Summer Intern - Artificial Intelligence in People, Culture and Wellbeing

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Location: Tuhiraki Lincoln, New Zealand,

Fixed Term – 12 weeks

Hours: 40 hours

Summer Student Intern – AI and Innovation in People, Culture and Wellbeing

From Pain Points to Prototypes – Explore how AI can help improve the way people work

Want to spend your summer exploring how AI could actually make work better?

The People, Culture and Wellbeing team is exploring how artificial intelligence can help solve real workplace challenges and improve the way people services are delivered.

This internship offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of people, technology and innovation. Over 12 weeks, you’ll work alongside our team to identify opportunities where AI could save time, make information easier to access, improve our people experience, and enable better use of trusted workforce information.

You’ll engage with users to understand current challenges, investigate practical applications of AI, and assess what could work in practice. But this is more than a research project. We are not just looking for a report. You’ll help shortlist the most promising opportunities, select one to explore further, and develop it into a proof of concept. You’ll test your ideas with users, learn what works and what doesn't, and leave us with practical recommendations and a roadmap that we can continue beyond your internship.

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What you will be doing | Ngā whāinga matua

Over 12 weeks, you will work with people across the People Culture and Wellbeing team to uncover challenges and opportunities where AI could create value.

You will:

• Talk with team members to understand how work is currently done and where opportunities for improvement exist.


• Research practical and responsible uses of AI in people services.


• Assess potential opportunities considering user value, feasibility, effort, data readiness, privacy and risk.


• Select and develop a promising idea into a prototype or proof of concept.


• Test your solution with users and refine it based on feedback.


• Develop practical recommendations, guidance and next steps for future implementation.


• Present your findings and recommendations to People, Culture and Wellbeing leaders.

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What you will bring | Ngā tino pūkenga me ngā wheako

You do not need to be an AI expert or software developer to apply. You may be studying information systems, data and analytics, computer science, business, human resources, organisational psychology, innovation, service design, or another relevant discipline.

What matters most is that you are curious, enjoy exploring unfamiliar problems, can engage effectively with people, and are interested in how technology can be applied to improve the way organisations work. You’re comfortable asking both "Could we do this?" and "Should we do this?"

You will likely:

• Be comfortable taking an unclear problem and working out where to start.


• Ask thoughtful questions and seek to understand different perspectives.


• Enjoy analysing information, identifying patterns and communicating ideas clearly.


• Be willing to experiment, test ideas and learn from feedback.


• Have an interest in how technology can improve the way organisations work.


• Appreciate the importance of privacy, accuracy, ethics and human oversight when applying AI.


• Be able to work independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment.

If you’re naturally curious, enjoy solving problems, and are interested in the intersection of people, technology and innovation, we’d love to hear from you

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Why join us?

This internship offers the opportunity to work on a meaningful project with the potential to shape how people services are delivered in the future.

You'll gain experience across people, process, data and technology while working alongside professionals leading significant organisational transformation.

The project provides a tangible outcome that you can showcase in future study or career opportunities, while developing skills in research, stakeholder engagement, innovation, prototyping and problem solving

A copy of the Position Description is available for you to view here.

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What you will get | Ngā hua o tēnei tūranga

• Exposure to a professional organisational and transformation environment.


• Experience exploring practical applications of AI in a real-world setting.


• Opportunities to develop stakeholder engagement and consultation skills.


• Experience assessing opportunities, managing competing priorities and developing recommendations.


• Mentoring and support from experienced professionals.


• A defined project with meaningful outcomes and visibility across the organisation.


• Valuable experience to support future study and career opportunities.

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About us | Ko wai mātou

We've built something new.  AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and Scion have come together to form the Bioeconomy Science Institute. We are more than 2200 people working to support the growth and resilience of the bioeconomy in New Zealand and beyond.

Together, our world-class science can do more to advance innovation in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, aquaculture, biotechnology and manufacturing; protect and enhance ecosystems from biosecurity threats and climate risks; and develop new bio-based technologies and products.

For further details about the Bioeconomy Science Institute can be found on our website, watch this Bioeconomy Science Institute short clip.