ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Freelance Development Editor Jobs in Washington, DC

Stand Together

Editor in Chief

Arlington, VA · On-site

Fundraising and development editorial is a significant part of this role, requiring a leader who ... freelancers, and agencies. * Partner closely with Communications, Marketing, and executives to ...

Stand Together

Editor in Chief

Arlington, VA · On-site

Fundraising and development editorial is a significant part of this role, requiring a leader who ... freelancers, and agencies. * Partner closely with Communications, Marketing, and executives to ...

NPR

Deputy Managing Editor, Evenings

Washington, DC · On-site

$160K - $175K/yr

Supervises assignments and provides editorial guidance to staff, stations, freelance reporters and ... Well-developed interpersonal skills, ability to get along with diverse personalities. * Results ...

US AI

Contract Animator

Rockville, MD · On-site

Training & development WHO WE ARE US AI stands as a forward-thinking digital transformation ... Contract / Freelance Duration: [e.g., 1-3 months, with potential extension] Hours: [e.g., 20-40 ...

McGuireWoods LLP

Design Manager

Washington, DC · Hybrid

... marketing and business development efforts globally. This individual must be hands-on ... Lead a team of designers (senior, junior, and freelancers) to deliver high-quality creative work ...

McGuireWoods LLP

Design Manager

Washington, DC · On-site

$95K - $142K/yr

... marketing and business development efforts globally. This individual must be hands-on ... Lead a team of designers (senior, junior, and freelancers) to deliver high-quality creative work ...

McGuireWoods LLP

Design Manager

Washington, DC · Hybrid

... marketing and business development efforts globally. This individual must be hands-on ... Lead a team of designers (senior, junior, and freelancers) to deliver high-quality creative work ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsDevelopment Editor JobsFreelance Development Editor JobsFreelance Development Editor Jobs in Washington, DC

Freelance Development Editor information

See Washington, DC salary details

$56.1K

$93.3K

$111K

How much do freelance development editor jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for freelance development editor in Washington, DC is $93,271.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,100.00 and $109,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a freelance development editor?

To thrive as a Freelance Development Editor, you need expertise in substantive editing, a keen eye for story structure, and a firm grasp of grammar and style, usually supported by a background in English, journalism, or publishing. Familiarity with editing tools such as Microsoft Word (track changes), Google Docs, and project management platforms is common, while certification from organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association can be beneficial. Excellent communication, time management, and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback are standout soft skills in this role. These abilities are essential for ensuring manuscript quality, meeting client expectations, and managing multiple projects efficiently in a freelance environment.

What are some typical challenges faced by freelance development editors?

Freelance Development Editors often juggle multiple projects and clients simultaneously, which requires strong organizational and time management skills. Challenges may include navigating differing author expectations, tight deadlines, and the need for clear communication while working remotely. Since you may work with clients around the world, adapting your approach to fit diverse genres, styles, and publishing standards is important. Overcoming these challenges helps you build a solid reputation and maintain steady workflow in the competitive freelancing market.

What does a freelance development editor do?

A Freelance Development Editor helps authors refine their manuscripts by focusing on structure, clarity, coherence, and overall effectiveness. They provide feedback on elements like plot, pacing, character development, and argument strength, depending on the type of writing. Unlike copy editors, they concentrate on big-picture issues rather than grammar and syntax. Working independently, they collaborate with writers, publishers, or businesses on a project basis to improve content. Their goal is to enhance the manuscript’s impact and readability before it moves to the next stage of editing.

What are the most commonly searched types of Development Editor jobs in Washington, DC?

The most popular types of Development Editor jobs in Washington, DC are:

What are popular job titles related to Freelance Development Editor jobs in Washington, DC?

For Freelance Development Editor jobs in Washington, DC, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Freelance Development Editor jobs in Washington, DC look for?

The top searched job categories for Freelance Development Editor jobs in Washington, DC are:

Freelance Development Editor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Freelance Development Editor job openings in Washington, DC as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $93,271 per year, or $44.8 per hour.

Editor in Chief

Stand Together

Arlington, VA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Retirement

Re-posted 12 days ago

Job description

Stand Together is a philanthropic community that helps America's boldest changemakers tackle the root causes of our country's biggest problems, from education to the economy, broken communities, and toxic division, among dozens of other pressing issues. We provide our partners with access to resources including funding, thought leadership, a network of peers, and a playbook for applying proven principles to transform lives and society. 

Stand Together operates as a multibrand, missiondriven platform, spanning issuefocused initiatives, partner organizations, and cultural programs across media, education, business, community, government and music, sports, and entertainment. Our editorial work must flex across distinct brands and audiences while remaining unified by shared principles, narratives, and standards.
 
