Associate

Food Waste Campaign Associate

PIRG

Chicago, IL

PIRG is hiring a campaign associate to help drive our campaign to End Food Waste, with the goal of passing federal policies that make it easier for consumers, restaurants, and others to prevent food waste. 

America generates up to 1,000 pounds of food waste per person each year, enough to feed millions. Our End Food Waste campaign aims to address the absurd problem of food waste, starting by eliminating the worst sources, such as perfectly safe food that is thrown away simply because of confusing date labels.

Representative Responsibilities 

• Build powerful coalitions: Reach out to like-minded organizations and affected constituency groups to demonstrate support for our campaign goals.
• Earn traditional media and social media attention: Organize news conferences and write opinion pieces. Build a following on social media for your campaign.
• Lobby elected officials: Meet with decision makers – from city council members to state legislators – to make the case for our campaign goals. When a critical vote is happening on your campaign, work to demonstrate the support you’ve been building on the ground to help line up the votes needed to win.
• Research and write reports: Catalog and analyze data relevant to the issue and our policy proposals to help influence public debate and earn media attention for our cause.
• Identify and cultivate donors: Reach out to foundations and major donors and ask them to fund your campaign.
• Recruit new people to your team: Help build your team by recruiting volunteers, interns and full-time staff.
• Run a grassroots campaign office each summer: Run a campaign office for the summer to raise money to support our campaigns, build our organization and membership, and help build critical and timely grassroots support to win key campaigns while honing your organizing and management skills.

Qualifications

We are seeking a Campaign Associate who will spearhead this campaign and work with our experienced team of advocates, researchers, and digital and communications experts.

Entry-level candidates are encouraged to apply. Though we expect you to take your campaign and run with it, we provide training on advocacy and organizing skills, as well as oversight by an experienced advocate. Ideal candidates will have leadership experience, top-notch written and verbal skills, an eagerness to learn, and be ready for a challenge. We value organizing experience, including building campus or community groups.

Compensation and Benefits

The target annual compensation for this position is $32,990 in the first year. PIRG offers a competitive benefits package. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.

Location

Chicago, IL 

We’re also hiring campaign associates to work on other campaigns in locations across the country. We accept applications on a rolling basis.

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.

Our Mission and Values

Why work with PIRG? Check out 10 reasons on our website.

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 our website 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.