Data Engineer Intern

NinjaHoldings; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Downtown Chicago HQ

Mentorship from senior engineers

Job summary

NinjaHoldings in Chicago is seeking a Data Engineering Intern to gain hands-on experience supporting our data infrastructure. You will work with senior data engineers and collaborate with teams across Engineering, BI, and Data Science to ensure data is reliable, accessible, and scalable.

The internship runs May through August 2027 with a hybrid setup at our downtown Chicago HQ (in-office 2x/week). Local candidates or those able to relocate are welcome; relocation assistance is not provided.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a CS/Data Eng degree; strong SQL fundamentals.
• Understanding of relational databases and SQL basics.
• Familiarity with data warehousing concepts (row vs column storage).
• Interest in ELT processes and data modeling.
• Strong problem solving and attention to detail.
• Clear communication and eagerness to learn from senior team members.

Responsibilities

• Learn how to manage and optimize relational databases (Postgres, MS SQL Server).
• Assist in building and monitoring data pipelines for BI and Data Science teams.
• Support the setup and scaling of our data warehouse stack (Snowflake, Fivetran, DBT).
• Contribute to performance tuning tasks at query, table, and database levels.
• Help establish monitoring and alerting for production data systems.
• Gain hands-on experience with ELT data pipelines and best practices.
• Learn how to work with data in cloud environments like AWS.
• Write automated warehouse data model tests.

Skills

SQL basics

Data modeling

ELT concepts

Problem solving

Communication

Learning mindset

Education

CS / Data Eng degree candidate

Tools

Python

Ruby

Snowflake

DBT

Fivetran

Terraform

Job description

Founded in 2017, NinjaHoldings works to give everyday Americans better access to financial services than traditional institutions typically provide. Through our CreditNinja and NinjaCard brands, we offer digital banking and lending products designed for consumers often overlooked, paired with incentives that support long-term financial improvement. Our Edge brand extends this expertise to other companies, providing underwriting, fraud detection, and analytics services. Headquartered in Chicago with a distributed global workforce, we are a lean, growing organization committed to advancing consumer finance in the US.

Internship Summary

As a Data Engineering Intern, you’ll gain hands‑on experience supporting the development, monitoring, and optimization of our data infrastructure. You’ll work with experienced data engineers and collaborate with teams across Engineering, Business Intelligence, and Data Science to ensure data is reliable, accessible, and scalable.

This internship is designed to give you exposure to real-world data engineering practices, including relational databases, data pipelines, and cloud-based data warehouses. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how data powers decisions at a fast-growing fintech company while developing your technical skills in a supportive, collaborative environment.

When: May-August 2027

Location: Hybrid, downtown Chicago HQ (in-office 2x/week). Candidates must be local or able to relocate independently - relocation assistance is not provided.

Schedule: 40 hours/week

Key Responsibilities:

• Learn how to manage and optimize relational databases (Postgres, MS SQL Server)
• Assist in building and monitoring data pipelines for BI and Data Science teams
• Support the setup and scaling of our data warehouse stack (Snowflake, Fivetran, DBT)
• Contribute to performance tuning tasks at query, table, and database levels
• Help establish monitoring and alerting for production data systems
• Gain hands‑on experience with ELT data pipelines and best practices.
• Learn how to work with data in cloud environments like AWS
• Write automated warehouse data model tests

Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related field
• Understanding of relational databases and SQL fundamentals
• Familiarity with concepts like row vs. column-based storage in data warehousing
• Interest in ELT processes and data modeling
• Strong problem‑solving skills and attention to detail
• Clear communication and eagerness to learn from senior team members

Additional Pluses:

• Experience with Python or Ruby for automation or scripting
• Exposure to Snowflake, DBT, or Fivetran
• Familiarity with Terraform or other infrastructure-as-code tools
• Interest in automated testing and data quality practices
• Potential path to full-time employment for high performing interns
• Fast‑paced, high‑energy work environment
• Real opportunity to make an immediate impact at a growth‑stage company
• Build relationships with full‑time employees from day one
• Convenient downtown Chicago office located in the heart of the city

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for current or future visa sponsorship.