C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) produces authoritative, award-winning journalism from around the world of chemistry, including research, education, industry, funding, and regulatory policy. It is published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies, and is considered one of the major benefits of membership. C&EN’s weekly magazine reaches more than 170,000 individuals in the ACS global membership community, and its website receives more than 13 million page views per year.
We are seeking a reporter and writer who will keep C&EN readers informed about research policy news and trends in the chemical sciences.
What you’ll do:
Write breaking news for C&EN’s website and longer-form features for its weekly print magazine, with opportunities to work on podcasts and video.
Identify potential news and features about chemistry-relevant research policy topics, including stories about academic publishing and peer review, research ethics and misconduct, government research funding, demographics and diversity, careers and employment, and science education.
Conduct interviews and gather information that leads to accurate and balanced stories for all platforms, including website, newsletters, mobile app, podcasts, and print magazine.
Construct sophisticated and complex stories that conform to C&EN style and meet deadlines. Work with C&EN’s art team to create graphics and infographics that engage and inform audiences.
Work with colleagues to find the widest possible audience for your journalism. Share your work and interact with our audience on social media.
Develop contacts in governments, non-governmental organizations, and the policy community through attendance at scientific conferences, press briefings and other events; interviews; and social media audience building.
What you’ll bring:
Experience working as a national policy, science, or higher education journalist. 3-5 years of professional experience is required to apply for the mid-level position; a minimum of 5 years is required for the advanced level.
A background in chemistry or a related scientific field is preferred; policy knowledge and familiarity with government agencies, such as NSF, NIH, and NIST, is a plus.
Strong news judgment, good writing and editing skills, and good oral communication skills.
The ability to gather and analyze information from a variety of sources.
Track record of writing engaging stories on complex topics for a scientifically sophisticated audience.
Proven skill with social media, including developing a social media profile of your own to engage audiences and report stories.
The ability to work productively, collaboratively and within ACS core values across various teams to produce a high-quality product.
About working at C&EN:
ACS believes in the strength of diversity in all its forms because inclusion of and respect for diverse people, experiences, and ideas lead to superior solutions to world challenges and advance chemistry as a global, multidisciplinary science. In turn, C&EN believes that to meet its mission to be the world’s go-to source of news about chemistry, our reporting and our newsroom must include diverse perspectives. Therefore, we strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and members of other historically marginalized communities in the chemical sciences to apply.
How to apply:
Along with a résumé, submit a cover letter describing how you'd approach the job and 2-3 sample clips, including a brief explanation of what each story shows about your capabilities. Send all materials to m_mccoy@acs.org after submitting your résumé below.
Job Location:
Position is based in Washington, DC. Remote work will be considered for the right candidate.
This position will be primarily based in the Washington D.C. (or applicable) office. ACS employees work a hybrid work schedule, consisting of working onsite, three days per week. ACS employees are in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday with the third in-office day scheduled in consultation with the manager. While always welcome to work in the office, employees may work the other two days of the week from a location of their choice. New employees are immediately eligible for this hybrid work arrangement. ACS offers relocation assistance, if applicable.
Founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress, we are one of the world’s largest scientific organizations with membership of over 151,000 in 140 countries. Our mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. Our vision is to improve people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.
