Senior Public Affairs Opinion Writer (PART TIME)

Who is USP? The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is an independent scientific organization that collaborates with the world’s leading health and science experts to develop rigorous quality standards for medicines, dietary supplements, and food ingredients. USP believes that scientific excellence is driven by a commitment to fairness, integrity, and global collaboration. This belief is embedded in our core value of Passion for Quality and is demonstrated through the contributions of more than 1,300 professionals across twenty global locations, working to strengthen the supply of safe, high-quality medicines worldwide. USP values inclusive scientific collaboration and recognizes that attracting diverse expertise strengthens our ability to develop trusted public health standards. We foster an organizational culture that supports equitable access to mentorship, professional development, and leadership opportunities. Our partnerships, standards, and research reflect our belief that ensuring broad participation in scientific leadership results in stronger, more impactful outcomes for global health. USP is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer (EEOE) and is committed to ensuring fair, merit-based selection processes that enable the best scientific minds—regardless of background—to contribute to advancing public health solutions worldwide. We provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities and uphold policies that create an inclusive and collaborative work environment. Brief Job Overview This position is working at 50% capacity (part-time) for approximately 20 hours a week, requiring a Monday-Thursday schedule, 5 hours per day. The role will work onsite in Rockville, MD two days a week and offer remote work the other days. As a Senior Public Affairs Opinion Writer, You Will Proactively scan the policy, regulatory, and public‑health landscape to identify emerging issues, risks, opportunities, and moments that align with USP focus areas where USP can shape or inform the dialogue. Establish a steady, reliable cadence of high-quality editorial content that advances USP’s point of view. Bring greater consistency and clarity to how USP tells its story across issues, initiatives, and channels. Support both proactive editorial planning and reactive writing needs during fast-moving policy or issue moments. Persuade and help influential audiences understand, engage with, and support USP’s perspectives on relevant priorities. Develop content that is credible, insight‑rich, and compelling enough to be picked up, referenced, or shared by policymakers, regulatory bodies, trade associations, think tanks, and influencers in the field. Key Responsibilities Editorial Content Development Propose and shape thought leadership themes and content based on what influential policymakers, regulators, and global health leaders need to understand about the implications of policy developments, regulatory proposals, supply chain vulnerabilities, and medicine quality challenges. Write and edit a wide range of public affairs and thought leadership content, including: Bylines and op-eds. Blogs and LinkedIn thought leadership. Talking points, presentations, and executive remarks. Develop supporting public affairs materials such as backgrounders, FAQs, and issue briefs, as needed. Strategy & Editorial Planning Partner closely with External Communications and Global External Affairs leaders to drive editorial strategy for key policy issues by recommending narrative frames, positioning, and content types most likely to influence external dialogues. Build and maintain an editorial calendar, proactively pitching topics and story ideas aligned with advocacy and thought leadership priorities. Balance proactive content planning with the ability to respond quickly to emerging issues or short‑turn requests. Stakeholder & SME Engagement Regularly interview internal subject matter experts and review source materials to extract clear, compelling narratives. Navigate review and approval processes involving legal, regulatory, policy, scientific, and executive stakeholders. Incorporate appropriate feedback while maintaining clarity, neutrality, and narrative coherence. Quality, Consistency & Governance Ensure content aligns with USP’s brand narrative, voice, and tone—credible, and appropriate for audiences. Apply sound judgment in communications, avoiding overstatement and maintaining accuracy and balance. Manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment with competing priorities. Who is USP Looking For? Experience & Background 7+ years of experience as a writer in one or more of the following environments: Public affairs or issues-focused communications agency; Corporate issues or external communications; Government or legislative communications; Reputable news service or journal. Demonstrated experience writing for highly scrutinized industries (e.g., healthcare, life sciences, policy, energy). Experience writing about policy, regulatory, or scientific issues related to public health, pharmaceuticals, medicine quality, or supply chain resiliency is strongly preferred. Core Skills Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to: Write under ambiguity; Shift tone, issue framing, and point of view as needed; Capture executive-level voice and intent; Strong interviewing and synthesis skills—able to “pull the story through” from conversations and source materials. Ability to quickly understand and articulate USP’s perspective on priority issues and translate them into accessible, persuasive narrative frames. Exceptional judgment in navigating nuance and accuracy when writing for policy‑sensitive or highly scrutinized environments. Demonstrated ability to capture the unique voices of multiple executives and leaders, ensuring each piece reflects both individual perspective and USP’s organizational narrative. Strong stakeholder management skills and comfort navigating complex review processes. Ability to manage multiple topics and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment. Working Style & Collaboration The ideal candidate brings a strategist’s instincts: anticipating narrative needs before they are requested, pushing thinking forward, and identifying opportunities to shape external conversations rather than reacting to them. This role sits within the External Communications team and works closely with colleagues across policy, regulatory, scientific, and executive functions. The role requires strong sense of urgency and editorial judgment, paired with an understanding of broader communications strategy. Success requires curiosity, flexibility, and the ability to operate effectively in both planned and reactive communications environments. Additional Desired Preferences A self‑directed thinker who thrives on ambiguity and proactively finds clarity. A builder of ideas who connects dots, not just words. Experience supporting advocacy, public affairs, or thought leadership campaigns. Comfort working across multiple issue areas simultaneously. Ability to balance strategic understanding with hands‑on execution. Supervisory Responsibilities None, this is an individual contributor role. Benefits USP provides benefits to protect yourself and your family today and tomorrow. From company‑paid time off and comprehensive healthcare options to retirement savings, you can have peace of mind that your personal and financial well‑being is protected. Compensation Base Salary Range: USD $127,102.00 – $156,550.00 annually. Target Annual Bonus: % Varies based on level of role. Individual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate’s skill set, experience, qualifications, equity, and other job‑related reasons. Please note that this base salary range is reflective of full time hours and will be calculated accordingly for part time. Note: USP does not accept unsolicited resumes from third‑party recruitment agencies and is not responsible for fees from recruiters or other agencies except under specific written agreement with USP. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. Job Category Ext. Affairs, Regulatory, & Communications Job Type Part-Time #J-18808-Ljbffr BioSpace