Onsite Office Manager & Executive Assistant to Chief Deputies

At the Child Poverty Action Lab CPAL, we believe every child deserves a life filled with opportunity. CPAL operates as an unofficial Research and Development lab for Dallas, using data to rethink public systems and equipping community partners at the neighborhood level to be successful in collectively achieving our mission to reduce childhood poverty in Dallas by 50% within a single generation. CPAL works across five key areas to reduce child poverty - Benefits Delivery, Maternal Health, Housing, Criminal Justice and Public Safety. These five “big bets” are rooted in a growing body of evidence that connects experiences in childhood to economics in adulthood.

Five design principles guide our work:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

We are seeking a highly organized, proactive, and detail-oriented Office Manager & Executive Assistant to support our Chief Deputies and to manage the daily operations of CPAL's Dallas office. This is a hybrid role: part strategic right hand to senior leadership, part steward of a space that functions as a hub for cross-sector collaboration and innovation. The ideal candidate moves easily between high-stakes calendar and communications support and the hands-on work of ensuring the office is efficient, organized, and welcoming for staff and partners alike, including the partners, vendors, and state representatives who pass through as guests.

Every detail of CPAL's office operations, from how we host community leaders to how we structure our work environment, reflects our belief that systems change begins with people working together effectively. This role ensures the conditions for that collaboration to thrive, while also keeping our Chief Deputies' time and communications running smoothly.