Internship Position

Position : Internship opportunity (Research Intern – Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Crop Suitability in Rwanda Using Down-Scaled Climate Data)

Initiative: Providing High-Resolution Climate Projections for Agricultural Impact Assessment (HiClAP).

Salary Band : Internship

Organisational Unit: GIZ / Capacity Development for the Implementation of Rwanda’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC-CD)

Place of Assignment :Kigali, Rwanda

Contract Period (six months) : 01.10.2025-31.03.2026

Application Deadline :25.08.2025 

About GIZ and the Project

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi.  GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development; Good Governance; Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development; Digitalization and Digital Economy; and regional projects in the Great Lakes Region.

Climate change poses significant challenges to Rwanda’s agriculture sector and food security, given the high reliance on agriculture for livelihoods. Increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, prolonged droughts, and frequent extreme weather events threaten crop production and suitability in many regions of Rwanda. To address these challenges, GIZ Rwanda, through its project “Capacity Development for the Implementation of Rwanda’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC-CD)”, in partnership with Rwanda Meteorological Agency (Meteo Rwanda) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany, launched the initiative “Providing High-Resolution Climate Projections for Agricultural Impact Assessment (HiClAP).”

The NDC-CD project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to strengthen the organizational and technical capacities of state and non-state actors to implement Rwanda’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the 2015 Paris Agreement. This includes supporting the integration of climate change adaptation and mitigation into policies and strategies, enhancing access to climate finance, and fostering science-based approaches for climate-resilient development.

In line with these objectives, the HiClAP initiative provides high-resolution climate projections to assess the impacts of climate change on Rwanda’s agricultural systems, enabling evidence-based decision-making for sustainable land use and food security. As part of this initiative, the study titled “Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Crop Suitability in Rwanda Using Down-Scaled Climate Data” will be carried out by a Local Research Intern under the direct supervision of PIK experts.

This engagement represents a practical step towards enhancing local research capacity, strengthening climate resilience in the agricultural sector, and contributing to the implementation of Rwanda’s NDC targets.

The Research Intern will perform the following responsibilities and tasks:

Responsibilities

The Research Intern will:

• Conduct the study “Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Crop Suitability in Rwanda Using Down-Scaled Climate Data.”
• Support the objectives of the HiClAP initiative by providing robust analysis for policy and decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with GIZ, Meteo Rwanda, and PIK experts to ensure the study meets international scientific standards.

Tasks

Management and Coordination

• Develop and implement a detailed work plan to ensure the study is completed within the six-month internship period.
• Coordinate regularly with supervisors at PIK and the NDC-CD project team at GIZ.
• Prepare progress reports and maintain proper documentation of all research activities.

Communication and Networking

• Maintain active communication with project partners (GIZ, PIK, Meteo Rwanda).
• Participate in virtual supervision meetings and knowledge-sharing activities with PIK experts.
• Present interim and final results to stakeholders and contribute to capacity-building sessions where relevant.

Other Duties/Tasks

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review on crop suitability modelling and climate impact assessments in Rwanda.
• Analyze climate and environmental data, apply crop suitability models, and interpret results.

Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience

Qualifications and Professional Experience

• A master’s degree (graduated within the last 12 months or nearing completion of the studies: waiting for graduation) in Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Climate Science, Geography, Natural Resource Management, Data Science, or related fields with a quantitative, empirical orientation and focus on agriculture.
• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in the above-mentioned fields may also be considered; however, priority will be given to master’s degree holders or those awaiting graduation with a master’s degree.
• Expertise in data analysis, with programing skills in R or Python. Experience with other programing languages, GIS and/or remote sensing are valuable.
• Knowledge and work experience in tropical agriculture, sustainable development and/or climate impact analysis is valuable.
• Prior experience in modelling, quantitative research, or data analysis is desirable.

Other Knowledge and Additional Competences

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities.
• Good written and verbal communication skills in English (knowledge of French is an asset).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate in a multidisciplinary, multicultural environment.

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references) via our electronic job portal by using the button “apply” https://www.giz-jobs.com/rwanda/#id=64d334c4-5ae1-4de2-a374-163182e2ef95; until 25th  August 2025 at 4:00 PM. All attachments should be put together in one PDF file not larger than 2 MB.

GIZ is a signatory of the Diversity Charter. Recognition, appreciation and inclusion of diversity in the company are important to us. All employees shall be valued - regardless of gender and gender identity, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, social background, age or sexual orientation. We support equal opportunities and welcome applications from people with disabilities.

This includes the provision of reasonable accommodation, if needed, in order to participate in the job application and interview process and to perform essential job functions. Please let us know, if you have any particular requirements should you be invited for assessment/interview or that you wish us to consider, when considering your application. 

Women and persons with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for test and interview.

GIZ Office Rwanda

KN 41 St. / Nr.17, Kiyovu 

P.O. Box 59, Kigali, 

Rwanda

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