Now hiring Senior Editors and Assistant Editors!
Footnote is looking for talented writers and editors to collaborate with academics to create articles and op-eds communicating their research and expertise to mainstream audiences. Your job is to help researchers give voice to their ideas by clearing away the academic jargon and complexity, teasing out what’s most interesting and impactful at the heart of their work, and translating it into accessible, engaging stories.
At Footnote, we partner with universities, research centers, scholars, and scientists to increase the impact and influence of their work by sharing it in outlets such as The Washington Post, Wired, The LA Times, The Boston Globe, The Hill, Fast Company, and Harvard Business Review. Our editors work with scholars from schools including Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, Boston University, and USC to showcase innovative research and ideas in disciplines ranging from business and technology to public health and education.
Whether you are a journalist with a nerdy streak or a recovering academic, you should have extensive experience communicating science and social science research and its impact to mainstream audiences. You have a knack for:
- Developing compelling story angles and news hooks
- Writing succinct, clear, engaging prose
- Structuring an article with a clear, interesting narrative and logical flow
- Paying attention to detail, including fact-checking and grammar
- Incorporating ideas and feedback from others (i.e. being a collaborator and editor, not just a writer)
You should be able to understand and synthesize science and social science research from a range of disciplines, talk intelligently with leading academics about their work, and identify the most compelling and important insights at the heart of a piece of research. You should also be able to work independently; manage projects and tasks in a timely, organized manner; and communicate well with a virtual team and with clients.
Our main priority is to find talented writers and editors with the skills described above. However, experience with any of the following is an added bonus:
- Pitching – Pitching and publishing at prominent outlets, understanding the media landscape and the styles and requirements of different publications
- Social Media – Writing social media posts and developing social media campaigns
- Client Interactions – Interacting with leading academics or serving clients in any type of external-facing role
We’re a small company with team members from across the country and leadership based in Washington, D.C. and Boston. We care about the mission behind what we do and about building a sustainable, successful organization with a positive work culture. We’re looking for editors to join us part-time at first, starting on an article-by-article basis, and ideally build up to 20 to 40 hours a week of consistent work as a core part of our team.
Available Positions
We are currently hiring editors for two roles, but encourage people at all levels to apply:
Senior Editors – Senior Editors are able to manage and execute article projects from start to finish with limited oversight. They have at least 5-7 years of experience, potentially more, in research communication, editing, and writing, and have written or edited pieces for top tier media outlets. The typical rate for our Senior Editors is around $50-80 an hour, depending on skill set and experience.
Assistant Editors – Assistant Editors work closely with our Executive Editor to manage and execute article projects. They have at least 2-3 years of experience in research communication, editing, and writing, and have a portfolio of pieces they have written or edited. The typical rate for our Assistant Editors is around $25-50 an hour, depending on skill set and experience.
How to Apply
To learn more, please check out our work at http://footnote.co and this Inside Higher Ed article by our Executive Editor that discusses our mission. If you’re interested in the position, please send a resume, short email introduction, and samples of relevant work (including pieces you’ve edited or collaborated on, if you have them) to connect @ footnote.co with the subject line “Application for Senior/Assistant Editor position.” In your application, we’d like to know:
- What excites you about this position? What drives your passion for communicating science andsocial science to the public?
- What articles best exemplify your writing style and showcase your ability to translate academic research into compelling, engaging stories?
- Do you have experience working as an editor or collaborator, in addition to writing your own pieces? How do you feel these roles differ?
- What topics in science and social science are most compelling to you?
- Do you have experience working in an academic setting or collaborating with researchers?
- Do you have experience managing projects for clients?
- What is your current rate and availability for new projects?
- How did you find this job posting?
Listings last updated February 1, 2023