Spring 2016 Local-to-State Policy Internship

CPPP’s Vision and Core Purpose: The Center for Public Policy Priorities believes in a Texas that offers everyone the chance to compete and succeed in life. We envision a Texas where everyone is healthy, well‐educated, and financially secure. We want the best Texas – a proud state that sets the bar nationally by expanding opportunity for all. CPPP is an independent public policy organization that uses data and analysis to advocate for solutions that enable Texans of all backgrounds to reach their full potential. Overview of Research and Planning Team: The Research and Planning Team strengthens CPPP’s cross-area work by using data to connect the dots, building systems for staff development and support, and engaging allies in the pursuit of CPPP’s vision for Texas. The Research and Planning Team is spearheading CPPP’s efforts to build a local-to-state policy strategy where investments of time, technical support, and policy analysis in key Texas communities create momentum for statewide policies that reduce poverty and inequality for all. Intern Position: We are looking for a resilient and positive graduate student with an interest in policy development, the diffusion of policy innovations, and/or the interaction between local and state power to help CPPP expand our local policy engagement work. Specific tasks may include: • Canvasing local policy initiatives currently underway in Texas and across the nation • Establishing contact with local stakeholders and performing stakeholder/network analyses • Assisting with dissemination of CPPP materials • Assisting with preparation and execution of product releases and events • Assisting and participating in organizational development and strategic planning meetings • Other necessary tasks as they arise The Local-to-State Policy Intern will have the opportunity to work with, and learn from, CPPP staff members who oversee various policy, development, and communications activities, and acquire an understanding of how a non-profit policy organization works. The intern may also have the opportunity to engage with CPPP staff in support of their policy research projects. As the Center does not employ any dedicated clerical staff, interns (and policy staff alike) are expected to do their own clerical work and on occasion help out with team preparations for Center events, etc. Our interns have gone on to hold meaningful positions immediately following their work with CPPP. Their positions have included work in the public (e.g., clerk for the Human Services Committee in the Texas House of Representatives), university (e.g., University of Texas Post-Doctoral Fellow evaluating the Texas Home Visiting Program), private (e.g., analyst for Maximus; associate at Chemonics, a contracting firm for USAID international projects), and non-profit sectors (e.g., Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, MD). Dates of Internship: January 4, 2016 through May 20, 2016. Depending on funding, we may also have part or full-time Summer internships. Salary: $15/hour for 20 hours per week. Intern will be paid in accordance with the Center’s normal payroll practices and will be subject to the usual, required withholding. As a temporary employee, an intern is entitled to CPPP’s paid holidays if a holiday falls on a day she/he would otherwise have worked. Interns are not entitled to any other employee benefits such as sick and vacation leave, health and life insurance, employer-sponsored pension, and cell phone reimbursements. Citizenship: Open to international students Location: Center for Public Policy Priorities, 7020 Easy Wind Dr., Ste. 200, Austin, TX 78752 (same building as Black Star Co-op, at the Crestview metro station). Minimum Qualifications: • Be tenacious about details and organization. Others may have described you as slightly obsessive. • Juggle a wide range of tasks across multiple projects. You can multi-task effectively, and nothing slips through the cracks. • Communicate clearly. You are able to synthesize complex ideas into concise and compelling prose appropriate to your audience. You are comfortable on the phone and find it easy to put your thoughts into words. • Embrace feedback and revision. You understand that great writing is iterative and find value in the process as well as the final product. • Understand new concepts quickly. You can rapidly get up to speed on a new topic. You continually absorb, integrate, or catalog new information with ease. • Be adaptable to changing circumstances. You like to have a plan, but you are also flexible and are comfortable making adjustments when necessary. Bonus Qualifications (i.e., not necessary, but potentially useful): • Enjoy learning new software and applications • Ability to travel within Texas to events and conferences held by CPPP (expenses covered) The Center for Public Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer.