Summer Research Intern

The National Alliance to End Homelessness (the Alliance) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. The Alliance uses data and research to identify solutions to homelessness; works with Congress and the Administration to support and advance these solutions; and helps communities to implement the solutions. Recognizing the disproportionality of people of color who experience homelessness and the disparities that cause this, it undertakes its work in the context of achieving racial equity. 

If you are committed to helping the nation SOLVE the problem of homelessness, consider joining the Alliance. 

What we are looking for: 

The Alliance is looking for five talented Summer Interns who are committed to helping end homelessness through federal policy and improved programs and practice. A Summer Research Intern will be part of an internship cohort at the Alliance as part of the Homeless Research Institute (HRI). HRI advances data and research so that policymakers, practitioners, and the public have the best information about trends in homelessness and emerging solutions; and engages the media to promote the proliferation of solid data and information on homelessness. 

The internship cohort will include opportunities to collaborate with senior staff, access and interact with national partners, attend external events in the Washington, DC area, and participate in the Alliance’s annual National Conference on Ending Homelessness. We seek candidates with high energy, excellent organizational and communication skills, and an interest in homelessness and housing. Successful interns will value close collaboration with team members but will also be self-motivated and able to work independently. 

What you will do: 

The Summer Research Intern will assist in projects with the research team as well as support efforts around the Alliance’s National Conference on Ending Homelessness in July. Candidates should indicate which of those areas are of most interest to them. They should also describe the experience and skills they would bring to projects in those areas. 

Responsibilities will vary based on the candidate’s interests and experience, as well as the areas the Alliance is working on at the time: 

• Generate content: This may include assisting in drafting and editing research briefs and blogs that dig deeper into a particular subject related to homelessness/housing. 

• Review academic literature: Such as conducting a literature scan on a particular subject related to homelessness/housing and/or summarizing findings from newly published research.  

• Organize federal data: Alliance staff frequently organizes large amount of data into legible spreadsheets to support analyses. A research intern may brainstorm new ways to use existing data or support ongoing projects by aggregating and cleaning data. 

• Explore survey data: the Alliance conducts numerous surveys. A research intern may examine the data from these surveys and identify unique and compelling insights about the data. They may also elaborate on previous analyses about these data. 

• Support qualitative data collection and analysis: This may include planning for and participating in interviews with local or national stakeholders like service providers and people with lived expertise of homelessness, and/or cleaning and coding interview notes for the development of case studies, reports and meetings with policy makers.  

• Participate in ongoing research projects: such as in-depth evaluations of existing or proposed legislation / policies, exploring best practices for homelessness response services, or researching emerging or existing data about populations and services. 

• Support staff projects: This may include administrative tasks on projects developed by HRI in partnership with the communications, policy or capacity building teams. For example, data snapshots that help to quickly visualize data and summarizing published literature for staff. 

• Help plan conference workshops, and attending (with and without Alliance staff) various opportunities for professional development, including policy forums, Congressional briefings, community meetings, and others. 

We are looking for candidates with:  

• Candidates with prior life experience or work experience in homeless or low-income communities, communities of color, and/or LGBTQ communities are encouraged to apply. 

• Demonstrated interest in at least one of the following areas: public policy analysis, communications, and relationship building with individuals and groups, all focused on homelessness and poverty issues. 

• Demonstrated experience and ability to recognize and respond to the ways race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity intersect to further promote racial equity and social justice. 

• Demonstrated interest in working with marginalized or vulnerable populations (e.g., LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, etc.). 

• Previous research, data, and/or outreach experience. This may include interest or experience in analyzing quantitative data as well as conducting/analyzing interviews and focus groups. 

• Strong professional verbal and written communication skills. 

• Ability to pursue own projects and meet deadlines with limited supervision. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (advanced experience using Microsoft excel is a plus). 

• Proficiency with digital technologies. 

• Experience working with Tableau, R, SurveyMonkey, Dedoose or other data visualization/analysis software is a plus. 

• Candidates with direct service experience and a strong interest in research are also encouraged to apply. Existing research skills are useful but not .  

What we can offer you: 

The Alliance is a strong, flexible team of professionals that works collaboratively to achieve its mission of preventing and ending homelessness in the nation. We offer interns a supportive work environment in which they receive opportunities to contribute to and direct activities that align with their learning goals in the pursuit of solutions to a national social problem.  

Additional benefits include: 

• 3 paid vacation days and 2 paid sick leave days during the 10-week period of June 8-August 14 (leave pro-rated based on start and end dates)  

• Paid Federal Holidays 

How to Apply: 

We accept online applications only. Please visit our Careers page at https://naeh.bamboohr.com/careers

Include resume, cover letter, and a short writing sample (no more than three pages, can be an excerpt from a larger work).

Please note: No phone calls please. Only those selected to participate in our hiring process will be contacted.

The Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.