Internship with the Data, Identity Management, and Analysis (DIMA) Unit

Job Posting Organization:
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was established in December 1950 with the mission to save lives, protect rights, and build a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities, and stateless people. The organization operates in over 130 countries, leveraging its extensive experience to provide protection and care for millions of individuals who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution. UNHCR is committed to ensuring that the rights of refugees and displaced persons are upheld and that they receive the necessary support to rebuild their lives.

Job Overview:
The internship-position" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">internship position is within the Data, Identity Management, and Analysis (DIMA) Unit at the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Eastern and Southern Africa (RBESA) based in Nairobi. The DIMA Unit plays a crucial role in providing technical leadership and operational support across the region, focusing on registration and identity management, data governance, protection, information management, analytics, and digital innovation. Interns will gain hands-on experience in contributing to regional analytics products, data pipelines, automation, and applied artificial intelligence (AI) prototypes. The role is designed for individuals who are passionate about using data for social impact and are eager to apply data science, machine learning, automation, and advanced language model techniques to real humanitarian challenges. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical and data engineering skills, along with a curiosity for learning and a commitment to privacy and ethical data practices.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The intern will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including:

• Supporting data management and quality by building and maintaining reproducible data pipelines using tools such as Power Query, R/Python, and SQL.
• Implementing validation rules, metadata, and automated Quality Assurance (QA) checks to ensure data accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
• Developing analytics products and dashboards by contributing to Power BI datasets, measures (DAX), and visuals for both regional and country reporting.
• Producing well-documented R/Python notebooks and lightweight QA reports for routine monitoring.
• Applying Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods by prototyping models for classification, anomaly detection, forecasting, text clustering, and deduplication.
• Evaluating models with appropriate metrics, documenting limitations, and ensuring responsible use of data.
• Driving innovation in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and Large Language Models (LLM) by building prototypes that index internal knowledge bases and designing prompt strategies.
• Automating workflows through low-code/no-code and scripted automations for data ingestion, validation, notifications, and scheduled refreshes.
• Upholding data protection and ethics by applying UNHCR’s Data Protection Policy and humanitarian data responsibility guidance. 1
• Building capacity and documentation by drafting user guides, data dictionaries, and conducting training sessions for colleagues. 1
• Coordinating and supporting efforts by liaising with country operations and technical focal points across various units.

Required Qualifications:
To be eligible for this internship, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Be a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate or undergraduate program from an accredited university or higher education institution.
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant to the work of UNHCR, such as data science, computer science, statistics, economics, engineering, or information systems. Additionally, desirable qualifications include proficiency in Python or R, SQL for data analysis, experience with Power BI and DAX, familiarity with ML/NLP concepts, and knowledge of humanitarian data tools.

Educational Background:
Candidates should be currently pursuing or have recently completed studies in fields such as data science, computer science, statistics, economics, engineering, or information systems. A strong educational background in these areas is essential for the successful execution of the internship responsibilities.

Experience:
The internship is designed for individuals who are either recent graduates or current students, thus specific prior work experience is not mandatory. However, familiarity with data analysis, programming languages, and relevant technical skills will be beneficial for candidates.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position. Additional language skills may be considered an asset but are not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
This is a full-time internship role with working hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday, totaling 40 hours per week. Interns who do not receive financial support from an external source will receive an allowance to help cover food, local transportation, and living expenses. The UNHCR values diversity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including those with a refugee or stateless background. It is important to note that individuals with close family ties to UNHCR staff are not eligible for this internship. UNHCR does not charge any fees during the recruitment process.