Remote Policy Staff Writer

Summary

Join Ballotpedia's Policy Team as a full-time, 100% remote Staff Writer to help research, curate, and present facts on important public policy debates in America. As a Policy Staff Writer, you will write encyclopedic pages, promotional content, and participate in large research projects. You must be self-aware, personally invested in constant improvement, and have a passion for creating a delightful experience for Ballotpedia's readers and donors.

Requirements

• Interact with customers, including but not limited to donors, external stakeholders, and media, in a professional, helpful, and pleasant manner
• Use and generate complex procedure checklist documentation to perform key tasks
• Edit content from multiple perspectives to unearth new improvement opportunities
• Learn and master Ballotpedia’s taxonomy of bias and Style Guide
• Learn from and apply feedback others give, such as in Master Classes
• Identify trends in policy developments that span multiple areas
• Work with breaking news, including having an eye for developing stories
• Apply proper judgment when monitoring news to know which stories merit coverage
• Conduct research efficiently and seek out the best possible sources
• Collaborate professionally and effectively with coworkers and external partners
• Innovate to improve work processes and enhance content quality
• Think creatively beyond standard article components to include additional content
• Use and master complex tools such as templates and spreadsheets

Responsibilities

• Generating content about complex topics in a neutral, clear, and concise manner
• Reading as much as possible about the policy coverage areas and becoming a content expert in the coverage areas
• Creating and editing articles on noteworthy and upcoming court cases, laws, executive orders, key terms, influencers, and scholarly work related to our policy coverage areas
• Identifying and curating arguments for and against proposed policy changes
• Identifying and curating proposed policy reforms
• Tracking news events to keep policy coverage up to date
• Participating in recurring team book clubs
• Efficiently read scholarly work with an eye to what’s missing in our related content and find a way to incorporate that into our content
• Finding the most compelling feature of a story and promoting it with a strong headline
• Hosting and leading webinars and drafting presentations, incorporating feedback in preparation
• Contributing ideas to a monthly newsletter
• Drafting a recurring newsletter, incorporating feedback as needed
• Producing educational outreach opportunities, including Learning Journeys and Learning Expeditions
• Contributing to topical webinars on breaking news related to the topic
• Proofreading content effectively, efficiently, and consistently
• Analyzing court decisions and tracking legislation across the 50 states to identify policy trends and developments
• Traveling to and attending related events as needed

Benefits

• Starting pay for the Policy Staff Writer is $44,000
• Bonuses based on performance
• $8,000 annual benefits stipend, which may be used to pay for a complete benefits package, including health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement accounts; and more