Applied Analytics Intern

AARP • Washington, DC

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest-circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin.
Data & Analytics leverages business intelligence gained through advanced data analytics in order to maximize AARP's marketing and communications results. This includes using data science, data engineering, predictive modeling, and market analytics to guide data driven decision making.
Are you a curious, hands-on student who loves building, experimenting, and asking “what if?” Join our team to explore how analytics and Artificial Intelligence can shape smarter, more human-centered experiences at scale. This is not a passive internship, you’ll work with real data, real problems, and real models, applying Large Language Models (LLMs) and embedding-based analytics to understand content, generate insights, and power journey-aware recommendations. You’ll prototype quickly, interpret results, visualize findings, and tell compelling data stories. This role offers the opportunity to see your ideas move from experimentation to real-world impact while growing your technical and analytical expertise. This internship is scheduled for May - August 2026.

Requirements

• Pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the following related majors: Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related quantitative field and remain academically enrolled throughout the internship
• Strong interest in Large Language Models (LLMs), natural language processing (NLP), and text analytics
• Solid foundation in statistics, data analysis, and machine learning concepts
• Proficiency in Python for data analysis and modeling (experience/understanding of PySpark or distributed computing is a plus)
• Experience working with data through coursework, research, internships, or personal projects (relevant projects in LLMs, NLP, text analytics)
• Proficiency in data visualization tools like Tableau
• Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and a curious, experimental mindset
• Clear communication skills with the ability to explain technical findings to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Resourceful and solutions-oriented; able to navigate ambiguity, gather information independently, and find practical paths to results
• AARP will not sponsor an employment visa for this position at this time.
• Regular and reliable job attendance
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Exhibit respect and understanding of others to maintain professional relationships
• Independent judgement in evaluation options to make sound decisions

Responsibilities

• Analyze AARP-generated content to identify gaps, assess tone and empathy, and map audience journeys using advanced text analytics
• Build and experiment with models using Python and/or PySpark to extract insights from large text datasets
• Clean, structure, and work with complex, messy data to prepare it for analysis and modeling
• Test ideas using LLMs, embeddings, and traditional machine learning approachesDevelop clear, well-documented code and reusable analysis workflows
• Create visualizations and concise summaries that translate data into meaningful insights
• Share findings, prototypes, and recommendations with both technical and non-technical teams
• Collaborate with team members to iterate on ideas and bring concepts to life

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern