Job Description

Technical Writer shall provide the following services writing, editorial, and communications support. They shall perform variety of services to complete tasks while demonstrating excellent writing (firm grasp of grammar, spelling, and punctuation), fact-checking, administrative, and organizational skills and high proficiency with using computer based and other technology.

The tasks include a wide range of writing, editing, and office support for a Government agency’s service-wide programs. The Technical Writer shall provide editorial services to directives, technical papers, correspondence, and other documents before release to ensure conformance with agency and Federal editorial policies; prepare documents reliant on recent advances in publishing technology ensuring all documents are 508 compliant; develop or edit publications that serve as sources of agency policies, procedures, and technical information, including national bulletins, handbooks, manuals, technical notes, technical releases, national instructions, intra-office instructions, user guides, the General Manual, and controlled correspondence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Publication Review and Editing: Need to conceptualize, write, and edit complex information for a variety of internal and external audiences, for use in newsletters, policy instructions, speeches, talking points, presentations, publications, and other documents which explain or promote the agency’s mission, priorities, and initiatives to agency employees, senior executives, leaders and managers, and potential employees; or to the general public, State agencies, professional trade organizations, other Federal agencies and Offices, and others. Duties will include:

• Reviewing and editing the text that are developed by staff within the agency, and correcting errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling. Ensuring that text follows the intended purpose, communicates clearly to the target audiences, flows smoothly, follows required style guidelines, expresses the intended tone, and is consistent in tone and message throughout.
• Developing messages and materials to communicate administration priorities and program information accurately, timely, and in a manner that can be understood by a wide variety of audiences
• Translating topics that are highly complex into compelling messages that are easily understood by employees, managers, senior executives, potential employees, partners, advocates, and the general public.
• Editing complex communications products including, but not limited to, newsletters, brochures, invitations, educational toolkits, scripts, speeches, talking points, outlines, presentations, reports, summaries, one-pagers, operational and strategic plans, communication plans, training curricula, policy memos, instructional bulletins, Q&As, publications, and other materials developed by staff within the agency to ensure consistency with Agency messages, administration priorities, and accuracy with regard to GPO style guidelines, as appropriate.
• Conducting fact-checking and proof-reading, when requested.
• Advising on strategies related to editorial style, publication workflow, and related issues.
• Brainstorming promotional ideas, contributing to the creation of storyboards for visual media, crafting blog/social media/informal communications posts, creating/writing content for internal and external websites, and completing other tasks as assigned.
• Writing, editing, and maintaining documentation of processes and procedures to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), as requested.
• Advising program personnel regarding review requirements and other matters related to the preparation and clearance of documents and publications.
• Recommending, clearing, and implementing communication strategy, including contributing to the development of communication plans and suggesting appropriate tactics to achieve the agency’s or organizational work unit’s communication goals. Identifying and leveraging data and media trends to inform strategy.
• Maintaining a general understanding and awareness of agency activities in order to proactively identify opportunities to advance agency’s/organizational work area’s communication goals.

Publication Writing: There may be instances where the Technical Writer will be required to use editorial and publishing expertise to analyze, interpret, and integrate information in a variety of formats and layouts, including graphs and tables, network diagrams, databases, and spreadsheets. They shall make recommendations and formats material to best present information. In addition, they shall propose and implement new formats for agency directives and other publications to meet the needs of specialized audiences and to comply with Section 508 accessibility standards. Materials are used by a variety of audiences. They shall keep abreast of changes and proposed changes in the writing, editing, and agency standards for publications arena. They must ensure conformance to established agency policies and procedures, and Government Printing Office (GPO) individual authors in writing mechanics and style.

Meetings Participation & Collaboration: The Technical Writer shall conduct or participate in meetings, ad hoc committees, and professional committees with subject-matter specialists or program officials inside the agency but outside the immediate organization, as well as with high-level managers and administrators within the agency to persuade authors to make or accept major revisions in the approach and content of documents and to gain cooperation from program officials in publishing the materials as written and designed.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in professional writing, journalism, communications, English, creative writing, or related field
• Minimum of 2 years of related experience with technical writing and editing similar to the listed, “Essential Duties and Responsibilities”
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite software, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel and Adobe Acrobat Suite software.
• Experience with or knowledge of the principles of American English grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and sentence structure.
• Experience with or knowledge of GPO style and the principles of plain language.
• Knowledge of regulations and policies affecting Federal Government publications; recent advances in publishing technology; and of publishing concepts, practices, and standards in order to serve as a subject-matter expert.
• Knowledge of editorial and publishing in order to analyze, interpret, and integrate information in a variety of formats; make recommendations on how best to present information; and plan and implement new formats for agency directives and other publications to meet the needs of specialized audiences.
• Knowledge of, and skill in the use of, automated desktop tools and technology in order to maximize efficiency and effectiveness for writing and editing to an integrated information platform and to integrate diagrams, databases, and spreadsheets into documents.
• Knowledge of, and skill in the use of, analytical techniques and methods in order to research, interpret, and apply written guidelines, research data, evaluate facts, suggest alternative solutions or approaches, make decisions, and propose changes to editorial and publishing policies and practices.
• Knowledge of, and skill in the use of, oral and written communication methods, principles, and techniques of writing, and the traditional practices of composition and usage in order to work with subject matter experts, and officials in an effort to persuade authors to make or accept major revisions in the approach operation in publishing materials as designed.
• Demonstrated ability to perform a wide range of technical editing and writing.
• Customer service experience.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

• Top-tier medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage
• 401(k) plan with company matching and profit-sharing
• Paid time off and Federal Holidays
• Tuition reimbursement for professional training

Red Carrot is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Red Carrot does not offer VISA sponsorships for any positions.

Company Description

Red Carrot is an award-winning and woman-owned small business. Our team is fueled by passion, backed by intelligence, and built on expertise. Red Carrot’s exploration of previously untapped perspectives in Marketing and Communications distinguishes our quality of work. From our inception, we have been applying industrial engineering principles and data analytics to our solutions for clients’ complex needs. Since then, we have stayed research-centric, data-informed, and audience-oriented, while expanding our range of highly skilled capabilities. Red Carrot builds capacity by implementing Strategic Communications, Customer Experience, Management Consulting, and Human Capital Solutions on behalf of our clients. Our headquarters are in bustling, beautiful Miami, Florida. We also have a strong presence in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., as well as team members from all over the country serving our clients’ needs. In our increasingly modernizing world, we understand the importance of breaking geographic barriers to best provide all-encompassing services to our clients.