Job description
HIGH VALUE HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE
PIRG seeks an Advocate to lead our effort to make sure our healthcare system delivers real value to consumers at an affordable cost.
The United States spends far too much on healthcare and gets far too little in return for each healthcare dollar. We live in a country with some of the best hospitals, healthcare professionals and medical technology in the world – but our healthcare system is riddled with perverse incentives that jack up costs for Americans without improving the quality of care.
Powerful healthcare industry lobbyists will fight these changes and work to preserve the status quo. The politics of health care has never been more divisive, despite the public cry for solutions to high costs of treatment and prescription drugs. But, for more than 40 years, PIRG has stood up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On health care, we recently won a landmark consumer protection law to protect patients from surprise medical bills, and we are working to stop drug companies from abusing patent law which is keeping lower cost medicines out of the hands of patients who need them.
Our High Value Healthcare Advocate will be responsible for campaigns to contain costs and improve care for Americans, evaluating policy choices, getting media coverage for our issues as well as running grassroots organizing and coalition-building to push for high value health care solutions. The Advocate will also support our organization’s power by helping to recruit staff and interns and raise funding to do this important work. This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment and will oversee significant projects.
About PIRG
PIRG’s mission is to champion the public interest — to speak out for a healthier, safer world in which we’re freer to pursue our own individual well-being and the common good. 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.
Representative Responsibilities:
- Program Development: Help develop programs and campaigns, including researching the issue, creating viable policy solutions, and proposing the right political strategy and messaging.
- Advocacy: Make the best case for our policies directly to decision-makers. Build relationships with players in regulatory agencies, the statehouse, or in Congress.
- Campaign Strategy: Work with the Campaigns Director to develop plans to win on our campaigns; assess opportunities for building political support through grassroots organizing, media coverage, endorsements and message development.
- Coalition Building: Meet with other groups who are concerned about this issue. Share strategies and allocate resources in order to maximize our influence.
- Fundraising: Write grant proposals, build relationships with foundation staff, and meet with major donors.
- Media Outreach: Serve as the spokesperson for our campaigns through media events, press releases and opinion writing. Keep abreast of important health care issues, raise the profile of high value health care issues in the media.
- Staff Recruitment and Development: Recruit new staff, interns and volunteers and provide training and leadership development opportunities. Potential to oversee campaign associates.
Qualifications:
Candidates must have at least 3-8 years of relevant professional experience. Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to public interest or consumer issues and to citizen-based social change, as well as a track record of leadership. We’re looking for people who are goal-driven and results-oriented, who have excellent verbal, written and analytical skills, the ability to speak persuasively in a charged atmosphere, and want to make positive policy change. Experience with health policy is a must.
Why work with PIRG? Check out 10 reasons: https://pirg.org/why-work-with-us/
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://pirg.org/core-values/ to learn more before you apply.
PIRG is an equal opportunity employer.
COVID-19: We take COVID-19 safety very seriously. Employees must follow our COVID safety protocols and be fully vaccinated and boostered. Accommodations are provided to the extent required by law.
Location
Details
Employer
US PIRG
Job category
Advocacy
Employment type
Full Time
Experience
3 – 8 years
Compensation
Compensation for this position is commensurate with the relevant professional experience and/or advanced degrees of the candidate. PIRG offers a competitive benefits package.
Start date
Apply by June 30, 2023