CALPIRG is seeking a Public Health Advocate to promote policies that protect our communities from toxic chemicals and help us all live healthier, safer lives.
As the Public Health Advocate, you’ll work with our State Director and PIRG national team on the following campaigns:
Current Priorities
- Zero Out Toxics: There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, most of them put directly into use without testing the long-term consequences for our health or their impact on our environment. CALPIRG is working to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals, like PFAS, that threaten our health and our communities.
- Safe and Healthy Homes: Burning fossil fuels in our homes and businesses pollutes the air we breathe inside and outside of our buildings. CALPIRG is working to protect consumers from the health and safety risks of fossil fuel appliances and help families electrify their homes.
- Clean Water: We should treat our air and water as the precious life-giving resources they are, not as dumping grounds for our pollution and waste. CALPIRG is working to get lead out of our drinking water and strengthen state and federal protections of our waters.
- High Value Health Care: We live in a country with some of the best hospitals, doctors and medical technology in the world, but the simple truth is that Americans pay too much for health care, and don’t get enough value in return. CALPIRG is working to get control of healthcare costs by stopping practices that drive up costs.
- Other campaigns include work to ban harmful pesticides, ensure our food is safe, stop the overuse of antibiotics, and more. You can see a full list of the campaigns we support on our website.
CALPIRG is an advocate for the public interest. Every Californian wants a healthier, safer, more secure future, and CALPIRG’s mission is to bring people together and advocate for common sense solutions towards that better future and the common good.
The problems we work on aren’t progressive or conservative. They’re just problems that our country shouldn’t tolerate in an age of great abundance and technological progress.
In the last decade we’ve run successful campaigns to reduce pollution from single-use plastic waste, protect public health from antibiotic resistance, protect our families from toxic chemicals in consumer products and drinking water, and improve public transportation.
Representative Responsibilities
- Program: Help implement our priority campaigns, participating in policy development, research and messaging.
- Coalition Building: Identify, reach out to and work with partners who can help us win our campaigns both through formal coalitions and informal alliances.
- Communications and Media Outreach: Generate strong earned media, opinion media, and owned media for our campaigns. You may serve as a public spokesperson for our campaigns through media events, press releases, editorial board meetings and other outreach, with a goal of building name recognition for the organization, educating the public about our issues and building and demonstrating support for our positions.
- Advocacy: Bring problems and solutions to the attention of decision-makers—including federal district office staff, state legislators, the Governor’s staff, state regulators and local officials. Develop appropriate messages and materials for making the case to decision makers; build relationships with key players.
- Research and write reports: If needed, you may help analyze data relevant to the issue and our policy proposals to help influence public debate and earn media attention for our cause.
- Fundraising: Write grant proposals, build relationships with foundation staff and meet with large donors, all to bring more resources to our campaigns. Work with our citizen outreach staff to build and develop our grassroots membership base.
This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance.
Qualifications
Candidates should have at least 2 years of relevant professional experience. Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to advancing the public interest and to transpartisan, citizen-based social change, as well as a track-record of leadership. We’re looking for goal-driven and results-oriented individuals who have excellent verbal, writing and analytical skills, the ability to speak persuasively in a charged atmosphere, and enthusiasm for our work.
Experience in state level political advocacy, grassroots organizing, fundraising is a bonus.
Compensation and Benefits
The starting compensation range is $32,000-$45,000 and depends on relevant experience and/or education. Candidates on the low end of directly relevant experience should expect to be on the lower end of this range; candidates on the higher end of relevant experience are likely to be on the higher end of this range. CALPIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package may include medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, needs-based student loan assistance, 401(k) plan with employer match, commuter benefit program, paid time off, parental leave and long-term disability insurance. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.
Our Mission and Values
Why work for CALPIRG? Here are ten reasons: https://pirg.org/why-work-with-us/
CALPIRG 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. Read more about our network and core values before you apply: https://pirg.org/core-values.
CALPIRG 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.
COVID-19: We take COVID-19 safety very seriously. Employees must follow our COVID safety protocols and be fully vaccinated and boostered. Accommodations are provided to the extent required by law.