Writer Job at National Council on Aging in Arlington

Looking to innovate, grow, and make a positive impact on the lives of others? Join a nonprofit service and advocacy organization whose mission is to improve the lives of older adults, especially those who are struggling.

We are NCOA and we believe every person deserves to age well. That’s why we’re on a path to improve the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030. NCOA, a national voice for every American’s right to age well, has an exciting opportunity for a Writer in our Crystal City, VA office.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Writer will play a critical role in crafting high quality content for the National Council on Aging (NCOA). The incumbent will serve as the editorial subject matter expert, researching, sourcing, and writing content in NCOA’s brand voice and tone. The Writer will serve as a member of the Content Team, drafting articles in the health, wellness, and commerce space for our four audiences—older adults, caregivers, professionals, and advocates.

Positions at this level typically report to a director and require advanced knowledge and experience as well as strong management capabilities. Incumbents are required to exercise latitude and independent judgement within their scope of work and usually require minimal oversight. Incumbents generally have five or more years of experience in their discipline and a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, as well as substantive experience at this level.

COMPETENCIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs of different audiences; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information. Able to research and interpret data for a wide audience.
• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
• Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
• Project Management - Develops project plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget; Manages project team activities.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; works with integrity; upholds organizational values.
• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as in-house writer, crafting unique and thoroughly researched health, wellness, and product-focused content for our audience.
• Source and interview medical experts and relevant health professionals.
• Work with internal subject matter experts to ensure accuracy of all content and its intended scope, as well as mitigate any possible brand risk.
• Deeply research information relevant to assigned stories and be able to interpret data in a digestible manner.
• Become an expert in our categories and stay informed on the latest product developments and/or relevant news and research.
• Demonstrate a meticulous approach to your work while meeting pre-set deadlines.
• Ensure all content meets NCOA’s brand voice and tone, while maintaining SEO best practices for search.
• Demonstrate an openness to feedback and implement edits into future content drafts.
• Other duties as assigned.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in English, journalism, or a closely related subject.
• 5-10 years of experience as a writer for digital and print publications or websites.
• Exceptional writing and grammatical skills; ability to edit for accuracy, clarity, and quality.
• Organizational, administrative, and analytical skills and experience working closely with content creators and editors.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Solid knowledge of the complete Microsoft Office Suite, including Teams.
• Working knowledge of project workflow platforms (Wrike preferred).
• Working knowledge of content management systems (Kentico preferred).
• Ability to interface with a variety of stakeholders and contribute positively to the team.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Passionate about NCOA’s mission serving older vulnerable adults.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Frequently required to sit or use a standing desk.
• Occasionally required to walk.
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently required to talk or listen.
• Occasionally required to bend, lift, or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds).

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

NCOA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer