Speech Writer Job at National Defense Industrial Association in Arlington

JOB TITLE: Speech Writer, Strategy & Policy

DEPARTMENT: Strategy & Policy

STATUS: Exempt

REPORTS TO: Senior Director of Strategy & Policy

DATE: January 2024

Who We Are

NDIA, comprised of its Affiliates, Chapters, Divisions, and more than 1,700 corporate and 65,000 individual members, is a nonpartisan educational association that has been designated by the IRS as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organizationnot a lobbying firmand was founded to educate its constituencies on all aspects of national security. For more than 100 years, NDIA has provided a platform through which leaders in government, industry, and academia can collaborate and provide solutions to advance the national security and defense needs of the nation.

NDIA works to strengthen government-industry partnerships through dialogue, education, and interaction with all three branches of government. Through the Strategy & Policy Team, NDIA educates its members on legislative and regulatory activity important to the defense industrial base. NDIA also actively participates in several industry working groups and coalitions to coordinate the defense and government contracting communities' positions on important issues.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director for Strategy & Policy (S&P), the Speech Writer will lead and manage speech writing and presentation preparation for NDIAs Executive Team, which includes the CEO and President, Executive Vice President of S&P, and the Chief Operating Officer. This position will generate and manage communications content for the S&P Team, including for NDIAs website and social media outlets, in coordination with NDIAs Marketing & Communications Team. The Speech Writer will also manage the drafting of the weekly Policy Digest Newsletter and assist in reviewing and copyediting S&P Team materials to ensure grammatical accuracy and a common NDIA voice.

The S&P Team routinely engages at the highest levels of industry, the U.S. government, and outside stakeholders, and this position provides an opportunity to work with a close-knit group of dedicated personnel to strengthen public and private partnerships in support of national security.

Main Responsibilities

Lead the drafting, preparation, coordination, and editing of speeches and communication materials for NDIAs Executive Team for various audiences and occasions. (50%)

Generate and update content for the S&P webpages for NDIAs public and member-only websites in coordination with the Marketing and Communications Team. (20%)

Compose weekly content for social media outlets highlighting S&P initiatives, regulatory submissions, trending issues, and other relevant policy information. (10%)

Manage the drafting of the weekly Policy Digest Newsletter in collaboration with the S&P Team. (10%)

Review and copyedit policy articles for National Defense Magazine, policy reports, white papers, regulatory comments, congressional testimonies, collateral for official meetings, letters, Amicus Briefs, and other policy materials to ensure alignment with the NDIA writing standards guide and continuity of the voice of NDIA. (10%)

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelors degree required.

2+ years in a relevant role, including internship experience, volunteer experience, or equivalent military service.

Ability to exercise sound judgment, with strong written and oral communication, administrative, and organizational skills.

Ability to work closely with staff across all levels of the organization, with all levels of leadership, and within a diverse organization.

Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism, maturity, and trust.

Ability to take initiative and work independently on projects, from conception to completion, with little oversight.

Ability to multi-task, think critically, and problem solve individually and as part of a team.

Understanding and experience within the Microsoft Office environment.