Technical Writer - Communications

Job Description

Job Description

Summary of Position

Banner Quality Management Inc (BQMI) is seeking an experienced C ommunications Writer capable of developing engaging, technically accurate, and informative safety awareness materials in support of the NASA Safety Center (NSC) and the Office of Mission Assurance (OSMA) programs. The qualified writer will apply consistent voice, check for correct grammar, and use various style guides. The ability to understand highly technical information and repurpose it into news articles and other products for the NASA community is required. Experience writing awareness materials such as brochures, flyers, case studies, communication plans, etc. is required. This requires a comprehensive understanding of style guide and grammatical rules and discussing recommended products and edits with the internal team and subject matter experts. The writer will report through BQMI management at the NSC, located in Cleveland, Ohio. This is currently a hybrid position with both an onsite and virtual requirement.

The mission of the NSC is to provide Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) training and development expertise, information, verification, and analysis to enable collaboration and learning while promoting a safe workplace and successful programs and projects. The NSC vision is to be NASA’s preeminent resource for SMA expertise, data, and tools. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Review, edit and write awareness materials such as brochures, flyers, case studies, communication plans, etc.
  • Review and correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
  • Put text into a specific style (Associated Press, Government Publishing Office and local style guides). 
  • Rewrite to make parallel.
  • Replace passive constructions with active voice, when appropriate.
  • Evaluate tone and organization.
  • Eliminate redundancies.

• Integrate reviewer comments and resolve all questions arising from reviews.
• Manage the review process and production with other team members (e.g., designers, videographers) and also customers for developed pieces. 
• Develop content for a variety of deliverables to communicate key messages about NSC and OSMA products.
• Research, write, edit and publish content online through a Content Management System; content may include articles, case studies, presentations, reports, videos and more. 
• Extract information from interviews, technical documents and metrics for use in NSC and OSMA products.
• Provide support to other NSC offices and OSMA discipline and program owners to achieve their communication goals. 
• Track and prioritize work to assure that quality and time requirements are met, keeping projects and tasks updated as work progresses.
• Contribute content for required contract reports. 
• Build and maintain excellent and professional working relationships with NSC and OSMA customers.
• Build and maintain in-depth knowledge of the NSC and OSMA organization’s products, services, strategies and operations.
• Craft creative, unique and relevant online content.
• Conduct peer reviews of content from other writers.

Essential Skills

• Superior command of the English language.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage relationships with stakeholders to assemble materials, gather project details, and meet deadlines. 
• Strong research skills including gathering and analyzing data from multiple sources (subject matter experts, project managers) to develop content. 
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority projects and communicate conflicts.
• Ability to quickly learn new systems, including Content Management Systems and project management systems.
• Experience working with and applying content style guides.
• Experience working with all levels of an organization, including leadership.
• Background in science or technology a plus.

Experience/Education

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience 
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, English or related field
• Experience in an engineering, technical, or research environment a plus
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, subject matter of a scientific and technical nature
• Previous experience working in a NASA or federal government environment preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications; experience with Adobe Creative Suite or Creative Cloud products a plus
• Experience with Content Management Systems and SharePoint preferred
• Demonstrated experience writing in a variety of styles (voices, products, etc.)

Personality or Self-Management Skills

• Ability to interface with high-level customers in a respectful and professional manner
• Detail-oriented with the ability to follow specific direction
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once
• Willingness to learn new tools, technologies and systems
• Self-motivated, self-starter
• Collaborative
• Strong analytical, planning, organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work with minimal supervision

Samples of work required. 

Due to contract requirements, U.S. citizenship is required to obtain access to government facilities and systems.