Let’s Work Together
Internship: Data Engineering & Policy Data Intern
Internship Structure
Open positions: 1
Duration: 12 weeks.
Time Commitment: Minimum 5 hours per week.
Compensation: Unpaid.
Start Date: Target April; flexible depending on candidate availability.
Supervision: Reports directly to the two Lead Analysts.
Evaluation: Successful delivery of functional, documented code and assigned analytical outputs.
Application Requirements: CV and short statement of interest, including GitHub profile or demonstrable technical work.
Location: Remote, in-person meetings possible in New York City.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
About GéoPoly Global
GéoPoly Global is a New York–based policy advisory startup focused on structured analysis of geopolitical dynamics, policy risk, and strategic positioning. The firm develops analytical frameworks and proprietary tools that combine political, economic, and regulatory indicators to support forward-looking assessment and decision-making.
About this internship
The internship supports the development of an in-house policy monitoring and country-relations assessment platform. The project integrates structured datasets, regulatory signals, sanctions tracking, and narrative analysis into a unified analytical system designed to evaluate state behavior, identify historical trends, correlate shifts with leadership changes, and forecast geopolitical risk to inform client advisory.
Because interns will have access to proprietary methodologies, internal rating frameworks, data architecture, and strategic design elements that are not publicly disclosed, a Non-Disclosure Agreement protects the project’s structure, technical implementation, and analytical models without restricting the intern’s general skills or experience gained.
The Data Engineering & Policy Data Intern intern will build and manage the data backbone for this ongoing in-house project. The role focuses on automatically collecting large volumes of policy, economic, regulatory, and sanctions data from official government portals, multilateral institutions, and permitted media feeds, then structuring and storing that data reliably for analysis.
This intern will work in close coordination with the OSINT & Text Analysis Intern to ensure that all collected data is properly structured, stored, and accessible for analytical processing. While this role focuses on database architecture and automated data ingestion, the OSINT role builds on that foundation to extract meaning from text and generate insights. Together, they ensure that policy and media data flows reliably from source to structured analysis.
Key Responsibilities
Design and maintain a relational database (PostgreSQL or MySQL).
Develop Python scripts to retrieve data via APIs, structured downloads (CSV, JSON, XML), and permitted web sources.
Build ETL pipelines to clean, standardize, and load data into the database.
Implement logging, scheduling, backups, and basic access controls to ensure system stability and data integrity.
Preferred Previous Experience
Prior experience building databases, ETL pipelines, or automated data collection systems for structured datasets (academic, research, or professional).
Experience contributing to software or data projects using version control (Git), collaborative workflows, or containerized environments (e.g., Docker).
Strongly preferred: experience working with policy, economic, regulatory, or public-sector datasets (e.g., government portals, multilateral institutions, sanctions lists).
Required Skills
Strong SQL skills and comfort designing database schemas.
Proficiency in Python for automation and data handling (e.g., requests, pandas, SQLAlchemy).
Understanding of APIs and data formats.
Familiarity with Docker or cloud environments (AWS/Azure) is a plus.
Other Requirements:
Currently enrolled in a university program. Preference for Master’s students; strong upper-level undergraduate students (third or fourth year/senior standing) will also be considered.
Eligible fields include Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related quantitative disciplines. Students in Public Policy, International Affairs, Political Science, or similar fields will also be considered if they demonstrate substantial coursework or applied experience in data analysis, programming, or quantitative methods.
Willingness to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement governed by New York State law, covering project content, methodologies, and proprietary materials (not personal skills or experience gained).
Must be located in the United States and authorized to work without requiring visa sponsorship, CPT, or OPT.
Strong English proficiency required; additional languages are an asset.
What the Intern Will Gain
Direct, hands-on experience building and operating real-world data and analytical systems within an active geopolitical advisory project. Exposure to structured policy monitoring, data engineering workflows, and applied analytical methodologies.
Opportunity to translate academic knowledge into practical execution and produce tangible outputs.
Academic credit may be possible where applicable, but it is the intern’s responsibility to confirm eligibility and secure approval from their institution.
High-performing interns may be invited to remain involved in the startup’s analyst network and contribute to the continued development and growth of GéoPoly Global.
Learning Outcomes
Design and deploy a production-grade relational database and automated ETL pipelines for real policy and regulatory datasets.
Implement scalable data acquisition workflows using APIs, structured downloads, and controlled scraping with logging and validation.
Apply data governance principles, including schema design, access control, versioning, and system reliability in an analytical environment.
GéoPoly Global is an equal opportunity organization. We evaluate applicants based on merit, skills, and experience, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other protected status.