Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Senior Writer/Editor

Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in science writing, journalism, communications, or related field; master's preferred.
  • 5+ years of experience in technical publications as an editor/science writer.
  • Ability to simplify complex technical material for broader audiences.
  • Expertise in substantive editing and precise proofreading of technical documents.
  • Mastery of English grammar and familiarity with major style guides.
  • Strong interpersonal skills for collaboration across diverse teams.
  • Familiarity with AI applications and implications.

Responsibilities

  • Write clear and compelling journalistic articles and technical documents.
  • Edit complex technical materials for clarity and accuracy.
  • Ensure compliance with AI usage policies in content creation.
  • Collaborate with web architects and social media managers to enhance content visibility.
  • Interface with leadership and technical staff for annual reports and publications.
  • Manage the development of news stories and technical brochures.
  • Oversee STEM outreach program content.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans.
  • MIT-funded pension.
  • Matching 401K.
  • Paid leave including vacation, sick, and parental leave.
  • Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs.
  • Mentorship programs.
  • Work-life balance options.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Lincoln Laboratory's Communications and Community Outreach Office (CCOO) is seeking an experienced writer/editor to join a team creating digital content and print publications that support the Laboratory's R&D portfolio. As the Laboratory's external communications interface, the CCOO develops content for and manages the Laboratory's website, publishes news articles and corporate reports, provides editorial assistance on a wide variety of technical and business documents, and oversees STEM outreach programs.

The writer/editor will have responsibilities in three editorial areas: writing clear, accurate, and compelling journalistic articles and technical documents; developmentally editing complex technical materials; and expertly applying grammatical/typographical conventions to text. Working with the CCOO's web architect, social media manager, and managing editor, the writer/editor will produce content that maximizes AI searches, answer engine optimization, and search engine optimization to promote broader dissemination of the Laboratory's R&D accomplishments. The individual will assure that any written or visual content generated with the aid of AI tools complies with the Laboratory's policies on the use of AI.

Major responsibilities of the writer/editor involve interfacing with Laboratory leadership and technical staff on the development of the Laboratory's annual Impact Report, news stories, and technical brochures. The candidate will need the ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse educational backgrounds and corporate levels.

REQUIREMENTS
  • A bachelor's degree in science or science writing, journalism, communications, or related field; a master's degree is preferred.
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in technical publications as an editor/science writer.
  • Ability to translate complex material about technology into text understandable to audiences less familiar with the specific technology under discussion.
  • Ability to perform substantive editing of complex technical documents, careful reviewing/revising of documents' organization, and precise proofreading of documents. Familiarity with or formal education in college-level mathematics, science, and engineering is valuable for this editing.
  • Mastery of English grammar and punctuation; excellent working knowledge of references such as the Associated Press Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style, and the CSE's Scientific Style and Format.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills to create and maintain internal and external professional contacts for CCOO projects.
  • Familiarity with AI uses and consequences.
  • Direct working experience with Microsoft Office products and familiarity with website building/editing tools.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance required.


A portfolio of writing samples is required at time of interview.

Hiring Range: $94,300 - $125,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including-but not limited to-the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
  • MIT-funded pension
  • Matching 401K
  • Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
  • Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
  • Mentorship programs
  • A range of work-life balance options
  • ... and much more!


Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

Requisition ID: 43432

About Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The university is known for its strong emphasis on scientific and technological research and its engineering programs. MIT was founded in 1861 and has a long history of innovation and entrepreneurship. The university has produced numerous Nobel laureates, Rhodes Scholars, and MacArthur Fellows.
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