Academic Copy Editor Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

You are the person who reads a 40-page technical report and immediately sees both the science and the story - and knows exactly how to make the writing do justice to both. As a Scientific & Technical Editor supporting NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), you will serve as the quality and clarity backbone for OAR's external-facing written communications, working across headquarters, labs, and programs to review, copy edit, and improve technical products for plain language, scientific accuracy, and consistent tone. You will help draft and enforce OAR-wide writing and editing guidelines, train staff on best practices, and refresh aging web content to meet updated style standards. This is a role for an experienced editor who brings both the technical literacy to understand what scientists are saying and the craft to help them say it more clearly - someone who takes pride in making every document they touch smarter, sharper, and more accessible.

FWI is expanding rapidly and has been recognized as a 2024 and 2025 Top Workplace by the Washington Post, offering excellent growth opportunities in a collaborative environment.

Work Schedule and Location:

Remote:

• This position is primarily remote with ad hoc in-person support at SSMC3, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 as needed
• Normal work hours are Monday through Friday, 8 hours per day / 40 hours per week, excluding federal holidays
• Local and non-local travel may be required, including international travel; all unplanned travel must be approved in writing by the COR at least 10 calendar days in advance

• Review, copy edit, and improve existing and draft technical products, external reports, outreach products, and internal memos for plain language, technical accuracy, and consistent tone, voice, and style
• Work with the OAR Communications Director to revise and maintain guidelines on best practices for writing and editing within OAR
• Distribute resources and train OAR staff across headquarters, labs, and programs on best practices for writing, editing, and plain language communication
• Research and write content for pamphlets, summary reports, and other products intended for hardcopy publication
• Revisit and update older website content, applying newly revised style guidelines with emphasis on technical accuracy, consistency, and tone
• Make edits and updates to websites, including changes to images and content formatting
• Document workflows and maintain organized files containing data associated with editorial products and review processes
• Develop, writes, and edits material for reports, manuals, briefs, proposals, instruction books, and related environmental and scientific publications
• Ensure proper cross-referencing, user-friendly presentation, and adherence to all applicable indexing and formatting guidelines across all products

Required: 

• BA/BS in English, Journalism, a scientific or environmental discipline, or a closely related technical field; advanced degrees or certifications may qualify for shorter periods of required experience
• 8+ years of professional and/or academic experience in technical writing, editing, or science communications

Desired: 

• Demonstrated experience copy editing and improving scientific or technical documents for federal agencies, research institutions, or peer-reviewed publications
• Expert command of plain language principles, federal plain language guidelines, and science communication best practices
• Experience developing, maintaining, and training staff on organization-wide writing and editorial style guides
• Familiarity with web content editing, including experience making updates to CMS-based websites and applying accessibility and formatting standards
• Strong technical literacy; ability to read and accurately represent scientific content across multiple NOAA research disciplines
• Experience managing editorial workflows across distributed, multi-site organizations
• May supervise a team of writers or act in a lead editorial capacity across a program or organization
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Low-risk federal security clearance

FWI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets. 

At FWI, we place the highest importance on creating an exceptional employee experience. You'll have opportunities to achieve your career aspirations through internal promotions, professional development, and other recognition and rewards programs. Join our team and take advantage of the many benefits we offer, including:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Long-term and Short-term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) Plan
• Holiday Pay
• Paid Time Off

$56,095.20 - $59,047.58