Data Scientist Intern

Work LocationHome-Based Expected duration2 - 3 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBACKGROUND: The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, which supports the internationalization of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing and transition countries. The Trade and Market Intelligence Section (TMI) supports SMEs, policymakers and trade support institutions and enterprises in their export strategies and decision-making by providing them with a portfolio of market intelligence tools, trade-related policy analyses and capacity building activities. ITC’s market analysis tools include Market Access Map (MAcMap). Market Access Map (www.macmap.org) is a free analytical portal that allows accessing, comparing, analyzing and downloading the customs duties, trade remedies and non-tariff measures applicable to a specific good in any markets in the world. For decades, TMI has pioneered breakthroughs in Trade Intelligence. Today, the section spearheads innovations in AI for Trade by developing AI-powered solutions that enhance the experience of its tools’ users. The new AI-powered product search engine is one of those innovations. DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES Under the overall guidance of a Market Analyst and the direct supervision of an Associate Statistician, the Data Scientist Intern will assist the team in the upgrade of the HS Product Code Search Engine. More precisely, he/she will: • Explore the existing Search Engine codebase to understand structure and flow of a semantic search engine in the context of HS classification; • Compute and analyze key performance metrics derived from user query-based manual relevance judgments of the Smart Search module. • Develop proof-of-concept (POC) notebooks: Create and test image retrieval pipelines using models like CLIP and SBERT to explore feasibility and initial performance. • Assist in model development and training: Support data preparation, embedding generation, model evaluation, and parameter tuning. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind. Qualifications/special skillsEDUCATION Applicants to the ITC internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: 1. Enrolled in the final academic year of the first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); 2. Enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or 3. Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in 1 and 2 above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation. Relevant field of studies e.g. Economics, Data Sciences, Statistics or Information System. Skills: Good programming skills using statistical software such as SAS, R, Python, MATLAB or a similar software; Good Knowledge of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing techniques; Strong quantitative background; Interest in international trade and business intelligence tools. LanguagesFluent English, with knowledge of a second official ITC language a distinct plus. Additional Information1. Gain professional experience and expertise from the team members and learn how to evolve in an international work environment. 2. Develop Data Sciences skills applied in the field of economics, especially of international trade. 3. Participate in Trade related Research and Development. 4. Have access to the operation of ITC's Market Access Map tool and Market Analysis Tools. Student work plans can be adjusted to achieve the academic requirements in their field of study or time can be made available to advance their academic obligations. Intern Specific textInterns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.