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Datafin

AI Engineer Intern (JHB Hybrid)

Datafin

  • R Undisclosed
  • Internship position
  • Johannesburg
  • Posted 21 Sep 2026 by Datafin
  • Expires in 28 days
  • Job 2645360 - Ref 2609320
Apply Now

About the position

ENVIRONMENT:

JOIN an applied-AI work on a structured, mentored pathway, rotating through the data engineering that feeds it as the next AI Engineer wanted by a provider of tailored Financial Solutions. You will prepare trusted data for AI workloads, help run an in-house governed AI platform, and test AI-assisted use cases under supervision and strictly inside policy. This is an engineering-and-governance internship, not a research post, and you will not be training bespoke models. What you will learn is how AI gets used safely and usefully on real, sensitive data in a regulated business. Interns who grow well here are first in line as the team expands, and the combined Data & AI

Engineer role is the named destination on the team's growth path. Candidates will require foundational Python, whether from coursework, projects, or self-teaching, but you must be able to read, run, and modify a script & a basic understanding of SQL and relational data concepts.

DUTIES:

  • Prepare, clean, validate, and document the datasets that AI and search workloads consume.
  • Support the in-house governed AI platform: content ingestion, indexing, configuration, and routine health checks under supervision.
  • Test and evaluate AI-assisted use cases such as summarisation, classification, search, extraction, and automation against defined success criteria.
  • Write small Python scripts and notebooks to automate repetitive data preparation and evaluation tasks.
  • Record evaluation evidence: what was tested, what the AI produced, what a human reviewer changed, and why.
  • Apply data-minimisation and anonymisation rules without exception, which means no personal information, credentials, or production data goes into unapproved tools.
  • Contribute to documentation: use-case write-ups, prompt and configuration notes, data dictionaries, and testing evidence.
  • Learn the company governance, security, privacy, and change management standards from day one.
  • Attend team ceremonies and give clear, honest progress updates on assigned tasks.

What you’ll work with –

  • A governed in-house AI platform, where you will learn to use AI tools properly, with controls, from week one.
  • Python, notebooks, and Git, giving you modern engineering habits from the start.
  • SQL Server and Microsoft Fabric, the governed data estate that feeds every AI use case.
  • Power BI, which is how results reach the business.
  • Evaluation and human-review workflows, which are how we decide whether an AI output is good enough to use.

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Foundational Python, whether from coursework, projects, or self-teaching, but you must be able to read, run, and modify a script.
  • Basic understanding of SQL and relational data concepts.
  • Practical curiosity about AI tools, paired with healthy scepticism about their output.
  • Attention to detail and willingness to document work clearly.
  • Good written and verbal communication, and genuine appetite to learn.
  • Awareness that data is sensitive and that confidentiality is non-negotiable.

Advantageous -

  • Qualification in progress or recently completed in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or related.
  • Exposure to APIs, notebooks, retrieval / vector search concepts, or any LLM tooling.
  • Any project where you used AI to solve a real problem, especially if you can explain where it got things wrong.
  • Portfolio, coursework, hackathon, or capstone evidence of data or AI problem-solving. Show us anything you have built.
  • Basic awareness of responsible-AI concerns: bias, hallucination, privacy, and traceability.

ATTRIBUTES:

  • You verify before you trust, and that includes AI output above all.
  • You learn fast and enjoy it, because new tools and feedback energise you rather than intimidate you.
  • You can explain what a tool actually did, not just that it seemed to work.
  • You check your work and ask when unsure, with no silent guessing.
  • You want a career in data or AI, not just a gap-filler job.
  • Integrity and values, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
  • Attention to detail and a results-driven quality mindset.
  • Strong problem-solving; composure in a fast-moving, dynamic environment.
  • Works well in a team and independently; communicates openly.
  • Growth mindset, actively wanting to learn and develop.

Desired Skills:

  • AI
  • Engineer
  • Intern

Apply Now

Datafin

About the agency

Datafin Recruitment was established in 1999 and is one of South Africa’s leading Recruitment companies. Owned and managed by two sisters Lindy and Bev Sollinger, we focus on connecting with both our clients and candidates in an authentic conscious meaningful manner. We focus on the Tech, Digital/Online, Data, Finance and HR industries.

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