Science Writer & Editor

Please submit an application using this form. We encourage you to preview all questions before beginning. We estimate that completing the application form will take you no longer than 1 hour, but there is no time limit.

We are not asking for cover letters or resumes for this role. If you’re interested, this academic paper provides an overview of why. The form will ask you to provide the following:

Answers to multiple choice and restricted answer questions about your skills.

Two writing samples showing your writing expertise.

Short answers to questions about your previous experience and work interests.

Application process & timeline:

Optional informational session: January 2024

Phone screening: Early February 2024

Stage 2 (skills assessment): Mid to late February 2024

Stage 3 (video interviews): Early March 2024

Target start date: March 29, 2024, or as soon as possible.

Benefits:

US only: Comprehensive health and dental insurance with vision insurance available.

Generous paid time off and leave policies. The typical structure includes:

Four weeks of paid vacation, 13 holidays, plus a two-week paid organization-wide break in late December.

Two weeks of paid sick leave, which may also be used for caring for human or non-human family members.

Note: Leave policies vary slightly by country of employment due to local regulations.

A remote framework that allows you to balance work and personal commitments, along with a technology stipend to cover associated costs.

A friendly, open culture that encourages feedback, collaboration, experimentation, and evidence-based innovation.

Opportunities for advancement as our team and programs continue their growth trajectory.

Dedicated leadership and colleagues committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We have an internal JEDI committee, provide annual staff and manager training to learn about biases at work, and support employees with visible and invisible disabilities.

Reimbursement for books you buy and read for professional development.

About our mission

Wild Animal Initiative is a remote 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to accelerating science that helps wild animals. We conduct original research, fund cutting-edge research projects at other institutions, and support the global network of scientists in our field with services and training.

We are looking to work with people who approach our mission as an inherently inclusive endeavor and celebrate the differences of others. We strongly encourage Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, and people of other historically marginalized communities to apply and welcome applicants of any religion, age, origin, class, citizenship, parental status, disability status, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender. We view diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and ways of understanding the world and wild animals as an asset that can improve the performance, collective intelligence, innovation, and quality of science at Wild Animal Initiative, while also addressing the exclusionary aspects of the spaces we operate in. We integrate these values into all aspects of our work and seek to constantly improve our implementation of them. We seek to benefit and share power with everyone at Wild Animal Initiative.

Please note that we are unable to sponsor work visas at this time. Candidates must be eligible to work in their respective jurisdictions.

If you have any questions about our hiring process or open positions, or if you would like to recommend excellent candidates, please reach out to us at hiring@wildanimalinitiative.org.

To express your interest in working with us in a capacity not currently open, please submit your information via our Job Interest Form. By doing so, you will be added to our talent database, which we consult for new roles, and when recommending candidates to other mission-aligned organizations.

Thank you for considering Wild Animal Initiative as the next part of your vocational journey. We hope to hear from you!
Responsibilities
Position mission statement:

As our Science Writer & Editor, you'll play a crucial role in our mission to reduce wild animal suffering through impactful written communication. Working closely with different teams, you'll craft engaging narratives and edit for various platforms. You will write blog posts, monthly newsletters, and our annual report. You will turn complex scientific research, data, and academic papers into accessible, engaging content. You will balance the needs of audiences in academia, animal advocacy, and the general public. With a focus on adherence to our style guide, you’ll use your editing skills to maintain consistency, accuracy, and inclusive language. Leading our social media strategy, you'll ensure we post regularly, interact with our audience, and integrate social media into our comprehensive Communications strategy.

Supervisory responsibilities:

None currently, but if you are interested and able, we are open to your responsibilities evolving to include managing other staff as opportunities arise.
Core duties and responsibilities:

Writing:

Communicate effectively across various formats to advance our mission while welcoming and engaging wide-ranging audiences and perspectives.

Occasionally act as the liaison between the Communications team and grantees, in order to write about their projects on Wild Animal Initiative’s channels.

Plan, research, write, and share monthly blog content that aligns with our mission, including organizational news and advancements in wild animal welfare.

Identify and write compelling stories about our research, services, and grants programs, often conducting interviews with grantees, field leaders, and staff.

Craft your writing to be appealing and engaging to underrepresented and marginalized groups, while also adapting it for audiences in academia, animal advocacy, and the general public.

Manage the production of our annual report (20-30 pages), writing feature-length articles and coordinating reviews with team members.

Produce monthly newsletter emails.

