Federal Legislative Campaign Associate

PIRG; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with match

Parental leave

Commuter benefits

Student loan assistance

Training program

Job summary

PIRG is seeking a Campaign Associate to join our federal advocacy team in Washington, DC. You will educate the public, mobilize support, and build coalitions to advance consumer protections and safer products.

You will organize events, interact with volunteers, and help lobby Congress and federal agencies. The role demands leadership, strong writing and public speaking, plus willingness to travel and work evenings or weekends as needed.

Qualifications

• Entry-level candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Training on advocacy and organizing skills provided.
• Ideal candidates have leadership, writing and public speaking skills.
• Organizing experience and campus/community group building valued.
• Willingness to travel regularly and work evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Educate and mobilize public support through outreach.
• Build coalitions with diverse organizations and groups.
• Earn media attention and build a social media following.
• Organize events, webinars, and recruit volunteers.
• Lobby members of Congress and federal agencies for campaign goals.
• Research and write reports to inform public debate.
• Recruit volunteers, interns and staff for the team.
• Run a grassroots campaign office in the summer and meet fundraising goals.

Skills

Leadership experience

Strong writing

Public speaking

Willingness to learn

Organizing experience

Travel readiness

Job description

PIRG is hiring a campaign associate to join our federal advocacy team to work with us to advocate for consumers and advance solutions to problems that affect our health, our safety and our well‑being.

We’re working to educate, organize, and build support across the political spectrum for solutions that address the unique problems of our modern age, including pollution of our waterways with toxic forever chemicals; our plastic and electronic waste crisis; and our efforts to protect consumers from scams, rip‑offs and dangerous products.

Representative Responsibilities:

As a Campaign Associate you will help us build support for reforms that overcome powerful special interests and put our health and safety first. This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Educate and mobilize public support: Conduct online and in‑person outreach to educate the public on our issues and ways to get involved.
• Build powerful coalitions: Reach out to a broad range of organizations and affected constituency groups across the political spectrum to demonstrate support for our campaign goals.
• Earn traditional media and social media attention: Organize news conferences and write opinion pieces. Build a following on social media for your campaign.
• Organize events and work with volunteers: Organize webinars, community events and public meetings. Recruit organizations and members of the public to attend and participate.
• Lobby elected officials: Meet with members of Congress and federal agencies to make the case for our campaign goals. When a critical vote is happening on your campaign, use the support you’ve been building on the ground to help line up the votes needed to win. Help organize and execute federal lobby day events with students and staff.
• Research and write reports: Catalog and analyze data relevant to the issue and our policy proposals to help influence public debate and earn media attention for our cause.
• 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.
• Organizational projects and trainings: Beyond your own campaign, you may be called on to help other teams on priority campaigns and tactics, ranging from clean energy to clean water to right to repair. You may travel and participate in regional and national trainings and other in‑person or virtual projects as needed. This is not a standard “9-5” or “clock in, clock out” position.

Qualifications

Entry‑level candidates are encouraged to apply. Though we expect you to take your campaign 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. Candidates must be able to travel regularly and be motivated to work when needed, which may sometimes be in the evenings and on weekends.

Compensation and Benefits

The target annual compensation for this position is $40,000 in the first year. PIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, time off, a commuter benefit program, 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:

Washington, DC

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 new future and a strategic approach to 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.