Job description
U.S. PIRG is seeking a Federal Legislative Director to promote our federal policy agenda and lead our DC-based advocacy team.
As our Legislative Director, you’ll work with our advocates to secure:
A nationally coordinated plan to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including dramatically increasing vaccinations, expanding testing, and effectively distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies.
High-value healthcare: People living in the United States have access to some of the best medical care in the world, from life-saving drugs, to advanced medical devices, to cutting-edge surgical techniques. But our health system is seriously flawed. Out-of-control costs leave many Americans spending more but often receiving substandard care, or care that is not based on best evidence.
A plastic-free future. It’s time to move beyond plastic. Nothing we use for a few minutes should threaten our health and pollute our future for hundreds of years.
A stronger Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that will ensure we have fair, clear, transparent and enforceable rules to protect consumers.
U.S. PIRG’s mission is to champion the public interest—to raise our voices on behalf of the public when decisions are being made that affect our health, our safety and our rights as consumers and citizens. The problems we address aren’t progressive or conservative, they’re just problems that our country shouldn’t tolerate in an age of great abundance and technological progress. And these problems affect all of us, whether we live in a blue state, red state or purple state. To solve them, we need to find common ground around commonsense ideas.
Over the past 45 years, U.S. PIRG’s coordinated approach has won hundreds of victories. Working with State PIRGs in 26 states and 20 field offices around the country, U.S. PIRG’s federal legislative team has resources far beyond the confines of the Beltway. We’ve successfully advocated for changes that have resulted in more recycling and less waste, healthier and safer choices in the marketplace, and greater accountability in government. We have a 45-plus year track record of figuring out solutions that will work and advocating for them until we get results.
REPRESENTATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
Build and lead a team
Manage a DC-based team of advocates and campaign staff to advance our policy goals.
Participate in recruitment and make hiring recommendations for the DC team.
Represent U.S. PIRG and advance our strategy in the Capitol
Develop and advance our federal strategy on consumer protections, banning single-use plastics, calling for a more urgent, more strategic and better-coordinated response to the COVID-19 crisis and other key issues.
Develop strong and collaborative relationships with federal agencies, partner organizations, coalitions, legislators and congressional staff on both sides of the aisle, and other stakeholders to advance shared goals.
Seek out and identify policy opportunities related to our issue portfolio and make recommendations regarding policy positions and messaging.
Work with your team to develop materials for lawmakers, the public, and the media to help advance our campaigns, including opinion editorials, press releases, letters to the editor, action campaign emails, fact sheets, bill summaries and policy briefs, regulatory comments, analyses, and presentations.
Fundraise from charitable foundations and individual donors to support our program
Meet with foundation staff and donors to pitch projects for funding.
Work with your team to write and submit grant proposals.
QUALIFICATIONS
You are:
An experienced campaign advocate, campaign staffer or grassroots organizer with at least 5 years of team building and/or coalition building,
An effective communicator with excellent writing and verbal skills. Experience with traditional media or digital communications is a plus,
Creative and effective at solving complex problems, a strategic thinker who can take advantage of new opportunities,
A people person and good listener with a track record of successful access-building,
Well-organized and able to work on multiple legislative and administrative proposals,
Able to oversee significant projects and have excellent judgement and discretion.
Additional helpful experience:
Experience in a legislative office within Congress, a state legislature, or as an advocate with another organization is a plus but not required.
Fundraising experience, particularly in grant-seeking from charitable foundations.
LOCATION
Washington, DC. For the foreseeable future, all of our staff are working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COMPENSATION
Target annual compensation for this position is commensurate with the relevant professional experience and/or advanced degrees that a candidate has. U.S. PIRG offers a competitive benefits package.
You’ll join a great team of dozens of organizers, advocates, lawyers, researchers, policy analysts, communicators and others with a record of winning hundreds of new laws and other policies that are making a real difference in people’s lives. U.S. PIRG has an excellent training program. Our experienced trainers are experts in policy, campaign planning, fundraising and working with the media.
APPLY
To apply, fill out our online application. Please address your cover letter to Kate Canada, Hiring Director.
U.S. PIRG is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change. Visit https://publicinterestnetwork.org/core-values.html for things you should know about our network when you apply.
U.S. PIRG is an equal opportunity employer.
Location
Details
Employer
US PIRG
Job category
Executive Director
Employment type
Full Time
Experience
5+ years
Compensation
Target annual compensation for this position is commensurate with the relevant professional experience and/or advanced degrees that a candidate has. U.S. PIRG offers a competitive benefits package.
Start date
Apply by August 31, 2021