Science Content & Digital Media Specialist (SME I) - ARL (College Park, MD) (Hybrid)

FedWriters, Inc. • College Park, MD

12d • $81,557 - $85,849 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Science Content & Digital Media Specialist supports NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), embedded at a NOAA laboratory or program. The role provides day-to-day writing, visual content creation, and editorial support across digital, social media, and print platforms. It involves communicating atmospheric and ocean science to a range of audiences, creating engaging content, and ensuring accuracy and consistency with NOAA standards through scientific review. The position is hybrid, with 2–3 days onsite at the NOAA ARL Lab in College Park, Maryland.

Requirements

• BA/BS in a technical or business discipline; Communications, Journalism, Digital Media, Science Communications, Environmental Science, or a closely related field is preferred. Advanced degrees or certifications may qualify for shorter periods of required experience.
• At least 4 years of professional and/or academic experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Low-risk federal security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience producing science or technical content for digital platforms, including websites, social media, and multimedia channels, for a federal agency or research organization.
• Strong science or technical writing and editing skills, including the ability to translate research findings into compelling, accurate, audience-appropriate content across formats and reading levels.
• Proficiency with visual content creation tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or equivalent platforms; experience producing graphics, short-form video, or infographics for public audiences.
• Experience managing content through formal scientific or government review and approval processes.
• Familiarity with web content management systems (CMS) and social media scheduling platforms, and experience monitoring and reporting on digital engagement analytics.
• Knowledge of NOAA, OAR, or federal agency web publishing standards, Section 508 accessibility requirements, and plain language guidelines.
• For SME II candidates: demonstrated experience leading content strategy development and advising senior communications leadership on audience engagement and platform innovation.

Responsibilities

• Explain and organize complex scientific information into communication products for OAR leadership and staff, translating technical information for non-scientific audiences.
• Provide technical and scientific writing and editing for public communications across OAR digital and print platforms, including news stories, web features, social media posts, and visual content.
• Research, write, and edit audience-appropriate content for online, social media, and print channels, and manage it through OAR and NOAA review cycles for scientific accuracy, format, and style.
• Develop themes, schedules, and content for external websites, internal Google Sites, and social media platforms.
• Create visual graphics, videos, and other visual materials for NOAA platforms.
• Monitor digital-platform engagement analytics and apply insights to content strategy.
• Coordinate with NOAA teams to showcase OAR's mission, work, and activities across NOAA websites and partner platforms.
• Advise the OAR Communications Director on sensitive content issues and recommend and execute strategies and innovations to increase public engagement.
• Document workflows and maintain organized files containing data associated with content development.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k) plan
• Holiday pay
• Paid time off
• Internal promotions, professional development, and recognition and rewards programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level