Deputy Editor, Floor

The Deputy Editor (Floor) will work with other members of the Legislative Actions Team to ensure that CQ’s floor coverage is as thorough and immediately relevant as possible. Our clients rely on CQ for fast, concise and comprehensive descriptions of the policies that take shape on the chamber floors.

About the Team
Washington’s CQ Roll Call brings up-to-date news, analysis and insights to decision-makers on Capitol Hill and influencers in the nation's capital. This trusted source of unbiased, impartial information provides authoritative, nonpartisan and accurate congressional news and legislative tracking tools to its subscribers. CQ Roll Call keeps readers updated on a weekly, daily and real-time basis covering every legislative action in Congress with breaking news, bill tracking, and member profiles and offers insight into the people and institutions that influence public policy and legislation.

About You
You should be comfortable creating analytical written pieces for our clients’ consumption, keeping the broader CQ newsroom informed about what is happening in Congress, and doing some data entry and proofing. The position requires exceptional accuracy and attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure and meet firm deadlines, and an understanding of the legislative process.

What To Expect In This Position

Track every action on the House or Senate floor as it happens, providing precise descriptions of the policy and legislative procedure involved at the time.
Read, summarize and analyze bill text and floor actions; write and edit impartial, fact-based bill summaries for internal newsroom circulation and external client use; compose and edit descriptions of *all* measures and amendments subject to floor activity in either chamber.
Provide clients with complete, timely coverage and error-free, quality legislative information within set deadlines and in accordance with CQ Roll Call’s editorial style standards -- and following Associated Press editorial style otherwise.
Develop and maintain a broad understanding of CQ Roll Call editorial and legislative data content sets and master the procedures for updating and clearing all related content, including to quickly and accurately collect, process, code and publish legislative data, documents, amendments, transcripts, bill information and other related information.
Report breaking news from the House and Senate floors and contribute to news coverage and analysis of floor action and procedure. Contribute to editing and assigning live floor coverage and legislative tracking assignments.
Adapt to and balance long hours and an irregular congressional schedule while juggling multiple assignments.
Work with other editors and reporters to develop reporting, writing and general news-gathering skills; cultivate relationships with sources for journalistic and document-source purposes.
Assist the Legislative Actions Editor in training, coaching and properly utilizing the team’s researcher talent, helping to onboard new team members and pushing individuals to improve their work and driving an upward trend in the quality of the team’s output.
Assist in maintaining a comprehensive written guide to work on the legislative tracking team.
Other duties as assigned.

What Sets You Apart

3 years of research or writing experience with the federal government, preferably in a political or policy-focused capacity; equivalent experience on Capitol Hill; equivalent experience in journalism, whether as a researcher, reporter or copy editor.
A thorough understanding of broad U.S. policy and a better-than-average ability to quickly and effectively distill essential details from the legislative text and other sources.
A comprehensive awareness of the U.S. House and Senate procedural behaviors, including a sense of which situations are “standard” and which require further context or investigation.
Strong attention to detail and good organizational abilities.
The ability to work a schedule that largely mirrors the House and Senate hours of operation.
The ability to meet strict deadlines.
The ability to develop sources, gather information and process content in a way consistent with CQ Roll Call’s editorial style and standards.
Basic knowledge of HTML, internet-based research, Google tools and electronic media.
Working knowledge of CQ-specific style and conventions as they pertain to our written work, the information we enter and the systems we manage.