Public Citizen
Program Associate
Global Trade Watch - Washington, DC - Full Time
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION: The Program Associate works with the Field Director and Deputy Director to implement grasstops and grassroots strategies and digital campaigns to support the initiatives of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch (GTW) in targeted states and regions in the United States. Currently, this includes campaigning on the intersections between trade policy and climate justice and Big Tech accountability, as well as specific ongoing trade negotiations, such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), World Trade Organization (WTO), and U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) negotiations.
Global Trade Watch designs strategies and campaigns that operate simultaneously on the local, national and international levels to challenge the current corporate-led globalization model and fight for more economically fair, socially just, environmentally sustainable and democratic alternatives. “Trade” agreements have become powerful tools to expand corporate power and lock in new corporate rights. Decisions that affect our daily lives are shifted to venues where those who will live with the results have no role. Even when governments or public opinion change, once established, these strongly enforced rules are nearly impossible to alter.
Unless this “trade” regime is changed, many hard-won public interest policies – regarding financial regulation, environmental and food safety protections, climate change and the environment, affordable health care, internet freedom, and more – are at risk of challenge and rollback. The goal of our work is to empower people, the majority of whom are the losers under the status-quo “trade” model, to build power for change. Given the role that the U.S. government and corporations play promoting the current damaging globalization model, GTW’s commitment to changing U.S. policy is a key contribution to the inspiring global justice movement with whom we work internationally.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Education: College degree preferred. Organizer training (Green Corps, Center for Third World Organizing, Midwest Academy, etc.) preferred.
Work Experience: At least two years of organizing, strategic advocacy, and/or electoral experience at the state, national or international level. Social media, video production, online organizing or communications experience a plus.
Skills: Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills. Excellent editing and copyediting skills, including excellent facility with English grammar and syntax. Highly proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel. Design skills a plus. Familiar with databases; familiar with basic office equipment.
Knowledge: Familiarity with issue or electoral campaigning and nongovernmental organization and political protocol. Working knowledge of trade and globalization issues a plus; however, we will invest in training a candidate with strong skills and commitment to Global Trade Watch’s goals.
Capabilities: Ability to juggle multiple tasks and manage time, prioritization, project tracking and follow-through; ability to work well with a wide range of people; comfortable building deep relationships with activists via phone and email; ability to adapt to challenging situations on a daily basis; excellent attention to detail; ability to undertake projects with minimum supervision. High energy and enthusiasm.
Conditions: Strong interest in and commitment to the public interest and promotion of the goals of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch.
SALARY and BENEFITS: $65,227 – 86,909
Competitive salary based on relevant experience and qualifications and generous benefits package. Below is a list of some of our benefits (please note that some benefits have eligibility requirements).
Send a letter of interest, resume, and writing sample to [email protected].
Public Citizen is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, LGBT candidates are encouraged to apply. Public Citizen employees are proud members of SEIU Local 500.
About Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch:
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent the public interest in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. We fight for openness and democratic accountability in government; for social and economic justice in globalization and trade policies; for clean, safe and sustainable energy; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; for safe, effective and affordable medicines and health care and for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts. We have six divisions based in our Washington, D.C. offices and an office in Texas.
The mission of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch division is to ensure that in this era of globalization, a majority have the opportunity to enjoy America's promises: economic security, a clean environment, safe food, medicines and products, access to quality affordable services such as health care and the exercise of democratic decision-making about the matters that affect their lives.
Public Citizen started working on globalization and ‘trade’ issues in 1991 when we recognized that this was necessary simply to remain effective advocates for the public health, consumer safety, environmental and economic justice goals Public Citizen had promoted over decades. Motivating this strategic initiative was our realization that today’s international commercial agreements, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), were no longer mainly about trade per se. Rather, these far-reaching agreements were backdoor delivery mechanisms to implement an expansive, enforceable package of non-trade policies - limits on financial regulation and food safety, new monopoly patent rights over medicines and seeds that limit access, new investor rights that promote job-offshoring and subject public interest policies to attack and more. This corporate-led version of globalization is designed to limit governments’ role in regulating the economy and to eliminate many of the public interest safeguards Public Citizen and like-minded organizations and activists had won over decades. And, it shifts decision-making on matters previously determined in national, state and local venues to international bodies where those affected by the decisions have no meaningful role.
Since its inception in 1995, GTW has been a leader in popularizing the globalization and trade debate by connecting these seemingly arcane policies to peoples’ everyday experiences – and helping people make a difference in the future of globalization by giving them the tools they need to educate their communities, hold Congress accountable for policy choices, and hit the streets to protest. GTW works with diverse national and international coalitions. For more information, please see our website: www.tradewatch.org
Global Trade Watch designs strategies and campaigns that operate simultaneously on the local, national and international levels to challenge the current corporate-led globalization model and fight for more economically fair, socially just, environmentally sustainable and democratic alternatives. “Trade” agreements have become powerful tools to expand corporate power and lock in new corporate rights. Decisions that affect our daily lives are shifted to venues where those who will live with the results have no role. Even when governments or public opinion change, once established, these strongly enforced rules are nearly impossible to alter.