As Editor in Chief, you'll shape how Stand Together tells its story across this diverse portfolio through innovative storytelling, rapid response, and principled messaging tailored to key audiences. This role goes beyond publishing content. You'll build an editorial capability from the ground up, crafting narratives that matter, surfacing stories from partners across the ecosystem, and transforming them into campaigns that drive social change. You'll lead a forwardthinking team that blends journalistic excellence with AIpowered tools to accelerate output, personalize at scale, and create an editorial engine that serves as a true center of excellence, aligning teams, brands, and platforms around a shared worldview and clear priorities.  Fundraising and development editorial is a significant part of this role, requiring a leader who can translate mission, impact, and strategy into compelling narratives that drive investment, partnership, and longterm growth.
How You Will Contribute
  • Drive and evolve Stand Together's editorial strategy, ensuring every narrative aligns with business priorities and core messaging. 
  • Create and champion principlesbased messaging guides that help fuel social change.
  • Act as both strategist and handson creator-shaping the vision while writing, editing, and publishing standout content. 
  • Build and refine editorial standards and playbooks that unify the Stand Together voice across owned, earned, and social channels. 
  • Lead editorial strategy across a multibrand portfolio, partnering with issuearea leaders to ensure consistency, quality, and narrative coherence, without flattening distinct voices or missions.
  • Lead the development of policy and cultural-driven editorial that strengthens Stand Together's influence with partners, funders, and decision-makers.
  • Lead the creation of sales enablement and development tools, including messaging guides, strategy decks, onepagers, campaign collateral, and donor or investorspecific materials.
  • Translate complex, oftenintersecting issue areas into clear, compelling narratives, including education, the economy, health care, free speech, constitutionally limited government, and strong & safe communities.
  • Surface, shape, and package powerful stories across culture, music, sports, entertainment, and social impact. 
  • Partner with Communications on rapidresponse storytelling that converts solutions into cultural momentum. 
  • Produce multiformat content-web, video, newsletters, social, fundraising materials, partner collateral, pitch decks, investment overviews, and sales enablement assets-tailored to funders, partners, social entrepreneurs, and consumer audiences. 
  • Integrate AI tools to streamline editorial workflows, speed production, and unlock new creative approaches. 
  • Collaborate with Analytics to optimize content placement, performance, and impact, while working with external partners to amplify reach. 
  • Lead, mentor, and inspire a core editorial team, effectively scaling impact through contractors, freelancers, and agencies. 
  • Partner closely with Communications, Marketing, and executives to align strategy, messaging, and storytelling across the organization. 
  • Build a selflearning editorial system powered by testing, realtime analytics, and reputation insights. 
  • Define and drive OKRs focused on reach, resonance, and reputational impact-and consistently elevate the standard. 
  • Develop centralized knowledge and content systems that increase consistency, access, and operational efficiency. 
  • Streamline copyapproval workflows to improve clarity, speed, and collaboration. 
What You Will Bring
  • 15+ years leading editorial teams in highlevel journalism, policy-driven organizations and/or globally recognized brands, and 10+ years managing large, diverse teams. 
  • Enthusiasm to contribute to Stand Together's vision and principled approach to solving problems, and a commitment to stewarding our culture, which champions values including transformation and innovation, entrepreneurialism, humility, and respect. 
  • Proven experience leading the development of sales enablement tools such as messaging guides, strategy guides, one pagers, pitch decks, investment overviews, and collateral.
  • A leadership style that elevates people, inspires bold ideas, and embraces transformation. 
  • Exceptional editing, writing, coaching, and storytelling skills. 
  • Experience introducing and scaling new AI tools within content or editorial environments. 
  • Strong ability to work across communications, marketing, digital, policy, and legal teams. 
  • A calm, thoughtful approach to fastpaced, deadlinedriven decisionmaking. 
  • Expertise managing multichannel editorial workflows and modern project management tools. 
  • A proven ability to audit and improve editorial processes for quality, speed, and impact. 
  • Comfort working directly with executives and navigating complex organizations. 
What We Offer
  • Competitive benefits: Enjoy a 6% 401(k) match with immediate vesting, flexible time off, comprehensive health and dental plans, plus wellness and mental health support through Peloton and Talkspace. 
  • A meaningful career: Join a passionate community of over 1,300 employees dedicated to improving lives and driving innovative solutions to complex social challenges. 
  • Commitment to growth: Thrive in a non-hierarchical environment that empowers employees to discover, develop and apply their unique talents. 
  • Competitive compensation: Our approach rewards the value you create through competitive salaries and bonus opportunities, allowing you to share in the success you help drive. 
$200,000 - $300,000 a year
For this role, the anticipated base salary range is $200,000-300,000 per year. In addition to base salary, additional bonus earnings may represent a meaningful portion of total compensation. Total compensation will align with an employee's overall contribution and the value created for the organization.
 
Our Principles-Based Management (PBM) compensation philosophy is grounded in an individualized approach that rewards the long-term value each person creates for the organization. Compensation decisions are informed by a variety of factors, including relevant experience, capabilities, demonstrated skills, role responsibilities, and expected contribution. Consistent with this approach, base salary may vary within or outside of the anticipated range based on these considerations.
Our Values: Working for an organization within the Stand Together philanthropic community is different from many other places. The culture is deeply rooted in Principle Based Management (PBM), a framework guided by the principles that drive human progress, such as dignity, openness, and bottom-up empowerment. PBM empowers employees to be entrepreneurial, to innovate, and to continually drive transformation.   
 
We believe diversity fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success.  That is why we're proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and strive to treat all employees and applicants with honesty, dignity, and respect.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
apply for this job

Apply