Hello,
U.S. PIRG is
hiring for two positions
– Tax and Budget Advocate and Democracy
Advocate.
Below are
the job descriptions and
instructions for applying. Please spread the
word!!
U.S. PIRG Tax and Budget Advocate
2011
U.S. Public
Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), the
Federation of State PIRGs, is a state-based,
nation-wide multi-issue public
interest advocacy organization that for
30-plus years has worked on behalf of citizens
to protect our health, encourage a fair,
sustainable economy, and foster
responsive, democratic government. We employ
the time-tested tools of
investigative research, media attention,
grassroots organizing, advocacy, and
litigation to deliver consistent,
results-oriented public interest activism and
to achieve concrete and lasting political
change on the state level.
The U.S. PIRG
Federal Advocacy Office represents U.S.
PIRG in federal policy matters. Our
organization’s roots at the
state level give U.S. PIRG a unique “outside
the beltway”
perspective on the issues, while our state
staff, members, campus chapters, and
national field organizers provide the
grassroots power necessary to enact
change at the federal level.
Job Description
Tax
and budgeting
decisions are the most concrete way that
government declares its public
priorities and balances between competing
values.
Unfortunately, budget-making rules and public
laws about taxes and spending
often fail the public interest in several ways
including special-interest
giveaways; lack of transparency and
accountability; wasteful and
counter-productive expenditures; unfair and
short-sighted decisions.
U.S. PIRG's Tax and
Budget Advocate will play the
following roles:
- Policy
development: Develop our
approach to tax and budget policy within a
broader political context, and develop a
comprehensive platform for ensuring fairness
and public benefit. Write comprehensive
reports, fact sheets and white papers for
release to decision-makers, the media and
the public.
- Advocacy: Bring problems
and solutions to the attention of
decision-makers and build support for
campaigns in Congress and administrative
agencies.
- Campaign
Strategy: Create the
plans to win on our tax and budget
campaigns; strategize how to gain political
support for our agenda through
coalition-building, grassroots organizing,
media publicity, endorsements and message
development.
- Media Outreach: Serve as the
public spokesperson for our tax and budget
campaigns through media events, press
releases, editorial board meetings and other
media tactics.
- Organization
Building: Write grant
proposals, work with foundations to support
our work, and meet with large donors, all to
bring more resources to our efforts to
protect taxpayers and improve tax and budget
policy in this country. Recruit new staff
and volunteers to increase our impact on all
our issues.
Qualifications
Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated
commitment to public interest
issues and a track-record of leadership and
academic excellence. We're
looking for a goal-driven and results-oriented
individual who has excellent
verbal, writing and analytical skills, the
ability to debate and speak
persuasively in a charged atmosphere, and
enthusiasm for the work. Candidates
should have at least 3 to 8 years of relevant
professional experience,
post-college. Experience in political, legal,
journalistic, activist or
nonprofit settings preferred.
Salary and
Benefits
Salary for this
position is commensurate with a
candidate’s relevant professional experience
and/or advanced
degrees. A competitive benefits package
includes health care coverage,
educational loan assistance, a retirement
plan, and paid vacation and sick
days. Opportunities for advancement, travel,
and additional training are
available.
Location
Washington, DC
Application
E-mail a cover letter and resume to careers@pirg.org. Please specify
the position you're applying for in the
subject line of your e-mail, and be sure
to mention where you saw our job announcement.
U.S. PIRG and all
PIRG-affiliated organizations are equal
opportunity employers and will not
discriminate against any employee or
applicant for employment on the basis of
race, color, national or ethnic origin,
religion, sex, age, handicap,
pregnancy, sexual orientation, or veteran
status.
U.S. PIRG Democracy Advocate
Job
Description
U.S. Public
Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), the
Federation of State PIRGs, is a state-based,
nation-wide multi-issue public
interest advocacy organization that for
30-plus years has worked to protect
public health, encourage a fair, sustainable
economy, and foster responsive,
democratic government. We employ the
time-tested tools of investigative
research, media attention, grassroots
organizing, advocacy, and litigation to
deliver consistent, results-oriented public
interest activism and to achieve
concrete and lasting political change on the
state and federal level.
The U.S. PIRG
Federal Advocacy Office represents U.S.
PIRG in federal policy matters. Our
organization’s roots at the
state level give U.S. PIRG a unique “outside
the beltway”
perspective on the issues, while our state
staff, members, campus chapters, and
national field organizers provide the
grassroots power necessary to enact
change at the federal level.
Job Description
The American system
of representative democracy
relies on an engaged citizenry and accurate
representation, yet voter turnout
is lower than it should be; mishaps, confusion
and partisan administration
raise serious questions about fairness; and in
many states, districts are drawn
by elected officials to benefit themselves or
their party.
Money plays far too
great a role in American
elections, from the municipal level all the
way up to the U.S. Presidency.
Large contributions from a few groups,
corporations and individuals unduly
influence who wins elections and reduces the
role of ordinary voters.
Even if we had the
voting procedures and campaign
finance rules in place to ensure truly
representative government, officials
will occasionally make decisions that benefit
narrow special interests
(sometimes their own personal interests)
instead of the public interest at
large. These decisions are often made behind
closed doors, with no way for the
public or news media to monitor them. Open,
transparent and accountable
government with high ethical standards is
necessary to a functioning democracy.
U.S. PIRG's
Democracy Advocate will play the
following roles:
- Policy
development: Develop our
approach to election and campaign finance
reform within a broader political context,
and develop a comprehensive platform to
ensure a fair, open and accountable
democracy. Write comprehensive reports, fact
sheets and white papers for release to
decision-makers, the media and the public.
- Advocacy: Bring problems
and solutions to the attention of
decision-makers and build support for
campaigns in Congress and administrative
agencies.
- Campaign
Strategy: Create the
plans to win on our democracy campaigns;
strategize how to gain political support for
our agenda through coalition-building,
grassroots organizing, media publicity,
endorsements and message development.
- Media Outreach: Serve as the
public spokesperson for our democracy
campaigns through media events, press
releases, editorial board meetings and other
media tactics.
- Organization Building: Write grant
proposals, work with foundations to support
our work, and meet with large donors, all to
bring more resources to our efforts to.
Recruit new staff and volunteers to increase
our impact on all our issues.
Qualifications
Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated
commitment to public interest
issues and a track-record of leadership and
academic excellence. We're
looking for a goal-driven and results-oriented
individual who has excellent
verbal, writing and analytical skills, the
ability to debate and speak
persuasively in a charged atmosphere, and
enthusiasm for the work. Candidates
should have at least 3 to 8 years of relevant
professional experience,
post-college. Experience in political, legal,
journalistic, activist or
nonprofit settings preferred.
Salary and Benefits
Salary for this
position is commensurate with a
candidate’s relevant professional experience
and/or advanced
degrees. A competitive benefits package
includes health care coverage,
educational loan assistance, a retirement
plan, and paid vacation and sick
days. Opportunities for advancement, travel,
and additional training are
available.
Location
Washington, DC
Application
E-mail a cover letter and resume to careers@pirg.org.
Please specify the position you're applying
for in the subject line of your e-mail,
and be sure to mention where you saw our job
announcement.
U.S. PIRG and all
PIRG-affiliated organizations are equal
opportunity employers and will not
discriminate against any employee or
applicant for employment on the basis of
race, color, national or ethnic origin,
religion, sex, age, handicap,
pregnancy, sexual orientation, or veteran
status.
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