TexPIRG State Director

The Public Interest Network; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Parental leave

Commuter benefit

Time off

Job summary

TexPIRG is seeking a State Director in Austin, TX to lead our campaigns on Right to Repair, Data Centers, and High Value Healthcare. Reporting to Luke Metzger, you will shape program priorities, build coalitions, organize events, and raise funds to expand our grassroots efforts.

The role requires at least 2 years of advocacy experience, strong writing and public speaking abilities, and willingness to travel and work evenings or weekends as needed.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of advocacy or organizing experience.
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills.
• Experience building coalitions and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Strategic problem-solver with adaptability.
• Well-organized and able to manage multiple proposals.
• Willing to travel; some evenings and weekends required.
• Experience with media coverage is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Shape program priorities through policy development and research in Texas.
• Build coalitions across the political spectrum.
• Organize events and recruit volunteers.
• Earn traditional and social media attention for campaigns.
• Advocate through lobbying, hearings, and strong written materials.
• Grow the team by recruiting and managing interns.
• Travel and be available evenings and weekends as needed.

Skills

Advocacy

Grassroots organizing

Public speaking

Writing

Media outreach

Coalition building

Strategic thinking

Relationship building

Travel readiness

Organization

Education

Advanced degree appreciated

Job description

TexPIRG State Director

Department: State

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Austin, TX

Reporting To: Luke Metzger

Compensation: $41,750 - $60,000 / year

Description

TexPIRG is an advocate for consumers, advancing solutions to problems that affect our health, safety and well-being. TexPIRG and our national network have a 50-year track record of bringing people together around common-sense ideas - not liberal or conservative ones, just ideas that work. In Texas, that has meant winning Right to Repair protections so Texans can fix electronics and other items they own instead of being forced to replace them, improving transparency in how the state government spends taxpayer dollars, and helping pass laws to protect Texans from identity theft and financial fraud.

We're willing to work with anyone - Republican, Democrat or independent - when we find common ground, and we work anywhere we can make a positive difference: the state capitol, a city hall, Washington, D.C., a courtroom or a boardroom. We don't accept corporate contributions and we're not funded by the government. We rely on thousands of small individual donations, which help us overcome powerful special interests when they stand in the way of solutions.

TexPIRG is seeking a state director to lead our work on campaigns such as:

• Right to Repair: Far too much stuff in our lives is single-use and designed for obsolescence, so we're making more of our things reusable, repairable and recyclable.
• Data Centers: While AI could transform society in positive ways, data centers are straining our energy resources and creating unacceptable levels of pollution, so we're calling for a moratorium on new data centers to give us time to enact standards and protections.
• High Value Healthcare: We pay too much and get too little value out of our health care system today, so this campaign is focused on cutting wasteful spending and absurd price tags.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Help shape program priorities: Participate in policy development, research and messaging to determine our priorities in Texas.
• 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, including unlikely allies who might agree with us on one issue, even if we disagree on other issues.
• Organize events and recruit volunteers: Organize webinars, community events and public meetings. Recruit organizations and members of the public to attend and participate.
• Earn traditional media and social media attention: Organize media events and write opinion pieces. Build a following on social media for your campaigns.
• Advocate: Present a compelling case to decision-makers for strong consumer and public health protections through lobbying, testifying at hearings, and producing powerful written materials. Build relationships with key players in Texas, the region and at the federal level.
• Fundraise: Write grant proposals, build relationships with foundation staff, and raise money from individual donors to bring more resources to our campaigns.
• Grow our team: Identify and recruit strong candidates to join our staff. Hire and manage interns to maximize the impact of your campaigns. Potential to train and oversee staff.

The position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance.

Qualifications

You are:

• Passionate about our public interest mission and using the power of grassroots organizing to win campaigns.
• A campaign advocate or grassroots organizer with at least 2 years of advocacy or organizing experience. Advanced degrees may count toward experience.
• An effective communicator with excellent writing and public speaking skills. Experience getting traditional and digital media coverage in previous work is a plus.
• Creative and effective at solving complex problems; a strategic thinker who can take advantage of new opportunities.
• A connector and good listener with a track record of successful relationship- and coalition-building; willing and interested in working with people who think differently than you.
• Well-organized and able to work on multiple legislative and administrative proposals at once.
• Able to travel regularly and be motivated to work when needed, which may sometimes be in the evenings and on weekends.

Additional helpful experience:

• Experience in the Texas Legislature or another government office, or with a consumer protection or public health advocacy organization, is a plus but not required.
• Fundraising experience, particularly in grant-seeking from charitable foundations.

Details

Compensation and Benefits

The starting target annual compensation range for someone with 2-8 years of relevant experience is $41,750-$60,000. Candidates on the lower 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. TexPIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, time off, 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.

Why work with PIRG? Check out 10 reasons: https://texpirg.org/why-work-with-us/

Our Mission and Values

TexPIRG 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://texpirg.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.

TexPIRG is an equal opportunity employer.