STEM Operations Intern

QED (https://qed.ai) is a tech company focused on public health, agriculture, and education in Sub-Saharan Africa. We build the digital infrastructure and AI used at the intersection of aid and scientific inquiry, including in-situ nutrient analysis of crops and soils, and surveillance of HIV and malaria at national-scale in multiple African countries. Our funding comes from multiple philanthropic and governmental organizations such as the Gates Foundation, U.S. government, WHO, the EU, the Global Fund, and more.

We are looking for a STEM Operations Intern to work with us on practical applications of STEM in African countries such as Malawi, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Mozambique, and potentially other countries throughout the Global South.

• Scope of Work will depend on the intern's abilities and interests in the three fields of health, agriculture, and education. Below are possible tracks.

  • Health: Engage with Ministries of Health in Africa, as well as donor organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Department of State, UNICEF, to fully understand all current data processing workflows and pains, and governmental requirements for data capture and data analysis. Build data capture and analytical solutions for our clients, using training that QED provides.

  • Agriculture: Train AI models to recognize nutrients and adulterants for food safety and agricultural input applications, using proximal sensors such as the ScanSpectrum handheld spectrometer.

  • Education: Run creative STEM programs that advance critical thinking, algorithmic thinking, creative problem-solving, and game-theoretic mindsets in children. Design, administer, and run olympiad contests at national-scale in LMICs.

     

• Working proficiency (ILR 4/5, or CEFR ≥C1) in speaking, reading, writing, and typing in English. (An official certificate is unnecessary, we’ll just have a conversation.)

  • For Francophone countries, at least B2 proficiency in French speaking, reading, writing and typing is expected; C1 or above is preferred.

  • For Lusophone countries, at least B2 proficiency in Portuguese speaking, reading, writing and typing is expected; C1 or above is preferred.

• Logical reasoning, number sense, and creative problem solving skills. Ability to express quantitative ideas clearly, both orally and in writing.

• Must be willing to work in the African country of project implementation.

• Culturally adaptive and adventurous!

• At ease using computers and digital systems.

• Willingness and interest in working with people from other cultures.

• Resilience.

• High Emotional Intelligence.

• A demonstrated interest in innovative problem solving. We look for people who are courageous, forward-leaning problem-solvers.

• … and you have to care about the work that you do!

   

Below are additional skills that are a bonus, but are not required:

• Experience with STEM olympiads such as the Pan-African Math Olympiad (PAMO), PAIO, or other math or informatics or physics competitions.

• foreign language skills, especially in French, Portuguese, Swahili, Chichewa, or Chinese.

willingness to work in Sub-Saharan Africa, because it is a great and exciting place to live!