Environmental Organizer

Become a Campus Organizer 

Given the challenges facing our future–from climate change and the biodiversity crisis, to toxic threats and the erosion of civic life–now more than ever young people need to lead. We believe the best place to make the changes our country needs is on college campuses.

To tackle problems like these, students need more than what is being taught in classrooms. They need to be organized, have the skills to be effective, and have a strategic plan to get things done. 

That’s where you come in. Become a Campus Organizer and join the Student PIRGs team that’s been working for over 50 years to recruit and train the next generation of leaders to win on issues like:

• Moving states and communities to 100% clean energy
• Saving our remaining wildlife and wild places
• Protecting bees and other pollinators
• Helping students make plans to vote
• Turning the tide on the plastic waste crisis

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As a campus organizer, you’ll work on college campuses to recruit, provide skills training, and work alongside passionate student activists as they develop and run campaigns on some of the biggest issues our society is facing. You’ll organize to build the public support necessary to win.

Each organizer works with one or more college campuses. We’ll give you the training you need to organize the campus and its students into a force for positive change. It’s hard work. It’s long hours and modest pay to ensure we can do as much campaign work as possible. So it’s not for everyone. But you’ll be making a huge impact, and helping to shape the future we all want.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Inspiring and recruiting hundreds of students to take action on important issues.
• Helping students run strategic campaigns. Campus organizers will recruit and train students to run campaigns such as committing the campus to 100 percent renewable energy, eliminating single-use plastics, making college more affordable, and more.
• Building a coalition. Campus organizers work with student volunteers and interns to build a diverse, invested coalition of organizations.
• Training students to be effective social change leaders, using skills such as generating grassroots support and coordinating lobby days and news conferences.
• Building a strong, sustainable, student-funded and student-run organization on campus by fundraising, building relationships with key players on campus, and building our brand.
• Running a citizen outreach office during the summer, where you’ll recruit and lead a team of canvassers to fundraise for important issues and help build critical, timely grassroots support to win key campaigns. You may be assigned to a different office location for the summer and should be flexible to move.

QUALIFICATIONS

Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to environmental, public interest and/or student issues, as well as a track record of leadership. We’re looking for goal-driven and results-oriented individuals who have excellent communication skills and enthusiasm for the work.

To be successful, you will need to be passionate about making positive change. Because change takes time, and is often incremental, you need to come to work every day ready to fight like hell, even if it’s just for one small step in the right direction. We need people who are driven, work well with all kinds of people, and aren’t afraid to get outside their comfort zones.

PAY & BENEFITS

The target annual compensation range for this position is $31,500 – $41,690 and depends on location, education and experience. Student PIRGs organizations offer an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, paid sick time (60-72 hours/year depending on location), accrued paid vacation time (accruing 10 days over year 1), our commuter benefit program, and may include needs-based student loan assistance. Employees who stay long term will be eligible for additional vacation (accruing 15 days over year 2, and 20 days over year 3 and thereafter), a 401(k) plan with employer match, parental leave, and long-term disability insurance. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.

LOCATIONS

We’re hiring organizers to work on college campuses in Arizona, California, Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington state, and Wisconsin.

Why work with the Student PIRGs? Check out 10 reasons on our website.

OUR MISSION AND VALUES:

The Student PIRGs work closely with 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 to learn more about our values when you apply.

Each of the groups that partner with the Student PIRGs is an equal opportunity employer.

The Student PIRGs will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring. 

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. Staff in Texas are not required to be vaccinated. Staff in Florida are not required to be vaccinated or participate in testing.