Assistant Copy Editor Proofreader Jobs in Virginia

Senior Editor/Proofreader

FLSA Status: Exempt

JOB SUMMARY:

The Senior Editor/Proofreader will uphold agency quality standards in servicing clients by developing in-depth knowledge of assigned product brands.  The Senior Editor/Proofreader will be responsible for keeping track of client product style requirements by developing and maintaining brand-specific style sheets to be used by the editorial team. The Senior Editor/Proofreader will be responsible for writing, creating, and maintaining departmental processes and SOPs. The Senior Editor/Proofreader will attend project status and kick-off meetings when requested and assign projects to editorial team members.  The Senior Editor/Proofreader will lead by example by remaining calm in high pressure situations by assisting other members of the Creative Department as needed when workload allows.

The Senior Editor/Proofreader is responsible for reviewing and editing stories and externally facing materials created by Snow Companies to ensure the highest level of quality and accuracy. He/she also offers comments and makes stylistic suggestions to improve the product, as well as performs final quality control checks to ensure all edits have been captured.

Snow's business is centered around the patient journey, and the Senior Editor/Proofreader, like all positions at Snow, must be open, compassionate, and sensitive to the unique life experiences of these patients and caregivers. The Senior Editor/Proofreader must be able to incorporate the unique patient/caregiver experience into the strategies and solutions we provide to our clients.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Editor/Proofreader must be able to perform the following essential duties and functions:

• Manage a variety of projects moving throughout the editing queue at any given time
• In collaboration with Editorial Group Supervisor, develop departmental policies/procedures/process documentation
• Mentor editorial team through strong leadership skills
• Assist with training of new editorial team members
• Foster continued mentorship and professional growth opportunities for the editorial team
• Read content and correct any errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling
• Check copy for readability, style, and agreement with editorial policy and style sheets
• Suggest revisions to copy, such as changing words and rearranging content to improve clarity or accuracy
• Involved in planning workflow processes for editing pieces
• Involved in setting standard timelines to complete different editorial jobs
• Carry out research, confirm sources for writers, and verify facts, dates, and statistics using standard reference sources
• Collaborate with writers in the creation of work product to ensure their ideas and stories succeed, while being mindful of the audience
• Ensure all client-facing communications are error-free and consistent with Snow standards
• Approve final versions of updated materials submitted by staff
• Responsible for managing workflow of all incoming pieces
• Required to learn a certain level of knowledge about clients/brands, in particular:
• Brand style guides
• Brand legal and regulatory guidelines/requirements
• Responsible for working with individual requestors-both on writing team and account teams-to resolve questions or content disputes
• Responsible for working with individual requestors-both on writing team and account teams-to understand any exceptions to standard grammar and punctuation, including but not limited to:
• Brand-specific spellings/style
• Brand-specific legal and regulatory requirements
• Individual Ambassador/patient speaker personalization to assist in live presentation (e.g., presentation cues, vernacular, phonetic spellings, etc.)
• Utilization of independent judgment and discretion in managing editorial priorities and ensuring proper utilization of editorial team
• Research and monitor industry trends for stylistic preferences and patient-focused communication standards and practices
• Utilization of various communication strategies and techniques to ensure that project directions are met and patient stories embrace the authentic patient voice and messaging

Weekend and Night Work:

Although your day-to-day work should primarily take place during regular office hours (8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday), there will be occasions when you are required to work late into the evening and/or over the weekend. The candidate selected for the Senior Editor/Proofreader position should have the expectation that the workload and nature of the work will require hours that may extend past the normal business hours of the company. This includes working on the weekends.

Collaboration/Teamwork:

The size and nature of our company will require that you work in collaboration with people in other departments. Candidates must demonstrate their willingness/ability to step into other roles as needed to drive the success of the company. Candidates will need to demonstrate their ability to be a contributing member of a team that has goals that are broader than an individual job description or function.

Language Skills/Communication: 

• A mastery of the English language and of the written word
• A strong eye for detail and accuracy to ensure every comma is in place, every word is spelled correctly, spacing and formatting is consistent, etc.
• Ability to multitask and work independently
• A propensity for tact and diplomacy when negotiating edits with writers
• Ability to work under tight deadlines
• Fluency in a foreign language is a plus

Patient Privacy:

The core of our business is working with patients. It is most likely that you will come in contact with Personal Consumer Information (PCI) of patients living with chronic illnesses. It will be required that you take training courses that include, but are not limited to:

• Snow Policy Training
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Adverse Event (AE) Reporting Training
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Training

Computer Skills:

Candidates must have excellent computer skills in a Microsoft Windows environment to include:

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Mathematical Skills:

Candidates will be able to comprehend and utilize basic mathematics as well as business statistics to include percentages, ratios, discounts, interest, commissions, and proportions.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to identify and define problems while applying effective problem-solving skills through collecting data, establishing facts, and drawing valid conclusions
• Ability to deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
• Capable of applying industry benchmarks to create standardized practices

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands (to finger, handle, or feel), reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move more than 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment/Environmental Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate with no or very limited exposure to physical risk.

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations: 

Candidates must have a valid driver's license. In some instances, a passport may be necessary.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree (B.A.) from a four-year college or university and three to five years of related experience and/or training preferred.