Campaign Associate

PIRG; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 38,250 - 44,474; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid sick time

401(k) plan with employer match

Parental leave

Long term disability insurance

Student loan assistance programs

Job summary

A public interest organization is seeking a Campaign Associate in Madison, WI to lead consumer advocacy campaigns. This entry-level position offers training in advocacy skills and various responsibilities, including building public support and lobbying for legislative changes. Ideal candidates should have strong writing, public speaking, and leadership skills. The role provides competitive compensation ranging from $38,250 to $44,474 annually with benefits such as medical insurance, paid time off, and opportunities for advancement.

Qualifications

• Entry-level candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Willingness to take on real responsibility.
• Training on advocacy and organizing skills provided.

Responsibilities

• Work with coalitions to support campaign goals.
• Organize events and recruit volunteers.
• Lobby elected officials to gain support for votes.
• Run a grassroots campaign office each summer.

Skills

Leadership experience

Writing skills

Public speaking skills

Organizing experience

Job description

Campaign Associate at PIRG

Join us to lead our campaigns to protect consumers, stand up for the public’s right to fix their own products, advocate for higher value health care, and promote a zero waste economy.

Base Pay Range

$38,250.00/yr - $44,474.00/yr

Representative Responsibilities

• Work with coalitions: Reach out to a broad range of organizations and affected constituency groups across the political spectrum to demonstrate support for our campaign goals.
• Organize support, hold events, and work with volunteers: Build broad public support for your campaign and recruit organizations and members of the public to be involved. Organize webinars, community events and public meetings to educate, persuade, and motivate.
• Earn traditional media and social media attention: Organize media events and write opinion pieces. Build a following on social media for your campaign.
• Lobby elected officials: Coordinate strategy with champions in Congress or in State Houses. Make a convincing case to legislators who are undecided on a particular vote. When a critical vote is happening on your campaign, work to demonstrate the support you’ve been building on the ground to help line up the votes needed to win.
• Recruit new people to your team: Help build your team by recruiting volunteers, interns and full‑time staff.
• Run a grassroots campaign office each summer: Run a campaign office for the summer, knocking on doors to raise money to support our campaigns, build our organization and membership, and help build critical and timely grassroots support to win key campaigns. Your responsibilities will include meeting your own fundraising goals and managing a team of paid staff. You may be assigned to a different office location for the summer and should be flexible to move.

Qualifications

Entry‑level candidates are encouraged to apply. Though we expect you to take on real responsibility and run with it, we provide training on advocacy and organizing skills, as well as oversight by an experienced advocate. Ideal candidates will have leadership experience, top‑notch writing and public speaking skills, an eagerness to learn, and be ready for a challenge. We value organizing experience, including building campus or community groups.

Compensation and Benefits

The target annual compensation is $38,250 (but compensation may range between $38,250 and $44,474 depending on location). PIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, paid sick time (60‑72 hours/year depending on location), vacation time (accruing 10 days over year 1, 15 days over year 2, and 20 days over year 3 and thereafter), a commuter benefit program, a 401(k) plan with employer match, parental leave, long term disability insurance, and may include needs‑based student loan assistance. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.

Location

PIRG has offices across the country with larger offices in Boston, MA; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA; Portland, OR; and Sacramento, CA. We are also hiring associates to work in Chattanooga, TN; Madison, WI; Tampa, FL; St. Louis, MO; Columbus, OH and Cleveland, OH. Please state your location interests on our application form.

To Apply

Apply: https://jobs.publicinterestnetwork.org/postings/6c367f3e-3f0a-459f-828d-dabbdcf87177?token=atRnDzW5QT3WVa6tTQ9G8vh6

We are hiring campaign associates for both immediate and summer 2026 start timelines.

Why work with PIRG?

Check out 10 reasons: https://pirg.org/why-work-with-us/

About PIRG

PIRG is an advocate for consumers, advancing solutions to problems that affect our health, our safety and our well‑being.

Being a consumer advocate means being a champion for a marketplace that is not only honest and transparent, but also wastes less because it reduces, reuses and recycles more; prevents toxic threats to our health and safety; and considers the impact of new products and technologies on the next generation, not just the next quarterly earnings report.

The true North Star of a successful marketplace should not be the quantity of “stuff” we consume. It should be the quality of our lives.

Our Mission and Values

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.

Please do not use AI to help draft your cover letter or responses to our application questions. We want to know how you think and write.

PIRG is an equal opportunity employer. PIRG will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Seniority Level

Entry level

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

Non‑profit Organizations