Full-Time Senior Editor and Research Advisor
Job Description
Timing: Begins on or around September 2023
Location: Baltimore-Washington, DC, metropolitan area (preferred)
The Center for Progressive Reform (the Center) is seeking a full-time senior editor and research advisor to support our work and policy goals. The senior editor and research advisor will collaborate with our communications team to edit a range of written products, as well as write copy and assist in drafting blog posts, op-eds, letters to the editor, fact sheets, fundraising proposals, and other materials as assigned. The senior editor and research advisor will also serve as the lead staff liaison with our Member Scholar network, directly collaborating with them on scholar-led reports, blog post series and symposia, additional communications projects, and other engagement opportunities.
Reporting to the communications director, the senior editor and research advisor is an important member of our communications and organizational team. The Center and its affiliated scholars are routinely quoted in major news outlets and consulted by a variety of policymakers, allies, partners, and advocates. The Center offers a highly collegial, virtual work environment and a team that is dedicated to climate, environmental, and social justice.
Responsibilities
Writing, editing, and communications strategy (50%)
● Write and/or edit written materials, including but not limited to:
o Reports, papers, and policy briefs
o Fact sheets
o Op-eds and letters to the editor
o Blog posts
o Blast emails
● Assess and provide needed level of editorial support for long-form publications and
serve as the lead editor for those products
● Assist the executive director and program staff in further establishing a “voice” and
boosting thought leadership and organizational visibility
● Complete updates to our organizational style guide and collaborate with the
communications director on development and/or improvement of other guides as needed
● Other writing, editing, and communications duties as assigned
Strategic engagement, outreach, and coordination of scholars (35%)
● Assist in coordination of scholar-driven reports, issue briefs, and other publications and projects
● Work with scholars to identify research and writing that support the Center’s strategic goals and translate long-form pieces into policy briefs, blog posts, op-eds, and other accessible communications products
● Identify scholars who want to raise their profile in the news media and work with them to develop, pitch, and place op-eds and develop relationships with relevant reporters and
news outlets
● Serve as the staff liaison with the Board of Directors’ Member Scholar Engagement
Committee, help develop the committee’s action plan, and collaborate with other
members of the staff to support the committee’s work
● Work collaboratively with the Board’s scholar engagement liaison
● Serve as the lead staff liaison with our Member Scholars network
● Other coordination, engagement, and outreach duties as assigned
Grantwriting and fundraising (15%)
● Support staff in developing, writing, editing, proofreading, and/or submitting grant
proposals according to established deadlines
● As relevant, develop letters of inquiry or concept notes for prospective funders
● Draft, edit, and/or project-manage periodic reports to foundations
● Assist in drafting and editing proposals and appeals to major donors
● Support development and coordination of the Center’s periodic individual fundraising
campaigns
● Track organizational impact and help incorporate that information into institutional and
individual fundraising proposals and appeals
● Support development of strategic fundraising plan
● Other grant writing and fundraising duties as assigned
Qualifications
● Excellent, senior-level writing, editing, and proofreading skills
● Exemplary organizational and time management skills
● A degree in communications, journalism, or a related field
● Five or more years of relevant professional experience
● Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
● Connections with reporters and editors are a plus
● A demonstrated interest and/or experience in progressive policy is a plus
● Comfort with working from home in a virtual office setting
Location and Travel
This is a fully remote position but with a preference for applicants located in the Washington, DC, metro area. CPR operates in a virtual work environment with employees working from their home offices. For staff in the MD/DC/VA area, the Center hosts monthly in-person staff meetings with others joining remotely.
The Center is a member of the Open Gov Hub in Washington, DC, which offers work and meeting space, as well as other resources for its members.
This job will require occasional (<5%) local, regional, and national travel to meetings and events.
Schedule
Employees work 40 hours per week, normally Monday through Friday, with the flexibility to accommodate other life commitments. Employees may spend extended periods at a computer.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary: We offer a starting salary range of $68,000-$78,000 annually, depending on
qualifications and experience.
Benefits: The Center contributes to the cost of health and dental insurance, including employee dependents. Premiums are deducted from employee paychecks on a pre-tax basis. Full-time employees may participate in a 401(k) retirement plan with automatic 2 percent contributions. We offer generous vacation, holiday, personal, parental, and sick leave.
How to Apply
To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and brief writing or editing sample to Communications Director Brian Gumm at [email protected]. We will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. All applications will be acknowledged promptly. No phone calls please. This announcement can also be found at https://progressivereform.org/careers/. If you require alternative methods of application or screening, please send an email request to [email protected].
Start Date
September 2023 or when the position is filled
About the Center for Progressive Reform
The Center for Progressive Reform is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that conducts independent scholarly research and policy analysis, and advocates for effective, collective solutions to our most pressing societal challenges. Guided by a national network of scholars and professional staff with expertise in governance and regulation, we convene policymakers and advocates to shape legislative and agency policy at the state and federal levels and advance the broad interests of today’s social movements for the environment, democracy, and racial justice and equity. We work to harness the power of law and public policy to create a responsive government, a healthy environment, and a just society, and we envision a government that uses the full force of its power to curb climate change and ensure a sustainable environment, economic justice, and healthy workplaces and communities for all. The Center was founded in 2002 and is a 501(c)3 organization.
The Center for Progressive Reform is an inclusive employer committed to employment and promotion opportunities for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, military or veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, pregnancy and childbirth, family responsibilities, or any other basis protected by applicable laws, regulations, or guidelines relating to discrimination in employment. We value diverse and new perspectives and are dedicated to creating opportunities for populations who are historically underrepresented in law, policy, and science. We are also working to build an inclusive workplace where everyone may thrive. To read more about our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, visit our website.
How to Apply
To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and brief writing or editing sample to Communications Director Brian Gumm at [email protected]. We will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. All applications will be acknowledged promptly. No phone calls please. This announcement can also be found at https://progressivereform.org/careers/.
If you require alternative methods of application or screening, please send an email request to [email protected].
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