Special Projects Research Assistant, ASML

Part-time, 20-30 hours per week based on availability
Summer 2025 (June 1 - August 31), with opportunities to renew for Fall 2025

The Applied Social Media Lab (ASML) is a new initiative of Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Our two-year mission is to build social media solutions that center the public interest. We are a team of industry-trained technologists to work with experts from academia and civil society to build new software, protocols, and designs to foster healthier human connections. Teams of industry-trained engineers, designers, and product managers work in flexible pods organized around key challenges and opportunities such as transparency and governance, decentralized networks, online safety, and healthy discourse.

As a Software Engineer Research Assistant, you will play a key role in designing, building, and testing new social media infrastructure. You'll work with programming languages such as TypeScript, JavaScript, Dart, Python, Rust, or Go to develop innovative solutions that integrate ASML technology into the broader tech ecosystem. 

Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or have relevant work experience.
  Experience and/or interest in mobile (e.g. React Native, Flutter, or Swift) or web development
  Proficiency in at least one of the following programming languages: TypeScript, JavaScript, Dart, Python, Rust, or Go.
  The ability to tackle open-ended problems and navigate ambiguous challenges, both independently and as part of a team.
  Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
   

Preferred (but not required):

• Experience developing mobile applications using Flutter and deploying them on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
• Experience or interest in Rust, cryptography and privacy, confidential computing, and/or open social media protocols (e.g. Bluesky, ActivityPub)
• Experience with machine learning techniques or processes, including prompt-based learning, fine-tuning, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and inference.
• Familiarity with decentralized systems, peer-to-peer networking, applied cryptography or related technologies, such as Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), DIDComm, verifiable credentials, end-to-end encryption protocols, and zero-knowledge proof systems

Additional Information:

• This position is currently hybrid: we hold offices on the Harvard Law School campus, but we also have team members across the country in different zip codes. Therefore, we are open to remote-only and hybrid opportunities.
• If you are remote-only, you must be located in the United States in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, or Washington state from June-August. Otherwise you are not eligible for this opportunity. If you reside in/relocate to one of the eligible states, even if just for the full period of summer internship employment, this would satisfy this part of the hiring requirement. Please note that relocation expenses are not covered.
• If you are an international student studying at a U.S. institution and qualify for CPT or OPT, you should be in touch with the relevant administrative office responsible for handling CPT and OPT employment considerations at your home institution. We have been able to hire summer interns in the past with CPT or OPT. Selected internship applicants who make it to the hiring stage must work with their host institution and Harvard’s International Office to declare their status.
• To be eligible for this position, you must be an enrolled college or graduate student. High school students are not eligible for this opportunity.
• Compensation is the standard rate for Harvard students in RA positions of $21/hour.
• We do not have the ability to provide authorization to work in the U.S. No other benefits are provided.
• Equal Opportunity Employer: Harvard University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

To Apply:

Please fill out the following application form with your current CV or resume and a cover letter summarizing your interest and experience as well as your approximate availability (hours per week). Applicants may be considered for additional roles and skill sets. All applications will be considered on a rolling basis until filled.