Physical Sciences Reporter, C&EN

ACS•Washington, DC

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific membership association, with a mission to “advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.” ACS Publications is a Division of the ACS and has all the characteristics of a medium-large scientific and technical publishing organization. It is one of two Divisions charged with serving the dual function of generating a reliable annual surplus to support the Society’s programmatic activities, while also fulfilling a core goal of the Society in advancing knowledge in the field of chemistry and the chemical enterprise. The Division publishes 90+ high-quality peer-reviewed journals covering the breadth of chemistry and allied fields, as well as numerous other products and services of benefit to the global community, including but not limited to its flagship magazine, Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN). The Division has domestic facilities in Washington, D.C. and Columbus OH, as well as worldwide operations in a growing number of international locations including but not limited to the UK, Singapore, and China. Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) produces authoritative, award-winning journalism from around the world of chemistry, covering research, education, funding, and policy. It is published by, but editorially independent of, the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society dedicated to a single discipline. We are seeking a reporter and writer who will keep C&EN readers informed about research and developments in inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials science and engineering, and other chemistry-based topics.

Requirements

A minimum of 3 years of newsroom experience working as a science journalist.
A background in reporting on science.
Strong news judgment, good writing and editing skills, and good oral communications skills.
The ability to gather and analyze information from a variety of sources and convey it to readers in a clear and coherent manner.
Track record of writing engaging stories on complex topics for a scientifically sophisticated audience.
Proven ability to take initiative and produce insightful and compelling content across a variety of platforms.
A positive attitude and commitment to being a team player.

Nice To Haves

Experience with multimedia journalism is a plus.
Experience working in a chemistry-related field and/or scientific publishing is a plus.

Responsibilities

Identify breaking news and feature topics, with coverage spanning trends in inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials science and engineering, physical chemistry, surface chemistry, and chemical analysis.
Consistently generate and implement unique story ideas that aren’t being covered elsewhere.
Contribute to a variety of platforms, including podcasts, videos, newsletters, and other story formats.
Have a strong sense of journalism ethics and a dedication to accuracy in reporting.
Construct sophisticated and complex stories that conform to C&EN’s style and deadlines.
Work with C&EN’s creative team to produce images, graphics, and infographics that engage and inform audiences.
Work with colleagues to maximize audience engagement with your journalism, for example, through social media platforms.
Develop contacts and story ideas by attending or covering key meetings and events and speaking to sources on a regular basis.