AI & Software Development Intern

Sandpiper, one of the fastest growing reputation and policy management consultancies in the world, is seeking a talented, curious and technically minded individual to join our team in Hong Kong. The successful candidate will be based in Hong Kong and will support the development of technology and AI-enabled products used by Sandpiper and our clients globally. Sandpiper is a multi-award-winning agency that in 2023 was named Asia Pacific Large Consultancy of the Year by both PR Week and the PRCA; is the second fastest growing firm in Asia Pacific and the 14th fastest growing PR firm in the world. In Asia Pacific we are the only firm to have a dedicated professional services practice and are the largest public affairs agency in China. Our team are trusted advisors to industry leaders and market disruptors. We combine strong regional market and industry understanding with global perspectives. Our expertise spans corporate communications, healthcare, financial services, and capital markets communications, professional services, ESG and sustainability, brand PR, media relations, public affairs and public policy, and technology. Operating with one global P&L, we harness new technologies to deliver advisory backed by rigorous research and deep insights, and to meet the evolving needs of our clients quickly and effectively wherever they are in the world. Our firm is built around a simple proposition: by hiring the right people to do smart thinking, and equipping them with the right technologies and tools, we deliver results and business benefits for our clients. Our clients are diverse, ranging from the world’s leading asset managers, insurers, and banks to disruptive technology firms that are reshaping the way commerce is carried out. We partner with some of the world’s leading businesses and brands to develop effective, evidence-based communications strategies and programmes. What are we looking for? We are seeking a keen and organised part-time AI & Software Development Intern to join our Hong Kong team. You will need to be available to work two days per week for a minimum of three months. This is a paid internship suited to a university student or recent graduate of Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence or a related discipline who is looking to gain practical experience working on a live AI-enabled technology product. You will work closely with and under the direction of an experienced Developer, supporting the development, testing and improvement of a data and AI-driven platform. A significant part of the role will involve testing AI agents and their outputs. This may include assessing whether AI-generated classifications, scores and analysis are accurate and consistent; identifying unexpected or low-quality outputs; testing different scenarios and inputs; and helping the Developer investigate and resolve issues. You are not expected to be a full-stack developer, machine-learning engineer or AI specialist. You will be given clearly defined tasks appropriate to your experience and will work under the guidance of the Developer and Sandpiper project team. This will suit someone who enjoys experimenting with technology, investigating why systems behave in particular ways, solving problems and working systematically with data. Our ideal candidate must be based in Hong Kong and possess some of these attributes: - Currently Year 3 or above of a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence or a related technical field - Some practical programming experience through university coursework, personal projects, internships or similar activities - An interest in AI, large language models, AI agents and their practical application in software products - Interested in understanding how AI outputs can be systematically tested and evaluated rather than simply accepting generated results - Basic understanding of software development concepts, APIs, databases and structured data - Comfortable working with datasets and investigating data-quality issues - Some familiarity with Python, SQL, scripting or backend development would be advantageous - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills - Good attention to detail and an ability to identify patterns, inconsistencies and edge cases - Comfortable documenting test results, issues and observations clearly - Reliable, organised and able to work independently on assigned tasks while taking direction from the Developer - Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where priorities may evolve as the project develops - Professional fluency in English, with Mandarin advantageous Your responsibilities will include: AI Agent Testing and Evaluation – Test AI agents used within the platform and assess the quality, accuracy and consistency of their outputs. This may include agents performing relevance assessment, thematic classification, risk and opportunity analysis, scoring, grouping and other analytical tasks. AI Output Quality Assurance – Review samples of AI-generated outputs against expected results or human-reviewed examples, identify incorrect or inconsistent responses, document failure cases and help determine whether changes have improved performance. Prompt and Scenario Testing – Assist with structured testing of approved prompts, rules and configurations using different inputs, cases and datasets. Help identify edge cases, ambiguous results and situations where AI outputs require human review. Regression Testing – Help maintain and run repeatable test cases so that changes to agents, prompts, data sources or application logic do not unintentionally reduce the quality of previously working outputs. Workflow and Human-Review Testing – Test how AI agents operate as part of the wider application workflow, including successful processing, low-confidence cases, human-review routing, retries, failed or stalled processes and other exception scenarios. Testing and Quality Assurance – Support functional and integration testing of new features and technical components. Help prepare test cases, reproduce issues, identify unexpected behaviour and verify that bugs or defects have been resolved. Data Testing and Validation – Review ingested and processed data for completeness, consistency and accuracy. Assist with identifying duplicate, missing or incorrectly mapped records and help validate data against expected structures and outputs. Backend Development Support – Assist the Developer with clearly defined backend or data-processing tasks appropriate to your experience, including small enhancements, scripts, configuration changes or troubleshooting activities. API and Data Source Testing – Help test external data sources, APIs and automated ingestion processes, including checking source responses, metadata, timestamps and field mappings. Cross-Market and Language Testing – Where required, help test data and AI workflows across different markets, languages, topics and source types, recording differences or unexpected behaviour for further investigation. Dashboard and Application Testing – Test dashboard and administrative functions from a user perspective, including filters, data lookup, evidence drill-down, reviewer status and other functionality as it is developed. Bug Investigation and Troubleshooting – Assist with reproducing reported issues, gathering relevant technical information and investigating possible causes under the Developer's direction. Technical Documentation – Help maintain clear documentation covering testing, AI evaluation results, data flows, field mappings, configuration, known issues and technical processes. Development Coordination – Maintain organised records of assigned tasks, testing outcomes and outstanding issues, and work closely with the Developer and Sandpiper project team to ensure priorities and progress are clearly understood. This internship offers an opportunity to work alongside an experienced Developer on a live AI-enabled technology product involving AI agents, large language models, automated analytical workflows, data ingestion, APIs, databases and client-facing applications. The successful candidate will gain practical experience in an increasingly important area of software development: understanding how to test, evaluate and improve AI systems so they can be used reliably within real-world business applications. If you are interested in learning more, send your CV to careers@sandpipercomms.com.

• Software Engineer / Application Developer

  AECOM · Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong SAR