Staff Writer

The Staff Writer/Senior Writer is responsible for generating content for Air & Space Forces Magazine, both online and in print. This writer produces 5-8 stories per week, on average, plus a feature for nine print issues annually. Articles focus on the activities, equipment, strategy, and activities of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, with the primary objective of producing a compelling Daily Report product and 10 compelling magazines per year. Of particular focus for this role are coverage of the U.S. Space Force, science and technology, cyber operations, and other matters as assigned. The Staff Writer/Senior Writer may be called on to be a backup editor of the Daily Report.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Writing & Reporting (approximately 85% of effort):

• Write 5-7 news articles per week, ranging from about 4001,200 words for AirAndSpaceForces.com.
• Research and write one magazine feature for each of nine issues (about 2,000 to 3,000 words).
• Conduct interviews with senior military and civilian officials, attend conferences, symposia, and other events where officials are speaking, visit the Pentagon and travel to military installations to cover military training and activities first hand
• Research, read, and help curate relevant content from other sources

Editing (approximately 10% of effort):

• Copy edit and/or proof-read colleagues’ daily web and monthly print content as needed.
• Conduct search engine optimization (SEO) by tagging and enhancing articles to maximize exposure before publication

Other Duties as assigned (approximately 5% of effort):

• Assist other staff with editing, proofreading, content development.

Requirements

Education and Experience Required:

• Experience reporting as a professional journalist covering national defense/U.S. military; the aerospace or federal technology industrial base; cybersecurity or a related topic.
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field or equivalent work experience.
• Familiarity with the U.S. Air Force and/or U.S. Space Force and adjacent industries.
• Interest in national security
• Military experience helpful but not required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Ability to serve as a technical/functional expert and provide effective guidance to others.
• Superior writing and editing skills, and ability to produce clear and consistent content within a short turnaround time.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to consistently attend to details and meet deadlines.
• Ability to think strategically about content selection and editorial decisions.
• Ability and commitment to keep information confidential.
• Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills and a high degree of comfort interacting with industry leaders and senior military officials.
• High degree of comfort working under pressure and with multiple concurrent priorities.
• Ability and commitment to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Ability to deploy sound judgment, sort through complex information, and make decisions.
• Ability to select and use effective approaches to choose a course of action and develop appropriate solutions.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office product suites (especially Excel and PowerPoint), WordPress, and knowledge or ability to learn other computer-based systems.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Works out of Air Force Association’s headquarters in Arlington, VA.
• Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, subject to modification based on the needs of each program or site.
• Operates in a professional office environment with travel to local offices, community partners, and events.
• The position requires sedentary work (sitting most of the time with no adverse environmental exposure) and occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. The position also includes the following physical requirements:
• Movement. The employee in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• The employee in this position needs to be able to operate a computer and other office productivity machinery such as a copy machine and printer.
• The employee is required to communicate and hold verbal conversations with others by means of the spoken word. Employee must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

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 will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Wellness Resources