Federal Legislative Director

Federal Legislative Director

U.S. PIRG is seeking a Federal Legislative Director to lead our D.C.-based advocacy team. In the name of producing and consuming more "stuff," we’ve lost sight, as a society, of what really matters -- including health, wellbeing and a clean environment. PIRG’s mission is to spotlight these problems and enact new solutions, including:

• Right to repair: We should be able to fix our stuff when it breaks and keep it out of landfills.
• A healthy environment: Thanks to our work, more kids are riding clean electric buses to school instead of dirty diesel ones that can cause asthma.
• Consumer protection: Unsafe toys, hidden bank fees and surprise medical bills are just some of the problems we shouldn’t have to put up with. We’re empowering consumers and advocating for better laws.

Key Responsibilities

U.S. PIRG’s Federal Legislative Director will spearhead our work to advance our policy goals in Washington, D.C. You’ll identify opportunities for progress on our issues in Congress and with the Biden administration, and will work with our national program directors and our state directors to make the case for our vision and demonstrate the support needed to win. This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Develop and advance our federal policy agenda, including our work to give consumers the right to repair, strengthen environmental laws and reduce costs in the healthcare system
• Fundraise from charitable foundations and individual donors
• Recruit new staff, interns, and volunteers. Potential to oversee staff
• Lobby Congress and the federal government on our policy priorities
• Build collaborative relationships with legislators and congressional staff on both sides of the aisle, federal agencies, coalitions and other stakeholders
• Serve as a spokesperson for U.S. PIRG and our campaigns in the media
• Write materials for lawmakers, the public, and the media to help advance our campaigns, including opinion editorials, press releases, campaign action emails, factsheets, bill summaries, regulatory comments and presentations

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be:

• An experienced communicator with excellent writing and public speaking skills
• Creative, effective at solving complex problems, and a strategic thinker who can take advantage of new opportunities
• A good people-person and listener with a track record of successful access-building.
• Well-organized and able to work on multiple legislative and administrative proposals at once, and manage multiple projects independently
• Experienced in campaign advocacy, grassroots organizing, coalition building and/or campaign politics for at least 5 years
• Committed to our vision of building a new politics that faces today’s challenges head on
• Candidates should also have a track record of working with people with different views or backgrounds to accomplish shared goals

Experience in a legislative office within Congress, a state legislature, or another organization is a plus but not required. 

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits

The starting compensation range for this position is $38,000-$65,000 and depends on relevant experience, education, and location. 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. PIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, paid time off, our 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.

Mission and Values

Why work with PIRG? Here are 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.

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.

About PIRG

PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. We speak out for the public and stand up to special interests on problems that affect the public's health, safety and wellbeing.

How is it possible that, in the richest country the world has ever seen, dissatisfaction is rising and life expectancy is dropping? Is it just inequality? Or could it be that, in the name of producing and consuming more "stuff," we’ve lost sight, as a society, of what really matters -- including health, wellbeing, community, and a clean environment? 

PIRG’s mission is to spotlight these problems and find new solutions. Let's make more stuff reusable, repairable and recyclable, instead of single-use and designed for obsolescence. Let's choose conservation and renewable energy over fossil fuels. Let's value clean air and water over short-term profits and lower costs. Let's grow food that nurtures us as well as the land, with fewer pesticides, antibiotics and other quick fixes. 

Getting governments and corporations to make these choices is hard, and steps in the right direction are almost always small. But we have a 50-year track record of training and putting even our newest staff in a position to overcome powerful interests and win real results for the public interest.