Unless this “trade” regime is changed, many hard-won public interest policies – regarding financial regulation, environmental and food safety protections, climate change and the environment, affordable health care, internet freedom, and more – are at risk of challenge and rollback. The goal of our work is to empower people, the majority of whom are the losers under the status-quo “trade” model, to build power for change. Given the role that the U.S. government and corporations play promoting the current damaging globalization model, GTW’s commitment to changing U.S. policy is a key contribution to the inspiring global justice movement with whom we work internationally.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Monitor trade-related events that may be of interest to the team and maintain a team calendar with key dates including FTA anniversaries, dates of negotiating ministerials, upcoming testimony deadlines, etc.
- Monitor news clips, statements and letters released by Members of Congress on trade-related issues to distribute to team and allies and to add to website and use in social media campaigns.
- Support senior staff in coordinating and building working relationships with members of Congress and their staff.
- Provide administrative support, including updates to tradewatch.org, maintenance of coalition listservs, and preparation of monthly expense reports.
- Maintain relationships in and provide logistical support for relevant coalitions, including by maintaining listservs and scheduling and taking notes on calls.
- Manage the internship program, recruiting interns three times per year, overseeing training and learning, and issuing projects and assignments in alignment with team needs.
- Prepare organizing materials, issue updates, action alerts, and media materials needed to implement issue campaigns in coordination with Field Director and Research Director
- Provide support for in-person meetings, protests, and events including coordinating printed materials, signage, props and more.
- Provide copyediting and quality control for GTW written materials including research, field, press, and foundation documents;
- Support Field team in drafting and posting multiplatform social media content
- Work with the Deputy Director, Research Director and Field Director to take on research assignments as needed.
- Work with Deputy Director to draft articles, briefings, and other materials needed for coalition use, partner use, and Public Citizen’s larger audience.
- Other duties as assigned.
Education: College degree preferred. Organizer training (Green Corps, Center for Third World Organizing, Midwest Academy, etc.) preferred.
Work Experience: At least two years of organizing, strategic advocacy, and/or electoral experience at the state, national or international level. Social media, video production, online organizing or communications experience a plus.
Skills: Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills. Excellent editing and copyediting skills, including excellent facility with English grammar and syntax. Highly proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel. Design skills a plus. Familiar with databases; familiar with basic office equipment.
Knowledge: Familiarity with issue or electoral campaigning and nongovernmental organization and political protocol. Working knowledge of trade and globalization issues a plus; however, we will invest in training a candidate with strong skills and commitment to Global Trade Watch’s goals.
Capabilities: Ability to juggle multiple tasks and manage time, prioritization, project tracking and follow-through; ability to work well with a wide range of people; comfortable building deep relationships with activists via phone and email; ability to adapt to challenging situations on a daily basis; excellent attention to detail; ability to undertake projects with minimum supervision. High energy and enthusiasm.
Conditions: Strong interest in and commitment to the public interest and promotion of the goals of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch.
SALARY and BENEFITS: $65,227 – 86,909
Competitive salary based on relevant experience and qualifications and generous benefits package. Below is a list of some of our benefits (please note that some benefits have eligibility requirements).
- Great medical and dental coverage, 100% paid by PC, including full coverage for children
- Three weeks paid vacation for new employees, plus five personal days
- 401K plan with a 5% contribution from PC after one year of employment
- 12 weeks of paid parental leave after one year of employment
- Sabbatical after 10 years of employment
- Student loan reimbursement program
Send a letter of interest, resume, and writing sample to [email protected].
Public Citizen is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, LGBT candidates are encouraged to apply. Public Citizen employees are proud members of SEIU Local 500.
About Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch:
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent the public interest in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. We fight for openness and democratic accountability in government; for social and economic justice in globalization and trade policies; for clean, safe and sustainable energy; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; for safe, effective and affordable medicines and health care and for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts. We have six divisions based in our Washington, D.C. offices and an office in Texas.
The mission of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch division is to ensure that in this era of globalization, a majority have the opportunity to enjoy America's promises: economic security, a clean environment, safe food, medicines and products, access to quality affordable services such as health care and the exercise of democratic decision-making about the matters that affect their lives.
Public Citizen started working on globalization and ‘trade’ issues in 1991 when we recognized that this was necessary simply to remain effective advocates for the public health, consumer safety, environmental and economic justice goals Public Citizen had promoted over decades. Motivating this strategic initiative was our realization that today’s international commercial agreements, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), were no longer mainly about trade per se. Rather, these far-reaching agreements were backdoor delivery mechanisms to implement an expansive, enforceable package of non-trade policies - limits on financial regulation and food safety, new monopoly patent rights over medicines and seeds that limit access, new investor rights that promote job-offshoring and subject public interest policies to attack and more. This corporate-led version of globalization is designed to limit governments’ role in regulating the economy and to eliminate many of the public interest safeguards Public Citizen and like-minded organizations and activists had won over decades. And, it shifts decision-making on matters previously determined in national, state and local venues to international bodies where those affected by the decisions have no meaningful role.
Since its inception in 1995, GTW has been a leader in popularizing the globalization and trade debate by connecting these seemingly arcane policies to peoples’ everyday experiences – and helping people make a difference in the future of globalization by giving them the tools they need to educate their communities, hold Congress accountable for policy choices, and hit the streets to protest. GTW works with diverse national and international coalitions. For more information, please see our website: www.tradewatch.org
