Job description
U.S. PIRG is seeking a Federal Right to Repair Advocate to win national reforms to make it easier to fix our stuff.
All Americans want a healthier, safer, more secure future. PIRG works to find common ground around common sense solutions that will help make that future a reality. The problems we work on aren’t progressive or conservative. They’re just problems that our country shouldn’t tolerate in an age of great abundance and technological progress.
One of those problems: Companies are intentionally making the things we buy hard to repair, and that generates way too much waste.
Not long ago, most consumer goods and business products were easily repaired with parts that were widely available. But more and more, manufacturers of everything from cell phones to medical devices, and appliances to tractors have implemented various legal, digital and physical barriers that prevent consumers from repairing the products we own or using independent repair shops.
The result is a massive amount of waste — in fact, electronic waste is now the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Americans purchase about 160 million new smartphones each year — a habit that takes some 23.7 million tons of raw material to satisfy. Continuing to extract, produce and consume electronics at this rate is simply not sustainable.
We are working to pass Right to Repair laws that would require manufacturers like Apple, John Deere and Microsoft to provide consumers and independent repairers with access to the parts, physical and software tools, and information such as schematics at a fair and reasonable price. By fixing our laws, we can make it easier to fix our stuff. That’s good for us, and good for the planet.
More good news: people from all walks of life and across the political spectrum want to solve this problem and win the right to repair. If you’re ready to work hard to find common ground around this commonsense idea, U.S. PIRG might be the place for you.
REPRESENTATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Advocacy: Lobby key decision-makers in Congress and the Biden administration. Develop collaborative relationships with legislators and congressional staff on both sides of the aisle and federal agencies to advance our policy goals.
- Outreach and coalition building: Recruit and work collaboratively with the many varied groups who want the right to repair. Call farmers in Wyoming, tinkerers in Seattle, repair shop owners in Michigan and anyone else whose support would advance our campaign.
- Communications and media outreach: Serve as a spokesperson for our Right to Repair campaign. Draft materials for lawmakers, the public, and the media including opinion editorials, press releases, campaign action emails, factsheets, bill summaries, regulatory comments and presentations.
- Campaign strategy: Assess opportunities for building political support for our agenda through coalition-building, grassroots organizing, media coverage and message development.
- Fundraise from individual donors to support our work.
- Recruit and train new staff, interns and volunteers.
This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will be:
- Skilled in working with people with different views or backgrounds to accomplish shared goals.
- An effective communicator with excellent writing and verbal skills.
- A creative and strategic thinker.
- A good people-person and listener with a track record of successful access-building.
- Well-organized, able to work independently to achieve goals while balancing urgent and important needs.
- Experienced in campaign advocacy, grassroots organizing, coalition building and/or campaign politics for at least 2 years.
- Committed to our vision of building a new politics that faces today’s challenges head on.
Experience in a legislative office within Congress, a state legislature, or another organization is a plus but not required.
LOCATION
Washington, D.C.
COMPENSATION
The starting compensation range is $35,495-$44,000 and depends on relevant experience and/or education. Candidates on the low end of directly relevant experience should expect to be on the lower end of this range; candidates on the higher end of relevant experience are likely to be on the higher end of this range. PIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package may include medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, needs-based student loan assistance, 401(k) plan with employer match, commuter benefit program, paid time off, parental leave and long-term disability insurance. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.
Things to Know When you Apply:
Why work with PIRG? Check out ten reasons: https://pirg.org/why-work-with-us/
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://pirg.org/core-values/ for things you should know about our network when you apply.
U.S. 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 boosted. Accommodations are provided to the extent required by law.