Policy and Technical Writer Editor (SME) (5777) (TS/SCI) (Ft. Belvoir, VA)

SMX•Fort Belvoir, VA

13d•$165,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

SMX is seeking a Policy and Technical Writer, SME to produce and maintain policy and technical documentation supporting Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) data, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, application security, and zero trust mission requirements. The position combines senior policy writing expertise with technical communication, editorial quality control, and document lifecycle management to deliver clear, accurate products for Government review and approval. This is a 40-hour-per-week, full-time onsite position in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. The position serves as the principal policy-writing subject matter expert, researching applicable authorities and Government-furnished requirements to prepare draft policies, procedures, guidelines, and supporting documentation. It translates complex technical information into clear policy and guidance, coordinates document reviews and staffing, and maintains document-control and approval records. The role incorporates approved risk-management requirements into documentation and identifies gaps or unresolved issues for Government officials. Work is limited to policy and technical documentation deliverables within the authorized contract scope. The position does not perform systems engineering and technical assistance, acquisition advisory services, source selection support, or independent technical oversight. Government officials retain responsibility for policy direction, legal interpretation, approval, enforcement, risk acceptance, and official issuance. Contractor personnel work under contractor supervision.

Requirements

Active Top Secret clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) eligibility; ability to obtain and maintain SCI access and additional accesses required for assigned work.
Bachelor's degree in English, Communications, Public Policy, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
At least 10 years of directly relevant experience in policy drafting, technical writing, or editing, including at least 3 years producing enterprise policy or governance documentation in a DoD or IC environment.
Demonstrated experience drafting policy documents and translating complex technical and regulatory material into clear, accurate guidance for Government review and approval.
Demonstrated ability to document data management, AI, cloud computing, application security, and zero trust requirements in collaboration with technical subject matter experts.
Experience coordinating document reviews across functions, managing senior stakeholder feedback, maintaining document control, and mentoring junior writers.
Attention to accuracy and detail; active listening and clear communication; timely delivery of quality documents; sound judgment in resolving ambiguous drafting requirements; effective collaboration; and ability to identify and clearly document risks, assumptions, and unresolved issues.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a relevant field and direct experience producing policy documentation for DoD or IC enterprise data and AI initiatives.
Experience with ICD 504, Intelligence Community Data Management; ICD 505, Artificial Intelligence; RMF; applicable NIST Special Publications; and security and data governance frameworks.
Experience authoring documentation covering AI and machine learning, data engineering, cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS), and zero trust architecture.
Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC), ITIL Foundation or higher, or Project Management Professional (PMP).
Security+ or another applicable DoD 8140 qualification, when relevant to an assigned cyber work role; any mandatory qualification is governed by the contract.

Responsibilities

Research applicable authorities and Government-furnished requirements to prepare draft policies, procedures, guidelines, and supporting documentation; refer legal interpretation questions to designated Government officials.
Draft and revise documentation for data management, AI, cloud, and application security using Government-established policy direction, mission priorities, and technical inputs.
Coordinate document reviews and staffing; maintain comment matrices, redlines, version histories, approval records, and publication packages for Government approval and authorized release.
Maintain traceability among cited authorities, mission requirements, draft policy provisions, and documented implementation dependencies; identify inconsistencies for Government resolution.
Translate complex AI, data engineering, cloud, and zero trust information into clear policy documents, procedures, user guidance, and technical reference materials.
Draft strategy documents reflecting Government-established objectives and decisions, incorporating approved content and stakeholder inputs without assuming responsibility for enterprise strategy or policy decisions.
Consolidate stakeholder feedback, document unresolved comments, and prepare coordinated revisions for Government review.
Lead contractor editorial quality control and mentor junior writers.
Incorporate approved risk-management requirements, including applicable RMF and NIST guidance, into policy and procedural documentation.
Draft and maintain documentation addressing data, AI, cloud, third-party, and IT supply-chain risks using approved requirements and inputs from responsible security and technical personnel.
Check documentation for completeness, consistency, and alignment with applicable requirements; record gaps and route them to designated Government officials.
Maintain records of approved changes without certifying system compliance or accepting risk.