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The State PIRGs


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Operations Manager, Alternative Telecom & Networks
Berkeley, CA

Alternative Telecom & Networks has worked with Bay Area nonprofits for over 15 years.  Run by two PIRG alums, the company helps nonprofits with every aspect of technology, from phone systems to computer networks and everything in between. 

We are looking for a smart and unique person to help with day-to-day operations.  Entry-level position, no experience required, though prior nonprofit work a plus.  Learn on the job from great co-workers, providing customer service and technical support to our nonprofit clients.  Hard but rewarding work at nonprofit-level salary, includes full medical, dental, and 401(k) benefits.  Lots of room for growth.  Office located in West Berkeley.  Fax letter and resume to (510) 848-4491, or send it by e-mail to jobs@alttelnet.com.

Grassroots Campaign Director, National Wildlife Federation
Washington, DC

NWF is seeking a dynamic director to develop and lead grassroots mobilization campaigns. The Director will strengthen and expand NWF’s grassroots base and activist leadership to build a more vibrant conservation movement; coordinate efforts to educate and engage hunters, anglers, gardeners and other wildlife enthusiasts as well as mobilize NWF’s millions of members, state affiliates and strategic new allies into a significant voice for action.  The Campaign Director will coordinate a cross organizational action team to develop and implement high impact grassroots outreach strategies to meet our priority campaign needs. This individual will supervise a core staff team and work closely with other NWF staff and strategic partners. 

Qualification:  Proven success with field/campaign and community organizing, and/or leading grassroots groups.  7 years of campaign advocacy/organizing experience, including 2-3 years management supervision.  B.A/B.S. degree required. The successful candidate will be a highly organized, self starter, innovator and a team player. Possess excellent interpersonal skills; excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to handle multiple priorities; ability to effectively engage, motivate and organize people. Ability to think strategically and coordinate several simultaneous outreach strategies to a successful end.  Travel is required.

National Wildlife Federation offers an excellent benefits package.  NWF is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. 

Please apply online at www.nwf.org/careergateway.

NWF’s mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, League of Young Voters (LYV) & League of Young Voters Education Fund (LYVEF)

RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Direct or coordinate implementation of League communications plan.
* Develop online content, including League Talks Back blog and Indyvoter podcasts.
* Work closely with Online Director to create and manage online campaigns and strategy.
* Conduct PR and media strategy training/technical assistance for organizers.
* Work closely with Program Director to develop and refine campaigns, messages and overall communications strategy.
* Coordinate Communications Advisory Board.
* Manage Communications Interns and Associates.
* Represent LYVEF/LIV at conferences, trainings, workshops.
* Participate in fundraising as it relates to communications work.
* Participate in developing and refining overall organizational strategy.
* Work within the ethics of sustainability, leadership development, and respect for local autonomy.

QUALIFICATIONS:
- Demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice and youth empowerment
- Demonstrated ability to work in multi-racial, multi-class settings
- 2+ years of experience in public relations and/or journalism, ideally bridging hip-hop journalism, politics, online and mainstream media.
- Experience working with social justice groups
- An understanding of grassroots organizing, electoral politics, and policy change.
- Demonstrated success at planning and implementing media campaigns, placing news stories, conducting strategic messaging/framing, and building relationships with reporters
- A passion for creating media and a creative instinct for producing content that people will talk about
- Excellent facilitation, training, and public speaking skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Ability to create program plans and the initiative to implement them
- Willingness to work long hours
- Management experience preferred
- Bilingual a plus
- Ability to make a two year commitment
- Ability and willingness to travel.

COMPENSATION: Based on Experience (with benefits).

LOCATION: Negotiable.  The League currently has offices in NY, CA, TX, WI, ME, LA, NM, PA but the right candidate could potentially work from anywhere.

TO APPLY: Please send a cover letter, resume and a writing sample to jobs@indyvoter.org by April 17, 2006.

