Associate

PIRG’s Consumer Watchdog team is hiring an Associate to make sure consumers are informed and empowered to protect themselves in today’s rapidly changing marketplace. Scammers are using technology – calls, texts, emails and AI – to swindle unsuspecting consumers, often the elderly. Victims of these scams have planned and saved their whole lives, only to have it taken away in a flash. The Consumer Watchdog Associate will join our long-standing and award-winning team to expose scams and protect consumers from unsafe products and unfair business practices.

Key responsibilities:

• Research and analysis: Research scam trends nationwide and communications technology, such as “ringless voicemails,” spoofed calls, imposter websites and hijacked call forwarding.
• Build coalitions: Meet with regulators and other consumer-focused non-profit organizations to brainstorm, develop strategy, and advocate for solutions together.
• Research and write persuasive campaign materials: Write articles and short updates on breaking news and trends dealing with consumer scams. Develop and write guides to offer tips to consumers on how to protect themselves and their assets. Develop social media posts to market our reports, articles and consumer guides.
• Organize consumers and constituents: Work with the Consumer Watchdog Director on ways to reach consumers and their circle of loved ones, both to educate them and destigmatize getting scammed. Develop relationships with professionals whose clients include vulnerable consumers, to work with them on education and outreach strategies.
• Watchdog Government Agencies: Monitor developments and proposed rules at the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that deal with scams and protecting personal and financial information.
• Run a grassroots campaign office each summer: Run a campaign office for the summer, knocking on doors to raise money to support our campaigns, build our organization and membership, and help build critical and timely grassroots support to win key campaigns. Your responsibilities will include meeting your own fundraising goals and managing a team of paid staff. You may be assigned to a different office location for the summer and should be flexible to move.

This position requires exercising discretion, independent judgment and ability to oversee significant projects.

Qualifications

Entry-level candidates are encouraged to apply. Though we expect you to take your campaign and run with it, we provide training on advocacy and organizing skills, as well as oversight by an experienced advocate. Ideal candidates will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, social work, education, public policy, political science or similar field.
• Strong writing skills, and good interpersonal and public speaking abilities.
• A calling to help people and make a difference.
• A creative drive to come up with new solutions to consumer problems.
• A self-starter who is results-oriented.
• Bonus: Ability to design materials and graphics using Adobe, Canva or other software. Ability to create short videos for social media or blog posts.

Compensation and Benefits

The target annual compensation for this entry-level position is $38,250. PIRG offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, time off, a 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: This position could be based in Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; or Boston, MA.

Apply

Apply online here.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis for a summer 2026 start.

Why work with PIRG? Check out 10 reasons: https://pirg.org/why-work-with-us/

About PIRG

PIRG is an advocate for consumers, advancing solutions to problems that affect our health, our safety and our well-being.

Being a consumer advocate means being a champion for a marketplace that is not only honest and transparent, but also wastes less because it reduces, reuses and recycles more; prevents toxic threats to our health and safety; and considers the impact of new products and technologies on the next generation, not just the next quarterly earnings report.

The true North Star of a successful marketplace should not be the quantity of “stuff” we consume. It should be the quality of our lives.

Our Mission and Values

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/ for things you should know about our network when you apply.

Please do not use AI to help draft your cover letter or responses to our application questions. We want to know how you think and write.

PIRG is an equal opportunity employer.