Maryland State Director

Maryland PIRG is hiring a State DIrector to drive our campaigns to protect consumers, strengthen our democracy, and transition our homes to 100% renewable energy.

Current Priorities:

Clean, efficient energy: Burning fossil fuels in our homes is bad for the climate, for our health, and increasingly unaffordable for many Marylanders. But for the last decade, Maryland public policy has incentivized gas utilities to dump billions of dollars into soon-to-be obsolete gas infrastructure. Maryland PIRG is working to end those policies, and to support the transition to clean energy buildings.

Stop Toxic PFAS: PFAS are a class of chemicals that the Environmental Protection Agency says can cause harmful health effects in humans. These "forever chemicals" have been found in 75% of the water treatment centers tested by the Maryland Department of Environment. To protect our health and water, we’re calling on the Governor to set strong limits for PFAS in our water and clean up contamination.

Democracy: We believe in a democracy in which everyone participates and everyone’s voice is heard, from choosing who represents us in office, to how our government makes decisions on our behalf. In particular, we are running campaigns to get big money out of politics and establish special elections to fill vacancies in the state legislature.

Key Responsibilities:

As our state director advocate, you’ll work with the national program team at PIRG to advance and build public support for policies that improve the quality of our health, our environment, and our well-being. This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance. Representative responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Program development and strategy: Help develop and 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, including unlikely allies who might agree with us on one issue, even if we disagree on other issues.
• Communications and media outreach: Generate strong earned media, opinion media, and social media for our campaigns. You will 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 for our policy solutions 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 and grassroots support: 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.
• Recruitment and training: Recruit and train new interns and volunteers to increase our impact and build more power. Participate in recruitment of new staff

Qualifications

The ideal candidates would have at least 5-12 years of relevant professional experience. Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to advancing the public interest and to transpartisan social change, as well as a track-record of leadership. We’re looking for goal-driven and results-oriented individuals who have excellent writing and analytical skills, the ability to speak persuasively in a charged atmosphere, and enthusiasm for our work.

Compensation and Benefits

The starting annual compensation range for this position is $38,000-52,000 and depends on relevant experience and/or education. Candidates on the lower 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. Maryland PIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, paid time off, our commuter benefit program, a 401(k) plan with employer match, parental leave, long term disability insurance, and may include needs-based student loan assistance. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.

Location

Baltimore, MD

Apply

Apply here.

About Maryland PIRG

Maryland PIRG is a part of PIRG and is an advocate for the public interest in Maryland. 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 Maryland PIRG? Check out 10 reasons: https://pirg.org/why-work-with-us/

Maryland 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 https://pirg.org/core-values/ to learn more about our network before you apply.

Maryland 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.