*The League of Young Voters Education Fund (LYVEF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization engaging young people under 35 in the democratic process through voter education, trainings, leadership development, and by providing support to existing youth, cultural and student organizations to include voter organizing in their work. www.youngvoter.org
**The League of Young Voters (LYV) is a 501(c)4 advocacy organization for young people under 35 to build a progressive governing majority in our lifetime. We develop leaders and build political power to create public policies which reflect our core values: family, community, inclusion, freedom, equality, sustainable jobs and peace. www.indyvoter.org


Political Project Manager, Working Assets
San Francisco, CA

Working Assets, a social change company based in San Francisco, helped register over 1 million voters in 2004. We're looking for a hands-on project manager with experience managing both data and online development projects to help us mobilize volunteers and voters in a nonpartisan manner in 2006. This is a project manager position, not a campaign manager position. By that we mean solid, quantitative analysis skills are required -- including experience with Excel, Access, and SQL. 

Candidates must be extremely detail oriented and hyper organized, but also tolerant of the chaos that characterizes grassroots organizing. Experience working with field operations a plus but not a must. This position is located in downtown San Francisco and will require long hours leading up to Nov. 7, 2006. 

To Apply: Contact Becky Bond at bbond@workingassets.com

National Field Director, Young Voter Strategies
Washington, DC

Click here for job description

National Forest Program Director, American Lands Alliance 
Washington, DC

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Campaign Manager, Equality Virginia 
Richmond, VA

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Canvass Directors, Clean Water Action 
Boston & Northampton, MA

Click here for job description




Executive Director, WashPIRG
Seattle, WA

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Background
For 30 years, WashPIRG has been a tireless advocate for the public interest in Washington state.  Our mission is simple: deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects our environment, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democracy, government.  Whenever consumers are cheated, our natural environment is threatened, or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, WashPIRG speaks up and takes action, using the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposes, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation.

WashPIRG’s history is rooted in developing practical solutions to some of the state’s most pressing problems.  In recent years we’ve helped stop the US Department of Energy from shipping nuclear waste to their Hanford site, enacted on the nation’s strongest bans of consumer products containing the deadly neurotoxin mercury, restricted the use of consumer credit reports in determining insurance policies, passed one of the country’s strongest pipeline safety standards, and put through stronger protections to help consumers correct credit report errors.  We’ve also broken new ground on seemingly major policy issues, passing for instance, the first-ever state program to eliminate discharges of some of the most deadly toxic chemicals.

 In 2005, WashPIRG is working to get the state to adopt California’s clean cars standard, increase funding for public transit, raise energy efficiency for major appliances, phase out the use of toxic PDBE chemicals, and allow consumers to freeze their credit reports to protect against rampant identity theft.

 WashPIRG currently has 4 program and field staff, organizers at the University of Washington and The Evergreen State College, the largest door-to-door canvass operation in the state, and a membership of approximately 20,000 Washington citizens.

Job Description
The WashPIRG Executive Director will oversee the day-to-day operations and the long-range program and financial planning for the one of the oldest and largest public interest groups in Washington. Specific responsibilities will include:

-          Hiring, training, and managing staff.

-          Working with staff to create plans to win our public interest campaigns; strategizing how to gain political support for our agenda through coalition-building, grassroots organizing, media publicity, endorsements and message development; and identifying new program areas.

-          Lobbying officials on environmental and consumer protection policies

          Developing and implementing fundraising plans, including building and maintaining relationships with foundations and major donors and identifying new funding sources.

-          Working with bookkeeper and accountant to ensure all fiscal responsibilities of organization are met.

-          Developing and maintaining annual operating budget.

-          Representing WashPIRG with coalition partners, legislators, policy makers, and the media.

The Executive Director will also work with PIRG staff across the country, including issue teams of state and federal-level policy staff across the nation, and more specialized projects including an in-house think tank, an environmental litigation team, a corporate campaign center, shareholder advocacy experts, political messaging staff, campus organizing team, and national celebrity- and media organizers.  Moreover, the Executive Director will receive support from PIRG organizational building departments, including our legal, financial, grantseeking, citizen outreach fundraising, direct mail fundraising, internet organizing, and membership services departments, as well as other experts in non-profit operations.

Location
Seattle, Washington

Qualifications
We're looking for a goal-driven and results-oriented individual with passion and persistence who is committed to the public interest, someone with leadership skills and initiative, and the verbal and written skills necessary to make the case that protecting the environment must be a top priority. Candidates should have 8 or more years of relevant professional experience, post-college, including (but not limited to) work in political, policy, legal, journalistic or government settings. Advanced degrees, including a JD or masters in related fields, may count toward a candidate's professional experience.

