WBG Pioneer - Geospatial Data Analysis Intern

Job #: req37612
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 is developing a quantitative spatial model to assess the spatial economic impacts of logistics infrastructure, logistics and trade facilitation policies, and trade policies at the national and regional levels. Building on a cities spatial model developed jointly by the International Growth Centre (IGC) and the World Bank, the unit intends to extend this framework beyond the city level and to develop it in partnership with the Development Economics (DEC) group, the Transport global practice, and external partners. The model is intended to complement the unit’s existing computable general equilibrium (CGE) analysis. 
This work also builds on a long tradition of World Bank analysis of the sub-national geography of trade, including work on lagging regions and their connection to global markets, and seeks to capture the substantial methodological and data advances that have emerged since. Robust spatial analysis of this kind depends critically on the assembly, cleaning, and structuring of high-quality geospatial data used to parameterize and run the model. 
The intern will support this effort within the Trade Policy and Facilitation Unit, contributing to the compilation and preparation of geospatial datasets and to the operation of the quantitative spatial model, under the supervision of the project team. 
Duties and Responsibilities 
Under the guidance of the project lead, the intern will: 
• Compile, clean, and structure the geospatial data required to parameterize and run the quantitative spatial (“cities”) model, extending it from the city level to the national and regional levels. 
• Assemble and process key spatial inputs — including road and transport networks, population grids, terrain data, port and trade-node locations (e.g., PortWatch), and travel-time layers — into model-ready formats. 
• Run the spatial model with the prepared data to assess the spatial economic impacts of logistics infrastructure, trade facilitation measures, and trade policies, in coordination with DEC, Transport, and external partners. 
• Construct population-weighted accessibility and remoteness indicators to key trade nodes and correlate them with granular socio-economic data. 
• Produce maps, interactive dashboards, and other visual outputs to support diagnostics, model validation, and dissemination. 
• Contribute to note writing, presentations, and other analytical and dissemination products, and document data sources, methods, and code for reproducibility. 

Selection Criteria

• Candidates must be currently enrolled in, or in the final year of, a postgraduate (master’s/PhD) program 
• Candidates must have 0–6 years of relevant professional experience  
• Academic background must align with the requirements outlined in the job description 
• Demonstrated interest in development work and the World Bank Group’s mission 
• Strong analytical, research, and problem-solving skills 
• Effective written and verbal communication skills 
• Ability to work effectively in diverse, team-based environments 
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities within tight deadlines 
• Proficiency in English; additional languages may be required depending on the role 
• Academic background in economics, geography, data science, urban/regional economics, or a related quantitative field, with a focus on spatial or geospatial analysis 
• Demonstrated experience in geospatial and remote-sensing analysis, including proficiency with QGIS/ArcGIS, Google Earth Engine, and Python and/or R 
• Ability to compile, clean, and work with large, complex geo-referenced datasets, such as road networks, population grids, satellite imagery, and household survey data, and to structure them as inputs for quantitative spatial models 
• Familiarity with quantitative spatial or accessibility modeling, and interest in linking transport connectivity and infrastructure to trade and welfare outcomes, is an asset 
• Working knowledge of French is an asset 

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.
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