Intern: Technical Assistance Pool (TAP)

Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL)

Job Title: Intern: Technical Assistance Pool (TAP)

Department: Talent Management 

Employment Type: Part-Time; Non-Exempt 

Program Dates: June 1 - August 7, 2026

Location: Dallas, TX (Hybrid) and possibility for remote 

Reports To: Director of Talent Management

Who we are: 

The Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL) is built on a simple but often overlooked truth: children's outcomes aren't shaped by any single system, but by how multiple systems interact around place. Yet the way we've built our public systems — housing, schools, health care, job supports, neighborhood safety — treats each of those as a separate problem, missing how they compound into overlapping advantages or overlapping burdens in the places children grow up. Since 2018, CPAL has operated as an unofficial R&D department for Dallas, rethinking how data can be integrated into public systems, community programs, and neighborhood life to break cycles of intergenerational poverty.

CPAL's approach focuses on issues that meet two critical conditions: first, they shape childhood experiences in ways that evidence shows influence adult economic outcomes; second, they can be meaningfully addressed using resources and rulemaking authority that already exist locally — empowering communities to act without waiting for state or federal policy changes.

Five design principles guide our work:

Start with children and families, and work backward to systems. Change begins with understanding on-the-ground experiences of children and families, then reverse-engineering systems, policies, and processes to improve those experiences. This ensures solutions are grounded in actual needs rather than institutional assumptions.

A problem well stated is half a solution. Systemic problems often feel intractable and too big to solve until they’re sharply defined. Real change happens when problems are made concrete, actionable, and replicable.

Systems are like a string of Christmas lights. When everything works, the whole string lights up. But one burnt-out bulb — missing data, a confusing process, a broken handoff — can take the rest with it. The burnt-out bulb can change, but finding and fixing it is a repeatable exercise.

Have a bias for action. Perfect is the enemy of good. CPAL takes concrete steps forward with the best available information rather than waiting for certainty. We learn by doing and course-correct along the way.

Test, learn, and iterate. CPAL experiments fast and iterates with intention. Feedback loops and rapid evaluation help us identify what’s working and amplify insights with the greatest potential.
 

Overview of Position:

The Technical Assistance Pool (TAP) is a specialized engagement track within CPAL’s internship program. TAP interns participate in our deployable talent pool to support high-priority, time-sensitive initiatives that require strong technical and analytical capabilities.

Interns will operate as internal consultants rather than being assigned to a single team. They apply foundational technical skill sets across a range of projects, often working with partner or operational data to produce insights, visualizations, and repeatable frameworks that support decision-making and scale.

Responsibilities: 

• Provide on-demand technical and analytical support to CPAL Big Bets and partners
• Support short-term, high-impact projects involving data collection, analysis, and visualization
• Extract, clean, and structure data from partner-provided or operational sources
• Translate data into repeatable frameworks, dashboards, or standardized outputs
• Develop clear visualizations for technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Adapt quickly to new tools, datasets, and project contexts
• Document processes and learnings to support reuse and long-term value

What makes a TAP intern successful:

Successful Technical Assistance Pool (TAP) interns bring strong foundational technical capabilities and the ability to apply them flexibly across different projects. While specific assignments may vary, interns who thrive in this role typically demonstrate:

Data Scraping & Extraction Skills: Experience collecting, cleaning, and structuring data from APIs, web-based sources, spreadsheets, or partner-provided datasets.

Data Visualization & Communication: Ability to translate complex data into clear, well-structured visual outputs (e.g., dashboards, charts, reports) that support analysis and decision-making for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Data Translation & Framework Development: Ability to take existing partner or operational data and convert it into repeatable, scalable frameworks or standardized outputs with clear visualization components.

Adaptability & Execution: Comfort ramping up quickly on new tools, datasets, and problem spaces, and delivering high-quality work in fast-moving or ambiguous environments.

Problem-Solving & Ownership: Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and a bias toward action when working on time-sensitive initiatives.

Collaboration & Communication: Ability to work effectively with cross-functional stakeholders and clearly communicate progress, insights, and outcomes.

Qualifications:

• Current undergraduate or graduate student, postdoctoral researcher in a technical field (e.g., Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Analytics, Information Systems, or related discipline)
• Experience with data analysis (e.g., analyzing complex longitudinal datasets; applying regression or other sophisticated statistical methods), technical projects, or research through coursework, internships, research, or independent work
• Availability to participate in the full program duration (June 1 – August 7)
• Ability to work on-site in Dallas on Tuesdays-Thursdays 
• Authorization to work in the United States

Program Details:

• Program Dates: June 1 – August 7
• Work Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Hybrid Schedule:
  • On-site (required): Tuesday – Thursday
  • Remote: Monday & Friday
• Location: Dallas, TX or remote