Zero Waste Advocate

PIRG; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Time off

Commuter benefit

401(k) plan with employer match

Parental leave

Long-term disability

Student loan assistance

Training program and advancement

Job summary

CoPIRG is seeking a Zero Waste Advocate in Colorado to champion ideas that reduce waste from plastics to electronics. You will work with the Executive Director to eliminate single-use plastics, promote waste reduction programs, and expand Right to Repair and repair initiatives.

Responsibilities include shaping policy priorities, building coalitions, organizing events, recruiting volunteers, and driving media attention.

Qualifications

• Passionate about public interest and grassroots campaigns.
• At least 2 years of advocacy or organizing experience.
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills.
• Creative and strategic problem-solver with ability to spot opportunities.
• Willing to travel and work evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Shape program priorities: policy development, research and messaging for our zero waste program in Colorado.
• Build powerful coalitions: reach out to a broad range of organizations and constituency groups across the political spectrum.
• Organize events: webinars, community events and public meetings; recruit organizations and attendees.
• Recruit and work with volunteers: identify and engage volunteers for campaigns.
• Earn traditional and social media attention: organize media events, write opinion pieces, build a social media following.
• Advocate: present compelling cases to decision-makers for policy action; lobby, testify, and produce written materials; build relationships at state, regional and federal levels.
• Fundraise: write grant proposals, build relationships with foundations, and raise money for campaigns.
• Grow our team: recruit strong candidates, hire interns, and train staff.

Skills

Advocacy experience

Grassroots organizing

Public speaking

Strong writing skills

Campaign networking

Job description

CoPIRG is seeking a Zero Waste Advocate to champion ideas that reduce needless, harmful waste in our state, from single-use plastics to throwaway electronics.

Our country has a waste problem. Natural resources are continually extracted to produce goods that are used - often just once - before they are thrown into landfills, incinerators or left to litter our communities and the environment. This system of consumption and disposal results in the waste of precious resources and in pollution that threatens our health and our environment. It would be better for our planet, and our daily lives, if we used only what we need, we had stuff that lasted longer, and we could recycle what is no longer useful.

The Zero Waste Advocate will work with the CoPIRG Executive Director to:

• Work to eliminate single-use plastics and unnecessary plastic packaging
• Promote and expand waste reduction programs like refill and reuse systems
• Promote the use and expansion of Colorado's nation-leading Right to Repair laws, which make it easier for Coloradans to fix their own stuff
• Encourage and promote other community efforts to reduce consumption and waste, from clothing swaps to lending libraries

Key Responsibilities

This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Help shape program priorities: Participate in policy development, research and messaging for our zero waste program in Colorado.
• Build powerful coalitions: Reach out to a broad range of organizations and affected constituency groups across the political spectrum to build and demonstrate support, including unlikely allies who might agree with us on one issue, even if we disagree on other issues.
• Organize events: Organize webinars, community events and public meetings, including events that connect the public to opportunities to reduce waste in their own lives, like clothing swaps and repair clinics. Recruit organizations and members of the public to attend and participate.
• Recruit and work with volunteers: Identify and work with volunteers who want to do more in their community.
• Earn traditional media and social media attention: Organize media events and write opinion pieces. Build a following on social media for your campaign. Find opportunities to advance our goals in the media, including sharing data, like our annual State of Recycling report, and writing your own content, like tutorials on how to cut waste in homes.
• Advocate: Present a compelling case to decision-makers for strong policy action to reduce waste through lobbying, testifying at hearings, and producing powerful written materials. Build relationships with key players in the state, 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.

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 access-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 state legislature or other government office, or with an environmental or public health advocacy organization is a plus but not required.
• Fundraising experience, particularly in grant-seeking from charitable foundations.

Compensation and Benefits

The starting target annual compensation range for someone with 2-5 years of relevant experience is $41,750-$46,000 in the first year. 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. CoPIRG 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 CoPIRG?

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

About CoPIRG

CoPIRG 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

CoPIRG 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://copirg.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.

CoPIRG is an equal opportunity employer.