Administrator for National Nonprofit

Program Administrator 

The Public Interest Network 

Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; Boston, MA

The Public Interest Network is seeking a passionate, detailed and results-oriented  administrator to help run the operations of our state and national program teams at Environment America and PIRG. As administrator you’ll provide the operational backbone for our staff of issue experts and policy campaigners who are working to advance environmental protections, consumer rights, and other solutions to problems increasingly absurd in an age of advancing technology and growing abundance.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities the administrator plays a key role in include, but are not limited to: 

• Managing communications within the program teams at Environment America and PIRG and with other staff at The Public Interest Network.
• Supporting external communications and public outreach for national campaigns.
• Maintaining team records.
• Organizing meetings of our staff and boards.
• Managing the intern hiring process for positions across the country.
• Identifying areas to innovate and improve efficiency, and helping the program team implement those improvements.
• Running 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.

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

Qualifications

Entry-level candidates with a passion for our issues, mission, and values and a strong desire to build a better world with their life are encouraged to apply. To be effective in this role, you need to be a strong writer, goal-driven, detail-oriented and highly organized, with the maturity to manage confidential and/or sensitive information and a can-do attitude to get things done. 

A top candidate will have these qualities:

• Passionate. Have you always wanted to do good in the world? Are you motivated by protecting the environment? This is hard work, but you’ll wake up every morning knowing you’re working to solve some of our biggest problems with a team of people just as motivated to make a difference as you are.
• Highly organized. Good at developing and/or learning systems for yourself, and helping others adopt those systems as needed. You’ll need to keep track of the details, manage your time effectively and balance priorities.
• Problem-solver. If something is going wrong, you’re ready to figure out not just how to solve it, but how to make sure it doesn’t happen again, whether it’s a database that’s crashed, or a reporting drill that not everyone uses. You’ll need to be able to ask “why” and then dig in to find the answers.
• Clear communicator. You’ll be the go-to person on our team for information. Figuring out how to communicate information out to people on our team, and to staff on other teams in our network, is a big part of this role. You are not afraid to follow up.
• Team player. Willing to do what it takes to get the work done. You’ll need to jump in to help get projects across the finish line, or help launch new initiatives.
• Hungry for experience. This job will give you the chance to learn how our organization operates, and we have opportunities for advancement and additional training. This is a great job for entry-level candidates looking for a place to start their career.

Compensation and Benefits

The target annual compensation for this entry level position is $38,250-$39,500. The Public Interest Network offers a competitive 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. 

Location

This position could be based in Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; or Boston, MA.

Why work with The Public Interest Network? Check out ten reasons on our website.

About The Public Interest Network

The Public Interest Network consists of organizations, such as PIRG, Environment America, and their state groups, that are committed to a shared vision of a new future and a strategic approach to change.

We tackle problems that arise from America’s endless pursuit of economic growth. This imperative to produce and consume “more” explains why our society continues to burn more fossil fuels, despite the damage to our climate and our health. It’s why our marketplace keeps mass-producing more single-use plastic, despite the price we pay in waste and pollution for a moment’s convenience. And it’s why even the most technologically advanced companies design and market their products for obsolescence, not repair and reuse. 

Together, the staff of The Public Interest Network’s organizations are relentlessly pragmatic in our approach to these problems. We prioritize making a difference in people’s lives over “making a statement.” We work with everybody to make change happen, political ideology aside. And we are serious about the work – we set clear goals, benchmarks and systems to measure our progress, and hold ourselves accountable to making change now and building for the future.

This unique approach gives even our newest staff an opportunity to make a concrete difference for the environment and the public interest – just as hundreds of dedicated staff have done over our 50 year history. If you want to add to this change-making legacy; if you have the passion and the drive that it takes; if you’re looking for a mission, not just a job – then let’s talk.

Our Mission and Values

The Public Interest Network operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change. Visit our website for things you should know about our network when you apply. Within the first document you will find a link to a second; please read both carefully. 

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.

Fund for the Public Interest is an equal opportunity employer and will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.