Senior Writer/Editor

Software Engineering Institute | Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA

8d • Onsite

About The Position

This role is for a Senior Writer/Editor to join the Technical Communications team at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). The position involves writing and editing technical content for various platforms including reports, the SEI website, blogs, and presentations. The individual will collaborate with SEI researchers, engineers, and subject-matter experts to transform complex technical information into content suitable for diverse audiences, ranging from technical experts to lay readers. Key responsibilities include managing the content lifecycle from inception to completion, performing multi-author editing to ensure clarity, organization, voice consistency, grammatical correctness, and adherence to style standards.

Requirements

• At least five years of experience in writing and editing.
• Ability to both develop original content and perform meticulous line-by-line editing of complex documents.
• Exceptional copyediting and proofreading skills, including mastery of grammar, punctuation, syntax, usage, and consistency in technical and formal writing.
• Commitment to customer service for subject-matter experts, with a strong advocacy for readers.
• Keen eye for detail and a strong focus on quality and adherence to a style guide.
• Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills; ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities.
• Social skills to interview subject-matter experts or work closely with them to plan and develop written technical materials.
• Experience with complex subjects (preferably in software or science) and ability to learn new topics quickly.
• Experience in research writing or long-form documentation, such as academic articles and reports.
• Significant experience with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work with minimal or no supervision, and participate in team decision making.
• Willingness to travel within the SEI and CMU community, and occasionally to sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings (<5%).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.
• Must be subject to a background investigation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in an academic or technical research setting.
• Documenting software.
• Marketing writing for a technical or DoW audience.
• Coordinating with others to meet service-level agreements for projects.
• Issue- and project-tracking software.
• Website content-management systems.
• Accessibility or 508 compliance.
• Learning a markup language or using LaTeX or other document-preparation systems.

Responsibilities

• Edit formal technical reports at all editorial levels, including substantive editing, copyediting, and proofreading.
• Correct grammar, punctuation, syntax, usage, capitalization, citations, formatting, and style-guide inconsistencies with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Apply and enforce editorial standards and style-guide conventions consistently across long-form, highly technical, multi-author documents.
• Write technical content and stories for the SEI website, Year in Review, and other communication channels.
• Collaborate with technical staff to write blog posts about technical topics.
• Write and edit brief articles and marketing materials.
• Write and edit web content, video scripts, and content for other electronic media.
• Collaborate with SEI Communication Design, Web Services, Public Relations, and Outreach teams on publications, presentations, web pages, information graphics, and event materials.
• Plan, manage, schedule, and track project tasks.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance
• Tuition benefits for self and dependent children
• Generous PTO
• Generous retirement-savings policy
• 8% monthly contribution to retirement plan (without employee contribution)
• Flexible work arrangement
• Access to university resources such as campus fitness facilities, mindfulness programs, childcare, free transportation on the Port Authority Transit System
• Annual professional-development opportunities to attend conferences and training or get a certification.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed