Principal Associate, Field Operations

Overview

The Environment Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts. For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about environmental challenges. Pew’s environment work spans seven continents with more than 250 professionals working to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people.

We work with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive. Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important ecosystems, including rivers and freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia.

We aim to keep natural systems bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services and benefiting local communities and future generations. Our work relies on conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate practical, durable biodiversity solutions. Our oceans program addresses overfishing, pollution, loss of habitat, plastics, illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change, advancing long-term protections for marine ecosystems.

Field Operations (Field) advances public policy solutions for Pew campaigns by engaging government officials, policymakers, local elected officials, and other stakeholders in their home states and countries through education, mobilization, coalition building, media coverage, and government outreach. Field staff and contractors (organizers) develop state- and country-specific strategies and then organize grass tops, grassroots, public education, and lobbying activities under program leadership.

Field works with program, government relations, communications and other Pew staff to tailor strategies that contribute to national and international project goals.

• Education:
  
  Field uses science and data to educate the public and policymakers about Pew’s Environment issues and policy goals. DC-based field staff collaborate with program staff to engage experts, synthesize research, and localize information for educational outreach.
• Organizing:
  Field staff recruit and mobilize diverse stakeholders by building coalitions and public support for campaigns’ objectives. Organizers involve stakeholders in policy discussions through local activities, educational events, sign-on letters, fly-ins, and videos. DC-based staff work with program staff to identify organizing strategies.
• Communications:
  Field staff inform the public and policymakers about project priorities by increasing media coverage. Organizers identify third-party spokespeople, draft editorials, place op-eds, and assist media outreach and messaging. DC-based staff collaborate to develop materials for media outlets.
• Government Relations:
  Field staff engage policymakers by coordinating public outreach to officials at all levels. Organizers facilitate public interaction through events and in-district or Hill meetings. DC staff coordinate outreach efforts.

The principal associate, Field Operations, is part of the field team based in Washington, D.C. The team supports projects that require field resources and helps develop targeted legislative, advocacy, and communications field strategies such as organizing, generating media coverage, and managing government relations. The principal associate will engage in tactical strategy development and campaign design for field operations in coordination with other programmatic and operations units at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

This position reports to the senior officer, Field Operations and participates in Pew’s hybrid work program with core days in the office and telework flexibility. Staff also enjoy four telework “flex weeks” per year.

• In partnership with the senior officer, identify, vet, and recruit field…