Make Textbooks Affordable Campaign Associate

Make Textbooks Affordable Campaign Associate

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 and other materials as needed.
• Organize national events to drive action, like Open Access week in October and Open Education Week in March.
• Build the movement by recruiting volunteers, interns, and more organizers to work with us.
• Run a citizen outreach office during the summer, where you’ll recruit and lead a team of canvassers to fundraise for important issues and help build critical, timely grassroots support to win key campaigns. You may be assigned to a different office location for the summer and should be flexible to move.

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. We’re looking for candidates who

• Have a demonstrated commitment to public interest and/or student issues, and a track record of leadership. 
• Organizing experience, including building campus or community groups
• Are goal-driven and results-oriented with an eagerness to learn
• Have excellent writing and public speaking 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. 

Compensation and Benefits

The target annual compensation for this entry-level 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.  

To Apply

Apply today here. 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.

About Student PIRGs

We believe in the power of young people to build a better world. From civil rights to protecting the environment, students are often at the forefront of movements to build a better future for our country. Whether or not those students make real progress depends on whether they are organized, have the skills to be effective, and have a strategic plan to get things done. 

The Student PIRGs have been working for over 50 years to help students to get organized, mobilized and energized to make real, positive change right now. Our chapters and clubs on college campuses across the country provide the training, professional support and resources students need to save our remaining wildlife, protect public health, revitalize our democracy, feed the hungry and more. We all want to live meaningful lives in a world that's greener and healthier. We help students make that vision a reality.

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.