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Internship in Trade Policy & AI at World Bank, Washington, DC.
Help analyze trade regulations with machine learning, contributing to global development.
Title: WBG Pioneer - Trade Intern
Location: Washington, DC
Job #:
req37698
Organization:
World Bank
Grade:
T4
Location:
Washington, DC,United States
Hiring Manager:
Sebastien C. Dessus
Required Language(s):
English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date:
8/12/2026 (11:59pm UTC)
Description
WBG Pioneers, the World Bank Group’s Internship Program, offers undergraduate and postgraduate students a high impact learning experience at the heart of global development. Participants gain hands on experience in a diverse and dynamic environment, contribute fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, and connect with international professionals working to end poverty on a livable planet.
The Trade Policy and Facilitation Unit (WKPTT) is part of the Prosperity Vice Presidency. WKPTT delivers analytical, advisory, financial, and convening services in the areas of trade policy, trade facilitation, logistics and connectivity, and regional integration. WKPTT is seeking a Trade Intern to contribute to analytical and technical assistance work on trade-related issues in low- and middle-income countries across multiple regions. The primary focus will be on advancing the unit's capacity to analyze regulatory texts in a trade-related context using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other data-driven approaches.
Duties and Responsibilities
The intern will support the unit’s analytical work on trade policy reform and trade facilitation agenda, with a primary focus on non-tariff measures (NTMs), regulatory alignment with trading partners, and quality infrastructure (QI). A particular area of emphasis is the domestic regulations on non-tariff measures.
The intern will provide substantive technical inputs to analytics and policy advice, the intern will also contribute to knowledge dissemination through reports, policy notes, and inputs to engagement with government counterparts and development partners.
Specific duties include:
- Reviewing relevant literature on data-driven and AI approaches to regulatory text analysis with a specific focus on non-tariff measures.
- Developing a template and set of good practices to guide country-level regulatory analysis in trade-related areas using data-driven and AI methods, leveraging domestic regulatory texts, as well as WTO notifications and TRAINS database as well as previous WBG operations.
- Contributing to the development of the unit's trade and trade-related regulatory data products.
- Supporting the preparation of analytical outputs, including data visualizations, background notes, and report sections.
Selection Criteria
Currently enrolled in, or in the final year of, a postgraduate program (master's or PhD); PhD candidates preferred.
Between 0 and 6 years of relevant professional experience.
Academic background aligned with the requirements of this role.
Demonstrated interest in international development and the World Bank Group's mission.
Strong analytical, research, and problem-solving skills.
Experience working with trade data and familiarity with trade and trade-related policy databases, including tariff data and other measures affecting trade.
Proven expertise in applying machine learning and other data-driven approaches to the organization and analysis of textual data, using Python or R.
Solid understanding of AI model capabilities and limitations, including the ability to select the right tool for a given task and make informed choices between open-source and proprietary models based on performance, cost, and data sensitivity.
Practical experience building AI-assisted workflows for regulatory text analysis, including configuring AI agents with the right context and instructions to produce reliable, verifiable, and reproducible outputs.
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in additional languages is an asset depending on assignment location.
Ability to work effectively in diverse, collaborative, team-based environments.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
Note: Please limit your applications to a maximum of three positions. Applications exceeding this limit will not be considered.
WBG Culture Attributes
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
The World Bank Group values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of World Bank Group member countries to apply, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Sub-Saharan African nationals, Caribbean nationals, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.