The Public Interest Network logo
The Public Interest Network

Make Textbooks Affordable Campaign Associate

USA (On-site)

Salary Not AvailableFull time

Posted 3 months ago

Top 1% of applicants do these two things.

The other 99% submit and hope. You're about to do something different.

Job Description

Make Textbooks Affordable Campaign Associate

Department: Chapter

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Multiple Locations

Compensation: $39,500 / year


Description

The Student PIRGs are recruiting an Associate to work on our Make Textbooks Affordable campaign. 
We’re living in a new era of information. You can learn almost anything, from calculus and biology to how to change the oil in your car, online. And the cost to reproduce this information digitally is effectively zero. Yet, textbooks and course materials are still expensive. Over the past 4 decades, the price of books has increased three times faster than inflation, and 65% of students continue to skip purchasing materials due to cost. That’s why the Student PIRGs are hiring an associate to advocate for the switch to Open Access Textbooks. This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance.

Key Responsibilities

  • Recruit and inspire hundreds of students to get involved with our Make Textbooks Affordable campaign and start new Student PIRGs Clubs on campuses across the country.
  • Meet with faculty to encourage them to switch to open textbooks in their classrooms.
  • Build relationships with campus administrations, campus libraries, elected officials, campus media, student government, and more.
  • Produce and distribute campaign materials. 
  • Build and maintain relationships with important coalitions and represent the Student PIRGs in national coalitions. 
  • Work with champions in Congress to pass the Affordable College Textbook Act and renew federal funding for the Open Textbooks Pilot Program.
  • Generate media coverage for the campaign. 
  • Research and write an annual report on textbook affordability.
  • Organize national events to drive action, like Open Access week in October andOpen Education Weekin March

Qualifications

We’re looking for candidates who
  • Have a demonstrated commitment to public interest and/or student issues, and a track record of leadership. 
  • Are goal-driven and results-oriented.
  • Have excellent communication skills.
  • Work well with all kinds of people, and aren’t afraid to get outside their comfort zones.
  • Are passionate about making positive change. Change takes time, and is often incremental; we’re looking for people who are excited to work hard every day, even if it’s just for one small step in the right direction.

Details

Compensation and Benefits
The target annual compensation for this position is $39,500. Student PIRGs organizations offer 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 can be located in New Brunswick, NJ, Washington D.C, or Boston, MA.  
We are hiring for positions starting in August 2026. 
Why work with the Student PIRGs? Check out 10 reasons: https://studentpirgs.org/about/ 
Our Mission and Values
The Student PIRGs work closely with 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://studentpirgs.org/core-values/ to learn more about our values 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.
Each of the groups that partner with the Student PIRGs is an equal opportunity employer. 
The Public Interest Network logo

The Public Interest Network

The Public Interest Network runs organizations committed to our vision of a better world, a set of core values, and a strategic approach to getting things done.The 16-plus groups in The Public Interest Network each strive for solutions on their own, while the force of our combined strategies builds pressure for change across the political and economic spectrum.Mission: We work on issues that speak to the need for a new kind of politics. Our campaigns challenge decision-makers to stop tolerating problems that are increasingly absurd in an age of advancing technology and growing abundance.We've won hundreds of victories at the local, state, national and corporate levels, and because of these laws and policies, people are buying healthier and safer products, getting more of our energy from the sun and the wind, drinking cleaner water and breathing cleaner air.

Denver, Colorado, USA
105 employees (22 in marketing)
publicinterestnetwork.org