Policy & Operations Intern (Spring 2025)

About the Intern Program

As an intern, you will gain experience in supporting the day-to-day operations of a nonpartisan think tank and invitational membership organization. Interns will play a key supporting role in in fulfilling the Council’s goal of serving as a catalyst for criminal justice policy based on facts, evidence, and fundamental principles of justice.

Spring internships will run for 15 weeks, from mid-January to late April, and you will be expected to work up to 20 hours per week. We can work with candidates to schedule around their academic calendars.

Responsibilities:

• Assist policy specialists with Task Force meeting management and coordination, including agenda development, scheduling, and preparation of meeting materials; review meeting transcripts;
• Bolster member engagement, including developing systems for tracking engagement and identifying new ways to engage members;
• Attend criminal justice policy events and convenings as assigned;
• Identify and synthesize relevant research on criminal justice topics;
• Assist with tracking of CCJ news coverage and in building reporter and other media lists;
• Assist with tracking news coverage of CCJ members and identify items for CCJ to elevate on social media and in member communications;
• Data entry and organization of member, stakeholder, and media information in Neon CRM;
• Develop social media and web content and copy;
• Create data visualizations using Tableau or Infogram; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Application Process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through November 1. We expect to begin conducting interviews in early November and make a final hiring decision in early December.

Stage 1: Submit Application Materials via Workable - https://apply.workable.com/counciloncj/j/DC69A6E346/

1. Resume/CV
2. Short response questions — Please respond completely to the application questions in lieu of submitting a cover letter. Applicants who do not respond to all of the questions will not be considered.
3. Transcript(s) (unofficial will be accepted)
4. References (reference checks will be conducted for final stage applicants)

Stage 2: First interview with intern coordinator (20-30 minutes)

Stage 3: Writing sample and full interview with senior staff member and intern coordinator (45-60 minutes)

Stage 4: Offer

About the Council

The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) is a nonpartisan membership organization and think tank created to advance understanding of the criminal justice policy challenges facing the nation and build consensus for solutions based on facts, evidence, and fundamental principles of justice.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage candidates of any age, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity to apply.

Requirements

General Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s candidate (third or fourth years preferred) or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated interest in criminal justice policy / research and/or nonprofit work
• Strong commitment to CCJ’s nonpartisan, research-based, consensus-building mission
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Dropbox a must; Asana, Slack, Adobe, Tableau proficiency a plus
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit, facile communicator, highly organized
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Must have own computer and access to reliable, consistent internet

Travel Requirements

This is a remote position. Interns may work from anywhere in the United States. CCJ is primarily a remote organization, but we have office space in Washington, D.C. that is available to local staff and interns.

Benefits

Program benefits include:

Mentorship and Networking: Interns will report to the intern coordinator, meeting regularly to discuss daily assignments, and work closely with senior staff, checking in weekly to discuss project progress as well as academic and professional goals. Interns will have opportunities to engage regularly with all CCJ staff and network with CCJ members and other criminal justice leaders.

Team Meetings: Interns will participate in weekly staff meetings and smaller team meetings according to their roles. Interns will also be invited to join standing meetings with CCJ’s research and policy teams.

Writing Assignment: Interns will be asked to produce at least one major work product during their time at CCJ, such as a blog post, research literature review, or short presentation. Interns will receive ongoing, substantive feedback on the work from senior staff.

Intern Stipend: Interns will be paid a stipend of up to $5,250 throughout the course of the 15-week internship.

Letter of Reference: Upon satisfactory completion of the internship, interns will receive a letter of reference from their intern supervisor and a member of CCJ staff.