic calendars and research needs
Typical timing: Summer, beginning approximately June 1
Locations: Opportunities available across the US and Europe, subject to role and employment requirements. Remote first.
Research environment: ClickHouse Labs
Internship format: Research-focused, mentor-supported, and shaped around areas of mutual research interest
Compensation: Commensurate with experience, a monthly stipend will be paid

Research at ClickHouse Labs

ClickHouse Labs explores ambitious ideas at the intersection of databases, distributed systems, data infrastructure, and the broader systems research community. We believe some of the most interesting advances in these areas happen through close collaboration between industry and academia. ClickHouse Labs brings together researchers and engineers to explore new ideas, investigate challenging technical problems, and connect academic research with real-world systems at scale.

Research interns are an important part of that community. Interns have the opportunity to bring their own research interests and perspectives into ClickHouse Labs while working alongside researchers and engineers who are deeply engaged with both the practical challenges and open research questions shaping the future of data systems.

Program Goals

Identify exceptional PhD researchers working in areas directly relevant to ClickHouse.
Give researchers the opportunity to work on meaningful, open-ended problems with ClickHouse Labs.
Build long-term relationships with researchers and academic institutions.
Encourage continued research and open-source contributions after the internship.
Create opportunities for co-authored papers, thesis advising, or other academic collaboration.
Increase ClickHouse's visibility within the database and systems research community.
Publish and share meaningful research outcomes through the ClickHouse website and other appropriate channels.

What Makes the Program Different

This is intentionally not a highly structured engineering internship and should not have detailed planning. But the high-level problem area and expectations should be defined several months before the internship begins. This flexibility is intentional and allows ClickHouse Labs to respond to:

Emerging research questions
Current ClickHouse priorities
New academic research
Interesting systems or database prototypes
Work candidates have already completed
Opportunities to apply new research ideas to ClickHouse

The goal is to identify researchers whose work is already closely aligned with areas ClickHouse cares about and then determine the most valuable research problem to pursue together.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for exceptional PhD students conducting research directly relevant to ClickHouse and the broader database/systems space.

Ideal candidates

Currently pursuing a PhD in computer science or a closely related field
Conducting research in areas relevant to ClickHouse
Demonstrated research excellence
Strong database systems, distributed systems, hardware, or related technical background
Demonstrated ability to independently pursue complex research questions
Ideally has prior experience with ClickHouse open source but not required
Has research, prototypes, or publications that could translate into meaningful work with ClickHouse
Interested in continuing research beyond the internship
Potential interest in open-source contribution and academic collaboration

Candidate Selection Philosophy

The strongest candidates will be researchers whose work is specifically relevant to what ClickHouse Labs wants to explore.

A candidate who has already:

Worked with ClickHouse
Built a relevant database or systems prototype
Published research in an area relevant to ClickHouse
Explored a technical problem ClickHouse is interested in

may be significantly more valuable than a candidate with an otherwise impressive academic profile but no meaningful connection to our research areas.

Research Areas & Project Scope

Unlike an engineering internship program, specific projects do not need to be defined when recruiting begins.

Research projects may emerge from:

A candidate's existing research
A recent academic paper
A prototype or system the candidate has developed
An emerging ClickHouse Labs research priority
An opportunity to test or extend an existing research concept within ClickHouse

Perks

Flexible work environment - ClickHouse is a globally distributed company and remote-friendly. We currently operate in over 25 countries.
Healthcare - Employer contributions towards your healthcare.
Equity in the company - Every new team member who joins our company receives stock options.
Time off - Flexible time off in the US, generous entitlement in other countries.
A USD$500 Home office setup if you’re a remote employee.
Global Gatherings – We believe in the power of in-person connection and offer opportunities to engage with colleagues at company-wide offsites.

Culture - We All Shape It

As part of a rapidly scaling start-up, you will be instrumental in shaping our culture.

Are you interested in finding out more about our culture? Learn more about our values here. Check out our blog posts or follow us on LinkedIn to find out more about what’s happening at ClickHouse.

Equal Opportunity & Privacy

ClickHouse provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on factors such as race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Please see here for our Privacy Statement.

If this is relevant and exciting to you, please apply!

Research Intern, ClickHouse Labs

Job description