Protagonist Intern

Job Description

Socio-Cultural Analyst Intern | Protagonist

The Tone:
This is a hybrid internship at Protagonist, located in Washington, DC, requiring 1-2 days in the office. Protagonist is a company that combines rigorous, methodologically sound analysis with its Narrative Analytics® platform to quantitatively analyze open-source media. This enables them to deliver strategic recommendations and craft executive-level communication strategies for clients tackling significant global challenges, including U.S. Government agencies and non-profit organizations. This role is crucial for developing the Narrative Analytics offering by identifying and understanding key conversations and narratives that drive global populations, contributing to compelling projects that make a tangible impact. The intern will join a collaborative team of communication specialists, data scientists, and subject matter experts.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Part-time (Minimum 20 hours/week)
• Location: Hybrid, Washington, DC
• Pay: $20 hourly
• Mission: Understand the deeply held beliefs and narratives that drive critical issues and global populations, contributing to client deliverables and internal process priorities.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Research: Conduct qualitative research on international populations to understand the narratives shaping their beliefs and views.
• Reporting: Articulate narratives held by international populations and write clear reports conveying team findings.
• Expert Identification: Support the identification of subject matter experts, researching key historical figures and eras for selected countries.
• Project Execution: Implement research plans for assigned projects, working closely with project teams.
• Insight Visualization: Collaborate with case teams to identify and visualize insights that address client questions.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program (BA, MA, PhD) and possess a strong passion for understanding the deeply held beliefs and narratives that drive critical issues and global populations.
• Experience: Authorized to work in the US and capable of working on US Government contracts, potentially restricted to US citizens. Required strong research and writing skills, including the ability to synthesize open-source information and independently write international affairs/history analyses. Experience with in-depth research using primary (e.g., interviews) and secondary (e.g., journals) sources is essential.
• Skills: Outstanding analytical skills, data-savvy, excellent interpersonal and presentation skills for communicating complex problems with clarity, ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team, and keen attention to detail. Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to meet tight deadlines under pressure are also key attributes.
• Bonus: Existing security clearance (SECRET or higher), coursework in international relations or communications, experience with data visualization, or a graduating student.