Summer 2026 PhD IT Data Science Intern (Business / Operations / Strategy)

Company Description

Sandisk understands how people and businesses consume data and we relentlessly innovate to deliver solutions that enable today’s needs and tomorrow’s next big ideas. With a rich history of groundbreaking innovations in Flash and advanced memory technologies, our solutions have become the beating heart of the digital world we’re living in and that we have the power to shape.

Sandisk meets people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward. We do this through the balance of our powerhouse manufacturing capabilities and our industry-leading portfolio of products that are recognized globally for innovation, performance and quality.

Sandisk has two facilities recognized by the World Economic Forum as part of the Global Lighthouse Network for advanced 4IR innovations. These facilities were also recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses for breakthroughs in efficient operations. With our global reach, we ensure the global supply chain has access to the Flash memory it needs to keep our world moving forward.

Job Description

Our Data & AI organization empowers business digital transformation by providing infrastructure, platform and data science support. We partner with SG&A (Selling, General & Administrative) functions—including Finance, HR, Procurement, Legal, and other business support areas—to deliver advanced analytics, automation, and AI-powered solutions. We offer internship opportunities for PhD students to work on impactful analytics projects that enable smarter decision-making and drive operational excellence. 

 Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Partner with stakeholders across Finance, Sales Operations, Marketing, HR, and General Operations to understand business questions and decision needs within SG&A functions

• Analyze large, complex datasets to identify patterns, drivers, and risks impacting cost, revenue, efficiency, and resource allocation
• Develop and evaluate predictive models (e.g., forecasting, classification, regression) to support planning, prioritization, and operational decisions
• Build scenario, what‑if, and sensitivity analyses to help business teams understand trade‑offs under uncertainty
• Apply optimization or decision modeling techniques to recommend actions such as budget allocation, capacity planning, or spend optimization
• Translate ambiguous business problems into structured analytical frameworks, clearly documenting assumptions and limitations
• Communicate insights and recommendations through clear visualizations, summaries, and presentations tailored to non‑technical audiences
• Validate model outputs using appropriate metrics and ensure results are interpretable, explainable, and decision‑ready
• Collaborate with data engineering, analytics, and business partners to ensure data quality, consistency, and proper usage
• Support the deployment or handoff of analytical solutions, including documentation and stakeholder walkthroughs
• Continuously iterate on models and analyses based on feedback, new data, and evolving business requirements

Qualifications

Required:

• Currently pursuing a PhD (graduating 2027) in Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, Data Analytics, Applied Mathematics, Economics or related field. 

• Strong background in one or more of the following: 

• Machine learning / deep learning / AI model development 

• Operations research, simulation, or optimization algorithms 

• Computer vision or image analytics 

• Predictive modeling or anomaly detection 

• Big data analytics and distributed computing (Spark, Hadoop, or cloud platforms) 

• Proficiency with programming and analytics tools such as Python, Pytorch. 

• Demonstrated ability to translate research concepts into practical, scalable solutions. 

• Collaborative mindset, curiosity, and eagerness to learn from multidisciplinary teams. 

Preferred:

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. 

Additional Information

Sandisk is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a p