Growth marketing intern (Summer, remote)
Reports to: Head of Growth
Location: Fully remote
Compensation:
Eligibility: Undergraduate students, any year
About AuthPlane
AuthPlane is a self-hosted OAuth 2.1 authorization server built specifically for MCP (Model Context Protocol), the emerging standard for how AI agents connect to tools and data. We give developers and security teams a spec-compliant way to add production-grade authentication to their MCP servers, in environments where cloud-hosted identity isn't an option (regulated industries, on-premises deployments, teams that want full control of their auth layer).
We're open-source under AGPL-3.0, with no telemetry by default, and built for teams who care about getting OAuth right.
About the role
We're looking for a curious, self-directed undergrad to spend the summer working directly with the Head of Growth on the projects that shape how AuthPlane shows up in the world. You'll get a real seat in marketing strategy at an early-stage developer infrastructure company, with exposure to AI, security, and open-source ecosystems.
This is a hands-on role. You'll own discrete projects end-to-end, present findings to the team, and see your work feed into real go-to-market decisions.
What you'll work on
- Answer engine optimization (AEO) tracking. Build and maintain a system for measuring how often AuthPlane is cited or recommended in AI search responses (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Google AI Overviews) for relevant developer queries. Track competitor mentions, identify gaps, and recommend content priorities based on what you find.
- Prompt audits. Design and run structured tests across AI assistants to see how they describe AuthPlane, MCP authentication, and the competitive landscape. Document where models get it right, where they hallucinate, and what content could shift the answer.
- Market research. Map the MCP ecosystem (who's building servers, who's hosting them, where the buying pockets are). Profile target verticals (financial services, healthcare, defense, regulated SaaS) and surface insights the team can act on.
- Competitive analysis. Build and maintain a living comparison of AuthPlane vs adjacent tools (cloud identity providers, other OAuth libraries, MCP gateways). Track their positioning, pricing, content, and community signals.
- Content and community support. Help with developer-focused content, community listening across Reddit and GitHub, and ad-hoc research that supports launches and campaigns.
- Other projects that emerge as the company grows. This is an early-stage environment, so scope shifts.
What you'll learn
- How a developer infrastructure company markets to engineers, not buyers
- How AEO and traditional SEO actually work in practice, with real data
- The MCP and AI agent ecosystem from the inside
- How open source go-to-market differs from traditional SaaS
- Direct mentorship from a senior growth marketer
Who we're looking for
- Currently enrolled undergrad, any year, any major
- Strong written communication and clear thinking; you can summarize a 30-minute research session into three useful bullets
- Comfortable with spreadsheets and willing to learn new tools (we'll teach you what you don't know)
- Interested in some combination of AI, developer tools, open source, cybersecurity, or marketing
- Self-starter who can run with a vague brief, ask sharp questions, and ship work without hand-holding
- Bonus, not required: prior internship or project experience, familiarity with developer communities (GitHub, HackerNews, dev Twitter, Reddit), basic understanding of how APIs or auth work
Logistics
- 10-12 week program over summer 2026
- Approximately 30-40 hours per week, flexible scheduling
- Fully remote, with regular video check-ins
- Paid / Unpaid
How to apply
Send a brief note about why this role interests you, along with one example of work you're proud of (a project, paper, essay, side hustle, anything that shows how you think) to [email]. No formal cover letter required. We read every application.