Work for the IMF. Work for the World.
Would you like to acquire cutting-edge work experience in IT of a prestigious, international financial institution? Are you currently enrolled in a master’s degree in information technology or a related field? The IT Department (ITD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is offering multiple internship opportunities that may be the right fit for you! ITD internships are full-time paid HQ-based opportunities for graduate students to learn and contribute for a period of 3 months from June to August 2026.
Information Technology Department (ITD)- Driving Transformative Solutions
About ITD: The Information Technology Department (ITD) provides high quality, value for money Information Technology services and leadership in the application of technology towards the mission of the Fund. Our priorities are to ensure that critical IT systems, operations, and infrastructure perform at target levels; strengthen security of IT systems and information assets; maintain close alignment of IT initiatives with business priorities; deliver services at a high value-for-money while also maintaining high satisfaction with service delivery; and ensure that capital projects deliver intended business outcomes.
ITD delivers world-class IT solutions and services, leads day-to-day technology operations, and provides ongoing support to ensure the satisfaction of our business partners across the Fund. We build and run IT solutions, platforms, and infrastructure in an agile and secure manner and are closely aligned to industry best practices. As we scale up our work in service to Fund staff and our membership, we are seeking experienced professionals to join our team with the skills and expertise needed to meet current and emerging needs.
The Digital Advisory Unit (DAU) in ITD is seeking a highly motivated and skilled intern to join our team in-person at the IMF Washington DC HQ offices for a 3-month internship focused on Agentic AI and low-cost (“frugal”) AI hardware options in the context of Public Financial Management (PFM). The intern will develop prototypes, conduct research, build knowledge, and contribute to the development of technical assessments designed to aid member countries in deploying sovereign, low-cost AI hardware solutions and exploring the potential of autonomous agents specifically for PFM operations. The selected intern will be integrated into the IMF's member-focused AI Lab in the IT Department, which conducts applied AI research to showcase the value of AI capabilities for member countries. The lab also provides AI expertise to support IMF staff in their analytical and policy work with central banks and ministries of finance.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Research on Agentic AI in Public Financial Management (PFM):
Explore and prototype Agentic AI workflows specifically tailored for government finance functions in emerging markets, ensuring all research is grounded in PFM use cases.
Investigate the feasibility of \"Human-in-the-Loop\" autonomous agents for the public sector, analyzing how multi-step reasoning agents can function safely within the regulatory and fiscal constraints of PFM systems in developing economies.
Collaborate with the team to demonstrate how Agentic AI can move beyond simple chat interfaces to perform actionable tasks in PFM, such as anomaly detection in treasury data, budget classification, or procurement compliance.
2. Research on Low-Cost AI Hardware Options for PFM:
Conduct comprehensive research and benchmarking on low-cost AI hardware options (e.g., Apple Silicon/Mac Studio, low-cost GPUs including consumer-grade hardware) capable of supporting AI workloads locally for PFM applications.
Configure and assemble test environments within the DAU lab, optimizing hardware settings and other solutions to maximize performance for PFM-related AI tasks.
Analyze the trade-offs between cost, performance, and data sovereignty to recommend optimal low-cost AI hardware setups for member countries looking to modernize their PFM infrastructure without relying on expensive equipment.
3. Local AI Deployment & Optimization for PFM:
Install and configure open-source models directly on local machines, utilizing libraries like llama.cpp, MLX, or TensorRT to leverage low-cost AI hardware effectively for PFM tasks.
Run rigorous experiments to test if complex Agentic AI workflows can function effectively on consumer-grade hardware, documenting the limits of low-cost AI hardware for reasoning-heavy PFM tasks.
4. Collaborations on AI Innovation in PFM:
Collaborate with the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) and other departments to align Agentic AI research with real-world PFM challenges.
Engage with the DAU team to translate technical findings on low-cost AI hardware and agents into actionable advice for member countries looking to modernize their PFM digital infrastructure.
5. Engagement with DAU Team Projects:
Shadow the DAU team on various generative AI projects, gaining insights into project management and stakeholder engagement within the PFM domain.
Provide support from the HQ-based office for the DAU work that teams may carry out in the field during country missions.
6. Lessons Learned & Technical Documentation:
Maintain detailed technical documentation of all experiments, including low-cost AI hardware benchmarking results, installation guides, and Agentic AI prototype performance in PFM scenarios.
Document challenges related to driver compatibility, quantization impacts, and the practicalities of running agents on low-cost AI hardware.
7. Ad-hoc AI-Related Tasks:
Undertake any other AI-related work that may arise, demonstrating flexibility and a proactive approach to emerging needs and opportunities in the field of AI for PFM.
Skills
Strong background in Computer Engineering, Hardware Engineering, or Computer Science.
Experienced in Agentic AI and open source AI models: A strong desire to explore how autonomous agents can be applied to real-world governance and financial challenges.
Hands-on experience with Computer Hardware: Proven ability to build, configure, and troubleshoot physical computer systems, including GPU installation and managing hardware constraints.
Understanding of AI Hardware Constraints: Knowledge of VRAM limitations, quantization methods, and how to fit large models onto low-cost AI hardware options.
Technical proficiency in Local AI Deployment: Experience with tools for running models locally (e.g., Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp) and optimizing them for low-cost AI hardware backends.
Programming skills: Proficiency in Python, C++ or similar .
Research & Analytical Skills: Ability to design experiments, collect performance data, and draw technical conclusions.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
Qualifications
To compete for an IT internship, at a minimum you must:
Be enrolled in a Master’s degree program in a relevant field, such as information technology (computer science, information systems management), data science, or business administration.
Be in student status at the time of the internship. Only those students who will return to school upon completion of their internship assignments would be considered.
Be in good academic standing.
Have an excellent command of English (both written and oral).
Show an interest in, and aptitude for working in a multicultural environment.
Duration of internship
Internship assignments are up to 3 months.
Compensation and Benefits
competitive salary.
round-trip economy class air travel to Washington, D.C. from their duty station (university).
short-term visa may be provided for non-US and non-resident eligible candidates.
short-term limited medical insurance coverage per the eligibility guidelines
To be considered, your application must be submitted via Workday and include:
Fully completed application form.
Responses to all questions.
A personal CV/Resume, as an attachment.
A recent transcript for the university program in which you are currently registered (showing your current status and recent grades).
Selection Process:
After submitting your application, you will receive a system-generated acknowledgement. Only candidates who are identified for further consideration will be contacted for next steps. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Interns are selected on a competitive basis. Candidates are short-listed based on their qualifications, their field of specialization, their academic performance record, and their interest. The selection decision, based on how well the candidate's studies align with the department's work, is made by the hiring managers. IMF Internship does not guarantee further employment with the IMF upon completion of the internship or graduation.
Department:ITDAI DA Information Technology Department Immediate Office Digital Advisory Unit
Hiring For: A09
The IMF is guided by the principle that the employment, classification, promotion, and assignment of staff shall be made without discrimination against any person. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process. Information on how to request accommodations will be provided during the application process.