Coordinate website content revisions and approvals, writing new content as assigned.

Apply awareness of biases in scientific writing and society to ensure the use of inclusive language in all content.

Editing:

Copy-edit, fact-check, and structurally edit written products across the organization.

Ensure the brand voice is consistently applied across products covering an array of writing styles.

Edit and refine blog posts, website copy, reports, internal documents, emails, and other content for accuracy and alignment with mission objectives, and inclusivity for underrepresented and marginalized groups.

Coordinate editing and review processes and ensure deadlines are met, working closely with the Visual Communications Specialist for design and layout. Additionally, coordinate with the Science Team to review and post scientific content (deep dives, talks, and announcements of papers).

Provide timely feedback regarding all edited materials written by others.

Review internal and external content for alignment with the Wild Animal Initiative style guide and update the guide as needed.

Social media:

Lead comprehensive social media management, planning, creating, and monitoring content.

Draft posts for the Communications Director's review.

Utilize Hootsuite for regular postings on Twitter and Facebook weekly, at minimum, and occasional updates on LinkedIn.

Additionally, actively monitor audience engagement, promptly responding to inquiries and positive feedback.

Work with the Communications Director to strategize and craft responses to negative feedback.

Occasionally live tweet during events.

Communications strategy:

Work with the Communications Director to develop communications strategies that advance our mission.

Foster strong internal and external relationships by actively participating in all-staff, Communications team, and interdepartmental meetings.

Assist with projects assigned by the Communications Director such as strategic social media campaigns, implementing innovative social media approaches (including testing strategies to engage target audiences), fundraising campaigns, media relations, and developing communications SOPs.

Other duties—duties and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

Note that we do not require any specific academic credentials or prior work experience for you to be considered for this position, as research shows that such requirements can diminish the quality of candidate pools by deterring people from applying who would otherwise be a great fit for a role. If you think you’re underqualified, please apply. If you’re not sure whether you have the right qualifications, we encourage you to apply anyway. We’d love the chance to consider your application.

This role will require you to have the following qualifications:

Adaptability/Flexibility: Demonstrated ability to work independently, adapt to changes, and achieve goals with minimal supervision.

Relational skills: Display concern for others, showcasing empathy and cooperation in all interactions. Proven history of building positive and collaborative professional relationships.

Science comprehension: The ability to effectively translate, summarize, and edit academic science writing in the fields of ecology, animal behavior, and biology, demonstrating a strong comprehension of scientific concepts and ensuring accuracy in written communication.

English language writing expertise: Proficient in copy-editing, proofreading, and fact-checking. Knowledge of various writing styles (narrative, technical, persuasive) with the ability to write for various audiences including people in academia, animal advocacy, and the general public. Proficiency in English language structure and grammar.

Reliability and attention to detail: Proven dependability in meeting duties and obligations. A meticulous approach to tasks, demonstrating attention to detail and thoroughness in work completion.

Dedication to ethical conduct and inclusive writing: Maintain unwavering integrity in all professional activities. Use self-awareness of biases and privilege and a firm commitment to enhancing inclusivity and equity.

Innovative thinking: A creative and alternative thinker with a history of contributing innovative ideas and solutions to work-related challenges.

Wild animal empathy: Genuine desire to help wild animals experience less suffering. Ability to infuse passion into written content, especially in persuasive writing for mass fundraising campaigns.

Critical thinking skills: Strong ability to use logic and reasoning to evaluate alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches.

Effective communication: Excellent written expression skills, tailoring communication to meet the needs of diverse internal staff and external audiences.

Software and technology: Ability to work in Asana, Google Workspace, Airtable, Salesforce, Justworks, and to learn new technology as needed. Adept at leveraging technology to increase efficiency and productivity.

Social media familiarity and interest: We believe a candidate with the skills above, a basic familiarity with the use of social media, and a genuine desire and ability to grow knowledge and skills in this area in the first year of employment at Wild Animal Initiative can succeed in this role.

Preferred: Knowledge of and familiarity with social media conventions and best practices on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Preference for knowledge including effective copywriting for social media ads, Google search ads, and/or SEO content. Even if you do not have previous experience managing social media accounts for a brand, as long as you are committed to learning this skill, we encourage you to apply.

Requests for accommodation: If you are a qualified individual with a disability, we welcome requests for reasonable accommodations if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply for this job as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Hiring Manager Emily Sharp at emily.sharp@wildanimalinitiative.org.