Writer/Editor IV

Job Summary:

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Communications and Publishing (OCAP) requires assistance at various times with writing, both technical writing and feature writing. The written products are for both internal and external audiences and may focus on a scientific study, a program, an issue, or a USGS employee. The products may range from a news release, a feature story for the USGS home page, a social media post, a script for a video or a podcast, an article for the Internal Need to Know (NTK) newsletter, a brochure, a briefing paper, or a fact sheet.

Akima Systems Engineering is looking for a writer/editor that can use relevant content and guidance from OCAP to develop these products. The product should meet AP style for external use and GPO styles for internal use. The products will be reviewed for quality, achievement of intended purpose, alignment with needs of the target audience, accuracy, grammar, and punctuation.

Job Responsibilities:

• Experience in performing technical writing about earth and biological science topics. The language should target someone with a technical, but not a scientific background. The projects may include briefing papers, facts sheets, technical announcements, synthesis documents, summaries, instructions, or SOPS.

• Experience locating, recommending, or selecting illustrations, photographs, or other visuals that complete the written product.

• Experience in communicating with subject matter experts identified by OCAP to develop the product and with the OCAP point of contact to ask questions, clarify instructions, provide status updates, and to resolve issues.

• Experience in reviewing and writing products such as Open-File Reports, Scientific Investigations Reports, Professional Papers, Fact Sheets, General Information Products, and other outreach products.

• Experiencing in editing reports that have maps, graphs, cross sections, block diagrams, and photographs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.

• 10 years of high-level editor/writer experience with highly technical and complex scientific manuscripts that includes text, tables, and figures for geology, hydrology, biology, and(or) geography disciplines.

• Editing capabilities and experiences include attention to detail and strong technical writing and editing skills for a variety of products for audiences that range from scientists to the general public.

• Experience interacting diplomatically with scientists who are the authors and show ability to guide and teach authors to become better writers of technical reports.

• Able to work independently and remotely from home.

Desired Qualifications:

• Strong attention to detail.

• Experienced technical writing and editing skills to improve content of reports and products for audiences that range from scientists to the general public.

• Proven interpersonal and diplomatic skills to interact with author scientists.

• Proven ability to guide and teach authors to become better writers of technical reports.

• Proven experience using technical writing style and grammar resources and ability to conform to a particular style if needed.

• Proven clarity of editorial comments using standard editing symbols and techniques.

• Proven ability to meet deadlines.