Full-Time Science Writer & Editor
Job Description
For the full job description, please see our listing here: https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/sci-writer-editor
Job title: Science Writer & Editor
Reports to: Communications Director Cat Kerr (she/her)
Terms of employment
Location:
- Full-time remote; exempt position.
- Accepting applicants based in the United States, United Kingdom, or Germany only. All applicants must be able to maintain the schedule requirements below.
- Must be able to meet with colleagues in Eastern Time (US) (GMT-4) and European time zones (GMT+1 & GMT+2) on most days of the week.
- Due to the global nature of our operations, some meetings may fall outside of local business hours.
- Note: We do not sponsor work visas. We are only considering applicants eligible to work in the country where they plan to reside and work.
Expected start date:
- March 29, 2024 (flexible)
Expected Salary:
- $61,133.03 – $74,718.15, depending on the approximate cost of living in your area.
- For a complete description of how we set and raise salaries, see our salary algorithm.
- US only: Comprehensive health and dental insurance with vision insurance available.
- Generous paid time off and leave policies. The typical structure includes:
Four weeks of paid vacation, 13 holidays, plus a two-week paid organization-wide break in late December.
Two weeks of paid sick leave, which may also be used for caring for human or non-human family members.
Note: Leave policies vary slightly by country of employment due to local regulations.
- A remote framework that allows you to balance work and personal commitments, along with a technology stipend to cover associated costs.
- A friendly, open culture that encourages feedback, collaboration, experimentation, and evidence-based innovation.
- Opportunities for advancement as our team and programs continue their growth trajectory.
- Dedicated leadership and colleagues committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We have an internal JEDI committee, provide annual staff and manager training to learn about biases at work, and support employees with visible and invisible disabilities.
- Reimbursement for books you buy and read for professional development.
Travel:
- Travel is required for staff retreats (a maximum of two per year, a minimum of zero); team meetings; and as desired and approved for professional development (e.g. attending in-person conferences or training workshops).
- Ability to self-organize travel in the United States and Europe, driving, or taking flights for extended durations is required.
- Must be able to obtain legal permission to make such trips (e.g., by having a valid passport and obtaining any necessary visas for travel).
Responsibilities
Position mission statement:
As our Science Writer & Editor, you’ll play a crucial role in our mission to reduce wild animal suffering through impactful written communication. Working closely with different teams, you’ll craft engaging narratives and edit for various platforms. You will write blog posts, monthly newsletters, and our annual report. You will turn complex scientific research, data, and academic papers into accessible, engaging content. You will balance the needs of audiences in academia, animal advocacy, and the general public. With a focus on adherence to our style guide, you’ll use your editing skills to maintain consistency, accuracy, and inclusive language. Leading our social media strategy, you’ll ensure we post regularly, interact with our audience, and integrate social media into our comprehensive Communications strategy.
Qualifications
Note that we do not require any specific academic credentials or prior work experience for you to be considered for this position, as research shows that such requirements can diminish the quality of candidate pools by deterring people from applying who would otherwise be a great fit for a role. If you think you’re underqualified, please apply. If you’re not sure whether you have the right qualifications, we encourage you to apply anyway. We’d love the chance to consider your application.
This role will require you to have the following qualifications:
- Adaptability/Flexibility: Demonstrated ability to work independently, adapt to changes, and achieve goals with minimal supervision.
- Relational skills: Display concern for others, showcasing empathy and cooperation in all interactions. Proven history of building positive and collaborative professional relationships.
- Science comprehension: The ability to effectively translate, summarize, and edit academic science writing in the fields of ecology, animal behavior, and biology, demonstrating a strong comprehension of scientific concepts and ensuring accuracy in written communication.
- English language writing expertise: Proficient in copy-editing, proofreading, and fact-checking. Knowledge of various writing styles (narrative, technical, persuasive) with the ability to write for various audiences including people in academia, animal advocacy, and the general public. Proficiency in English language structure and grammar.
- Reliability and attention to detail: Proven dependability in meeting duties and obligations. A meticulous approach to tasks, demonstrating attention to detail and thoroughness in work completion.
- Dedication to ethical conduct and inclusive writing: Maintain unwavering integrity in all professional activities. Use self-awareness of biases and privilege and a firm commitment to enhancing inclusivity and equity.
- Innovative thinking: A creative and alternative thinker with a history of contributing innovative ideas and solutions to work-related challenges.
- Wild animal empathy: Genuine desire to help wild animals experience less suffering. Ability to infuse passion into written content, especially in persuasive writing for mass fundraising campaigns.
- Critical thinking skills: Strong ability to use logic and reasoning to evaluate alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches.
- Effective communication: Excellent written expression skills, tailoring communication to meet the needs of diverse internal staff and external audiences.
- Software and technology: Ability to work in Asana, Google Workspace, Airtable, Salesforce, Justworks, and to learn new technology as needed. Adept at leveraging technology to increase efficiency and productivity.
- Social media familiarity and interest: We believe a candidate with the skills above, a basic familiarity with the use of social media, and a genuine desire and ability to grow knowledge and skills in this area in the first year of employment at Wild Animal Initiative can succeed in this role.
- Preferred: Knowledge of and familiarity with social media conventions and best practices on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Preference for knowledge including effective copywriting for social media ads, Google search ads, and/or SEO content. Even if you do not have previous experience managing social media accounts for a brand, as long as you are committed to learning this skill, we encourage you to apply.
About our mission
Wild Animal Initiative is a remote 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to accelerating science that helps wild animals. We conduct original research, fund cutting-edge research projects at other institutions, and support the global network of scientists in our field with services and training.
We are looking to work with people who approach our mission as an inherently inclusive endeavor and celebrate the differences of others. We strongly encourage Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, and people of other historically marginalized communities to apply and welcome applicants of any religion, age, origin, class, citizenship, parental status, disability status, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender. We view diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and ways of understanding the world and wild animals as an asset that can improve the performance, collective intelligence, innovation, and quality of science at Wild Animal Initiative, while also addressing the exclusionary aspects of the spaces we operate in. We integrate these values into all aspects of our work and seek to constantly improve our implementation of them. We seek to benefit and share power with everyone at Wild Animal Initiative.
Please note that we are unable to sponsor work visas at this time. Candidates must be eligible to work in their respective jurisdictions.
If you have any questions about our hiring process or open positions, or if you would like to recommend excellent candidates, please reach out to us at hi****@wi******************.org.
To express your interest in working with us in a capacity not currently open, please submit your information via our Job Interest Form. By doing so, you will be added to our talent database, which we consult for new roles and when recommending candidates to other mission-aligned organizations.
Thank you for considering Wild Animal Initiative as the next part of your vocational journey. We hope to hear from you!
Requests for accommodation: If you are a qualified individual with a disability, we welcome requests for reasonable accommodations if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply for this job as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Hiring Manager Emily Sharp at em*********@wi******************.org.
How to Apply
Application deadline: 9 am ET Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
Application materials:
Please submit an application using this form. We encourage you to preview all questions before beginning. We estimate that completing the application form will take you no longer than 1 hour, but there is no time limit.
We are not asking for cover letters or resumes for this role. If you’re interested, this academic paper provides an overview of why. The form will ask you to provide the following:
Answers to multiple choice and restricted answer questions about your skills.
Two writing samples showing your writing expertise.
Short answers to questions about your previous experience and work interests.
Application process timeline:
Optional informational session: January 2024
Phone screening: Early February 2024
Stage 2 (skills assessment): Mid to late February 2024
Stage 3 (video interviews): Early March 2024
Target start date: March 29, 2024, or as soon as possible.
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