Intern: Compliance and Governance

Organization Overview: The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is a leading civil rights organization in the Lone Star State. Our vision is a Texas where each person has an equal say in the decisions that shape our future, and everyone can build a good life. Our mission is to work with communities, at the State Capitol, and in the courts to protect and advance civil rights and civil liberties for every Texan, no exceptions.

About the Role

The ACLU of Texas invites individuals, including undergraduate and graduate students, to apply for an internship on the Operations team. The Operations Intern works within the Administration & Operations department’s focus on Privacy & Data Governance, enabling the ACLU of Texas to protect data in its possession and be a leader in nonprofit data governance practices. This role provides centralized governance for organizational data policies and privacy controls, establishing consistent practices that meet evolving regulatory and organizational expectations for data protection and privacy.

Individuals passionate about civil liberties who are interested in developing skills in nonprofit operations, privacy, and data governance within the local and state social justice context will find this internship rewarding. We seek curious, creative, and detail-oriented individuals with strong critical thinking skills.

Schedule

Internships are part-time, requiring a minimum commitment of 20 hours per week. We prefer part-time interns commit to working full workdays (e.g., two eight-hour days rather than four four-hour days), though schedules can be flexible. While the organization operates in a hybrid work environment, candidates must be located in Texas, preferably in the Houston area. Houston-based interns may work at our headquarters in Downtown Houston.

• 2026 Fall internship: 8 weeks (September 28, 2026, to December 4, 2026)
• 2027 Spring internship: 8 weeks (January 26, 2027, to March 23, 2027)

Responsibilities

As an intern with the ACLU of Texas Operations team, you will support meaningful work that strengthens the organization’s ability to advance civil liberties and social justice. This internship offers hands-on experience in nonprofit operations, compliance, privacy, and data governance, including opportunities to assist with research, documentation, process analysis, project coordination, and implementation of organizational best practices.

• Assisting with data identification, data minimization, and subject rights
• Supporting the strengthening of internal data and compliance strategies
• Drafting reports, memoranda, and staff education materials
• Participating in inter-departmental/third-party meetings regarding policies and procedures impacting organizational data governance
• Project management, research, analytics (survey design, and management)

Requirements

• Affinity toward increasing knowledge of data governance principles and practices, including data confidentiality and privacy considerations
• Desire to broadly understand the current privacy regulation landscape in the U.S. and Texas
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, including the ability to compose, edit, and proof correspondence and documents
• Strong research and organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and social justice

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of data management systems and how they operate
• Knowledge of nonprofit management and operations
• Experience developing compliance strategies

Pay

This is a paid internship at $17/hour.