OSPIRG is hiring a Legislative Advocate to run campaigns and build support for our state policy agenda in Salem and throughout the state. You’ll play a key role in our work to reduce plastic pollution, protect consumers from harmful products, and improve our healthcare system.
OSPIRG is an advocate for the public interest. Every Oregonian wants a healthier, safer, more secure future, and OSPIRG’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. To solve them, we need to find common ground around commonsense ideas.
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.
Current Priorities
Zero Waste: America has a waste problem. Every day, we extract natural resources to produce goods that are used — often just for a few minutes — before they are thrown into landfills or incinerators or left to litter our communities and the environment. We need to move toward a zero waste future, which is why OSPIRG is working to reduce consumption, ensure products are built to last, and push for policies that ensure all materials are reused, recycled or composted in a continuous cycle.
High Value Health Care: Health care costs too much in this country, not because too many people have access to it, but because the system is simply too expensive. From $1,000 toothbrushes to giant price hikes for simple procedures, unjustifiably high costs are everywhere in the U.S. health care system. And these excessive costs can largely be attributed to widespread waste that doesn’t actually improve quality of care — waste that is estimated to represent a third or more of every dollar we spend on health care. Fortunately, many of the best ways to improve the quality of our health care would also help contain costs.
Consumer Protection: Toys should not be toxic or dangerous, food should not make us sick, and the terms for banking and credit cards should be easy to understand. OSPIRG’s consumer protection campaign works to alert the public to the hidden dangers and scams to ban anti-consumer practice and unsafe products. Working on the development of new rules, institutions, and policies to defend consumers through the economic and political power of special interest groups.
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 social 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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-$40,000 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. OSPIRG 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.
Things to know when you apply
Why work for OSPIRG? Here are ten reasons: https://pirg.org/why-work-with-us/
OSPIRG 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. Click here for things you should know about our network when you apply: https://pirg.org/core-values/.
OSPIRG 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 boostered. Accommodations are provided to the extent required by law.