Salary & Benefits
Salary for this position is commensurate with the relevant professional experience and/or advanced degrees that a candidate has. 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.  

Communications Director, Corporate Accountability International
Boston, MA

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Our Communications Director will work as a member of the senior staff to create and implement an innovative organizational communications plan.  The Communications Director will implement communications strategies for our organizational expansion, including new campaigns on water, food and agribusiness, and oil industries and on the global tobacco treaty.  Corporate Accountability International has a history of well-known and well-publicized campaigns; the Communications Director will contribute to this history through strategic communications plans that will raise public awareness of our new work.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Work as part of the senior staff team to create and implement an innovative organizational communications plan
- Create, oversee and implement strategic and tactical communications plans for specific program areas
- Oversee campaign message development and campaign communication strategy
- Supervise and manage press officer, online organizer, and publications coordinator
- Serve as an organizational spokesperson and build capacity of staff to work with media
- Edit communications materials

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

- Minimum of five years experience in communications, public relations and organizing
- Self-motivation, confidence and comfort working under deadline pressures
- Strong and articulate written and oral communication skills
- Sharp news sense and political savvy
- Excellent critical thinking skills; can conceive and execute ideas beyond a press release to achieve objectives
- Staff management experience
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Strategic planning abilities
- Some experience working with local and international media
- Positive, can-do team player brimming with ideas; proactive leader with courage to try new things
- Results-oriented

PREFERRED ADDITIONAL SKILLS INCLUDE:

- Knowledge of human rights and international social justice issues
- Experience in developing outreach materials
- Graphic presentation skills
- Fundraising experience
- Corporate accountability experience

Accountability: The Communications Director reports to the Deputy Director.

Salary Range: Starts at $46,500 and commensurate with experience, including a generous benefits package.

To Apply: Email a letter of interest, resume and three to five references to jobs@stopcorporateabuse.org.


Positions with Environmental Action
Boston, MA

Click here for job descriptions.


National Consumer Progam Coordinator, The State PIRGs
Boston, MA or Denver, CO

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Job Description
The mission of PIRG's Consumer Program is to protect consumers from financial rip-offs, unsafe products, and invasions of consumer privacy. Consumers comprise the largest interest group in the economy, affecting and affected by almost every public and private economic decision. The PIRGs work to protect consumer rights by investigating alleged consumer rip-offs, identifying and calling attention to hazardous or defective products, and calling on legislators at all levels to correct problems. If consumers are offered inferior products, if prices are exorbitant, if drugs are unsafe or worthless, if consumers are unable to make informed choices, then their dollars are wasted, and their health and safety may be threatened.
The state PIRG's are seeking a National Consumer Program Coordinator who will work closely with PIRG policy advocates at the state and national levels, to provide both substantive and strategic input and assistance on campaign development and implementation. More specifically, the Program Coordinator will assist advocates on such strategic tasks as issue identification and prioritization, and campaign planning and design. At the same time, the Program Coordinator will provide very tactical assistance to PIRG advocates, including:

- Drafting legislation;
- Organizing political support;
- Conducting media outreach; and
- Raising funding from private foundations and high-level donors for PIRG campaigns.

In effect, the National Legislative Consumer Coordinator will function as an internal consultant within the PIRG network to develop and enhance the capacity of existing and developing PIRG offices to impact significant policy change on consumer issues. The Coordinator will also serve as a central connection for state and federal PIRG advocates to coordinate related campaigns nationwide, and help deepen institutional understanding of lessons learned from each of our campaigns.

Qualifications
To fulfill this vital role, the National Association of State PIRGs seeks applicants who possess a strong commitment to consumer issues, and a solid understanding of organizational development and strategic planning. These positions offer entrepreneurial challenge with considerable reward to the successful candidate and the citizen movement as a whole.

Candidates for this position should have at least eight or more years of relevant professional experience, post-college. The more experience that a candidate brings to bear, the greater the given areas of responsibility will be, and candidates with fifteen or twenty years of relevant experience are definitely encouraged to apply. Relevant experience includes (but is not limited to) working in political, policy, legal, journalistic, or government settings. Advanced degrees, including a JD or masters in related fields, may count toward a candidate's professional experience.

