Intern - Center for the Industrial Base (Summer 2026)

About the job
Job Summary  The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of some 250 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe.

The Center for the Industrial Base (CIB) is hiring a research intern for a 35-hour per week, in-person, paid position. CIB provides analysis on the critical issues at the cross-section of the U.S. government, the U.S. industrial base, and long-term strategic competition. CIB monitors important developments in the global defense industry, with a particular focus on DOD and federal industrial base challenges; government contracting trends in defense, civilian agencies, and international markets; industry-government collaboration; and international industrial cooperation. Through years of analytical research, CIB has strengthened its capabilities to draw from large databases to present information in a clear, meaningful way. CIB also collaborates with other teams at CSIS on a variety of research topics.

CIB's research efforts focus on a variety of topics, including
The defense industrial base
Manufacturing security and resilience
International defense industrial cooperation
Defense acquisition trends
Foreign military sales and defense trade
Export controls
CIB is looking for an intern who can start May 26, 2026, though the actual start date is negotiable.

The hired candidate will be paid hourly, commensurate with experience ($18.00/hour for current undergraduate hires, $19.00/hour for hires with a bachelor’s degree, and $20.00/hour for hires with a master’s degree).

Essential Duties And Responsibilities Essential functions include but are not limited to the following

Interns at CIB bolster the team with a variety of core research and analytical skills.
Assists with research and analysis
Writes comprehensive reviews of background literature for projects
Copy-edits papers
Assists with data collection and management
Note-taking and writing summaries of events and meetings
Assists with event planning and staffing
Knowledge, education, and experience
In pursuit of a bachelor’s degree (preferably at the junior or senior level) or of a master’s
degree. Recent graduates are also encouraged to apply
Must have at least a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited U.S. institution or
equivalent from a non-U.S. institution
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Training in quantitative analysis or qualitative social science methods
Experience with Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Ability to carry out tasks without ongoing oversight
Demonstrated ability to conduct research and present information clearly and efficiently
Successful Candidates Will Have Some Of The Following Skills 
Familiarity or demonstrated interest in defense research, acquisition, or supply chains
Interest in national security, emerging technologies, advanced manufacturing, export controls, and international defense industrial cooperation
Background in national security, science, engineering, economics, econometrics,
organization science, or statistics
Experience coding (preferably with R, Python, and/or Stata)
Proficiency with databases (ideally SQL Server)
Physical requirements and work conditions

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee working in an office environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Equal Opportunity Employer. 

How to apply
Interested applicants should submit a résumé, cover letter, and college transcript as a single PDF at https://careers.csis.org/opportunities. Applications not submitted in one PDF will not be considered. This application will remain open until the position is filled.

To submit an application for this position, click the “Apply” button below, and you will be redirected to our secure recruitment portal.

Apply
To submit an application for this position, click the “Apply” button below, and you will be redirected to our secure recruitment portal.

Apply
About Us CSIS is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Center’s 220 full-time staff and large network of affiliated scholars conduct research and analysis and develop policy initiatives that look to the future and anticipate change.