Job Opportunity: Science Writer

About the Organization 

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) is one of the world’s leading authorities on child development, representing thousands of professional members in the scientific discipline. Our mission is to advance the developmental sciences and promote the use of developmental research to improve human lives. We seek a highly skilled Science Writer to create policy briefs based on the scientific literature. Our goal is to inform evidence-based policymaking and empower our members to share the scientific literature with policymakers. 

Position Description 

SRCD seeks a freelance Science Writer to help us launch our new Child Policy Briefs program. In this program, you will help us publish 2-page policy briefs that summarize the developmental science evidence on social policy issues and their implications for policymakers. You will report to the Director for Policy, working closely with the Policy Manager, and will collaborate with developmental science researchers, SRCD’s Policy Committee, and colleagues across the Policy and Communications Teams to complete this work. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Review a selected number of scientific papers on a policy topic to determine key scientific findings, identify strengths and limitations of evidence, and their implications for policy and summarize into a 2-page policy brief aimed at federal-level legislators and policy officials. 
• Receive feedback from SRCD policy staff, and meet or review feedback from subject matter experts, Policy Committee members, and SRCD communications staff. 
• If needed, research federal policies and their implications for the administration of programs that serve the needs of children and their families.  
• Ensure policy products address the target audience’s information needs and the products are disseminated at key decision-making times in the policymaking process.  
• Provide editorial support to the Communications and Policy Teams on the refinement of press releases and public summaries, as needed. 
• For each policy brief, write corresponding talking points and summaries for SRCD’s website, a blurb for SRCD’s newsletter, and email copy for disseminating the brief to targeted policy officials. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in science communication, journalism, a relevant child development discipline, public health, or related field. 
• Three (3) or more years of experience as a science writer, with experience producing policy briefs, policy reports, evidence-based position statements, or other evidence-to-policy communications materials.
• Strong track record of producing high quality written products for policy audiences and other non-scientific audiences within established timelines. 
• Ability to communicate scientific literature effectively, unbiasedly, and ethically on politically sensitive topics. 
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and virtual platforms, including Microsoft Teams and Zoom. 
• Experience working in APA style. 

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in field of developmental science or related area preferred, with sufficient methodological training to accurately assess evidence strengths and weaknesses. 
• Experience working in the legislative branch or federal or state government with policymakers and staff. 
• Experience producing policy briefs on child and family policy topics.

Compensation

This is an hourly, contracted role with a compensation range of $30-$45 per hour. SRCD estimates that we will have around 100-150 hours of work each year to support our goal of publishing multiple policy briefs on a range of topics relevant to children and families.

To Apply

To apply, send (1) a resume/C.V., (2) a cover letter, (3) three samples of policy briefs, evidence summaries, or other short written products summarizing research and its implications for policy audiences to hr@srcd.org by August 26, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be considered. We encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds. We strive to be an inclusive employment environment, building diversity, equity and inclusion into all of our work.