Successful candidates will also bring all or most of the following skills and attributes to the position:

- Strong verbal, writing, interpersonal and analytical skills
- Energy and commitment to the PIRG mission and grassroots approach to change
- A team orientation that combines collegiality and creativity to drive and motivate others
- The ability to speak persuasively in a charged atmosphere
- A willingness to engage in conflict in creative and strategic ways

Location
Boston, MA or Denver, CO

Salary & Benefits
Salary for this position is commensurate with the amount of relevant professional experience that a candidate possesses. A competitive benefits package includes health care coverage, educational loan assistance, a retirement plan, paid vacation and sick days, parental leave, and a dependent care assistance program. Opportunities for advancement, travel, and additional training are available.

To Apply 
Send resume and cover letter to careers@pirg.org.
 

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Entry Level Recruitment Director, State PIRGs
Denver, CO

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Background
For more than 30 years, the National Association of State PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups) has been a driving force in advancing the public interest throughout the nation. Working at the local, state, and federal levels, PIRG staff have strived to protect the environment and public health, safeguard consumers, and ensure a fair and transparent government truly accountable to its citizens. Despite powerful special interest opposition, our efforts have led to numerous new protections for our environment, safety, and public health, many the first of their kind in the nation. 

Along the way, we have also built one of the nation’s strongest public advocacy organizations, with over 500 dedicated professionals, 100 campus chapters, hundreds of thousands of members, and thousands of canvass staff organizing the public each year.  Additionally, through our campus chapters, canvass offices, and career positions for entry-level staff, the PIRGs have led the way in training generations of public interest leaders with many of the staff and leadership throughout the public interest world first getting their start in activism through the PIRGs.  The State PIRGs are now looking to hire an Entry-Level Recruitment Director to help further this legacy by overseeing the recruitment of entry-level staff for state PIRG and PIRG-affiliated organizations nationwide.

Job Description
The Entry-Level Recruitment Director will work as part the State PIRG’s national leadership team to fill entry-level job openings throughout the year.  These openings include: organizing positions at PIRG campus chapters, positions directing PIRG canvass and telephone fundraising offices, positions in non-profit administration, and positions with PIRG’s renowned fellowship program, which hires and trains recent college graduates in policy research and advocacy.

Responsibilities include:
• Coordinate outreach to entry-level candidates through various means of advertising and networking.

• Interview potential candidates, maintaining PIRG’s high standards for applicants.  Make hiring decisions. 

• Coordinate the department’s efforts with other recruitment projects and state PIRGs around the country. 

• Train and manage staff recruiters.

• Aggressively pursue innovative recruitment efforts.  Track and analyze recruitment data, develop new strategies.

• Oversee budget and daily operations, supervise department staff

Qualifications
Candidates should have excellent verbal and written communications skills, strong social abilities, and a sense of humor, and should fundamentally enjoy networking and recruiting.  Candidates should have strong leadership skills and a team orientation.  Applicants must also possess a solid work ethic and be results-oriented, as well as being strongly committed to the PIRG mission and grassroots approach to social change. 

Candidates for this position should have five or more years of overall relevant professional experience, post-college.  Previous experience in political or campaign organizing is a must.  Overall relevant experience includes (but is not limited to) working in political, policy, legal, journalistic, or government settings. Advanced degrees, including a JD or masters in related fields, may count toward a candidate's professional experience.

Salary & Benefits
Salary for this position is commensurate with the amount of relevant professional experience that a candidate possesses. A competitive benefits package includes health care coverage, educational loan assistance, a retirement plan, paid vacation and sick days, parental leave, and a dependent care assistance program. Opportunities for advancement, travel, and additional training are available.


Corporate Researcher, Strategic Counsel on Corporate Accountability
Western Massachusetts

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Strategic Counsel on Corporate Accountability provides legal, research and communications support for corporate accountability and environmental campaigns such as:
1) Legal and public policy strategies for holding corporations accountable on environmental and human rights issues.
2) Nationally recognized expertise on enforcement of corporate social and environmental disclosure, stakeholder rights, and environmental auditing.
3) Strategic video production for environmental, corporate accountability and public policy campaigns and litigation.


We have a part time job opening in the lovely Pioneer Valley for a corporate researcher. Ideal candidate has an understanding of banks, stocks, financial reports, etc.  Salary negotiable commensurate with experience. www.strategiccounsel.net. Contact Sanford Lewis: 
gnproject@earthlink.net