Job Description
Program Overview
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.
The program is intentionally designed around research collaboration. Interns are paired with experienced researchers and have the opportunity to pursue work that aligns with their academic interests, ongoing research, and areas of interest within ClickHouse Labs. In some cases, an internship may build on research, a prototype, or a system the student has already begun exploring at their university.
We believe the strongest research relationships extend beyond a single summer. Interns may continue their work after returning to their university through academic research, open-source contributions, publications, or other forms of collaboration. Where there is a strong mutual fit, an internship may become the beginning of a longer-term relationship between the researcher, ClickHouse Labs, and the broader academic community.
During their internship, researchers will have the opportunity to work closely with ClickHouse Labs, engage with ClickHouse's open-source technology and engineering community, share their findings, and contribute to the intellectual life of the broader research community.
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 detailed planning. ****But the high-level problem area and expectations should 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
- Has 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
If this is relevant and exciting to you, please apply!
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.
How to apply
The Apply button opens ClickHouse's own application page in a new browser tab — applying is free, and this board never sits between you and the employer: no middleman, no form of ours to fill first.
This posting runs on Ashby, the applicant tracking system behind ClickHouse's job board — the form you'll see lives at jobs.ashbyhq.com. It asks for the basics first: your name, email, and a résumé/CV upload. After that come the custom questions this employer wrote for the role — Ashby lets each team tailor its application, and some postings add a short questionnaire on top, so set aside a few quiet minutes rather than a thirty-second sprint. Because the questions change per role, re-read the requirements above before you start typing; answers that echo the exact skills the listing names are the ones that survive screening. Two practical notes: apply promptly while the posting is verified live, since teams close applications once a role fills, and use one email address for the application so your details stay under one identity.
Before you start
Salary context
The listed range of $6k to $10k a year sits about 96% below the board-wide median for Operations roles on this board.
That median is $151,000 to $215,000 a year, based on 107 live listings where the employer publishes an annual USD range — the same rules as the board's salary report.
The parsed benefits on this listing include Stock Options / Equity and Home Office Budget, so total compensation can extend beyond this base range.
Quick answers
- Is this job still open?
- Yes. Listings on this board are re-verified 4 times a day and auto-expire 45 days after posting — if this page is visible, the role was open at the last check.
- Where does the Apply button go?
- Straight to ClickHouse's own application page — never a middleman. Every listing here comes from the employer's own job board, so the Apply button simply opens their page in a new tab.
- Does it require experience?
- The employer tags this role as entry level — the requirements above spell out what that means in practice.
- Is the salary listed?
- Yes — the employer publishes an annual range for this role: $6k to $10k.
