Contractor, Physical Science Technical Writer

Lila Sciences•Cambridge, MA

15h

About The Position

Your Impact at Lila Science only creates impact when the right people understand it. At Lila Science, our Government sector team sits at the interface between world-class researchers and the government clients and internal stakeholders who need to act on their work. We're looking for a Physical Science Technical Writer who thrives in that space. Reporting to the Head of Government Partnerships, you'll serve as the essential bridge between our scientists and the people who fund, oversee, and act on their research -- taking highly technical findings, methods, and data and reshaping them into language that is clear, credible, and decision-ready. You'll work closely with our Grants Manager, who leads the full proposal process, to develop the technical and scientific components that sit at the heart of every competitive submission. You'll also serve as a quality gatekeeper -- someone with enough domain expertise to catch scientific inaccuracies, challenge imprecise claims, and ensure that every deliverable meets the highest standards of technical rigor before it leaves the building. This is not a documentation-maintenance role. It's a strategic communication role for someone with enough scientific fluency to understand what researchers are saying -- and enough communication skill to make it land with audiences who aren't in the lab. Critically, we're looking for someone who uses AI tools as a force multiplier: a writer who can leverage LLMs, build lightweight automation, or design workflow tools that let one exceptional person do the work of many.

Requirements

Master's degree or higher in a physical science discipline -- chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, physics, or closely related field.
Demonstrated experience translating complex scientific or technical content for non-technical audiences, ideally in a government, policy, or regulated environment.
Enough scientific literacy to hold substantive conversations with researchers, accurately represent their work -- including its nuances and limitations -- and push back when claims are imprecise or unsupported.
Exceptional written communication skills; proven ability to write clearly and concisely for executives, clients, and non-specialist stakeholders.
Hands-on experience using AI tools (LLMs, AI writing assistants, or similar) in professional workflows -- not just familiarity, but active, habitual use -- including comfort building lightweight tools or automations to streamline repetitive writing and documentation tasks.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deliverables across parallel programs and tight timelines.
Eligibility to obtain a US security clearance; active clearance is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience writing technical and scientific content for DOE proposals and/or UK funding applications.
Experience supporting a grants or business development function in a research or government-adjacent organization.
Familiarity with risk analyses, V&V plans, and technical qualification documentation.
Ability to create clear figures, schematics, and visual summaries for broad audiences.
Experience designing or managing a content library or documentation repository.