Senior Writer and Editor, Ideas and Impact

Open Position: Senior Writer and Editor, Ideas and Impact

The Rita Allen Foundation works to advance discovery science, collaborative philanthropy, and innovative approaches to strengthening the connections between science and the public. We seed ideas and relationships, incubate prototypes, and seek to catalyze institutional and systemic change.

The Foundation seeks a purpose-driven writer, editor, and narrative strategist to support our dynamic work in civic science, discovery science, and philanthropic practice. This new team member will play an important role in our collaborative work with rising stars, cross-sector networks, and the philanthropic community by applying exceptional writing and editing skills to share emerging insights and expand partnerships.

If you bring a systems lens and highly collaborative approach to narrative development across a range of mediums—from topic summaries and high-level communications to insightful blogs and in-depth reports—we invite you to apply. This new position will be a valued part of a deeply collaborative team, bringing editorial excellence, accuracy, consistent tone, and thoughtful analysis to several parts of the Foundation’s core work. Our programs feature field-leading philanthropic initiatives, including the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program and the Civic Science Fellows program, a signature effort co-created with a vibrant cross-sector community.

About the Role

We are seeking a storyteller with outstanding editing skills who will generously contribute to team efforts to support innovative leaders and networks along with philanthropic excellence and impact. This role will work closely with our President and team as well as partners pursuing transformative ideas in science, expanding its benefits and horizons.

PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS COMMUNICATIONS

• Develop and refine narratives, language, and core impact stories of our programs and collaborative partnerships. Review and advise on materials created by other team members and partners, with the goal of aligning shared purpose and communicating results with current and potential partners.
• Edit a wide range of written materials for diverse audiences to support effective communications across our team and partnership networks.
• Plan, research, and write materials, in partnership with the President and other team members, to build shared learning and collaborative impact with current and new partners. Many of these materials will be rooted in science, and they may include blog posts, articles, reports, correspondence, materials for advisory committees, case studies, and other related work.
• Engage with our broad network of external partners, listening carefully to their ideas, tracking developments in their work, and coordinating internally to follow up.
• Participate in meetings and working groups, prepare summaries, ensure follow-up for various stakeholders, and identify insights to inform learning and decision-making for the Foundation and our collaborative partners.
• Support key meetings and other activities, including preparing materials to inform conversations and decision-making, researching and identifying potential speakers, drafting questions to guide their remarks, and creating summaries of discussions and insights to capture progress and inform next steps.

We are looking for:

• An intellectually curious problem solver and storyteller who embraces the complexity of new ideas, fresh voices, compelling examples, and diverse ways of thinking to facilitate connections between different partners and areas of work, inspiring thoughtful action.
• An exquisite writer and editor, who can efficiently develop materials and thought-leader communications that capture the essence of our work, the promise of future partnerships, and clear next steps, varying tone and complexity by intended audience.
• An agile collaborator who excels when working with a diverse mix of people, enjoying an iterative team-based process of content creation and decision-making, and advancing projects with enthusiasm for working in partnership.
• A highly organized and efficient self-starter with exceptional attention to detail, who is committed to excellence, can work independently, and effectively prioritizes and balances multiple priorities against tight deadlines.
• An empathetic colleague and relationship-builder with a high level of emotional intelligence, a high sensitivity to confidential matters, and the ability to maintain consistent professionalism, tact, and diplomacy in written materials and interpersonal interactions.
• Experience working closely with leadership in an editorial, communications, development, analytic, or programmatic role for a minimum of seven years in academic, philanthropic, media, government, community organizing, public-benefit, or nonprofit spaces.
• Able to learn and use tools and processes to advance our relationships and communications.
• Preferably, an advanced degree in a STEMM field, the social sciences, humanities, communication, journalism, administration, or interdisciplinary studies or equivalent lived and professional experience.

To Apply

Please email Ritaallenfoundationapply@ritaallen.org to indicate your interest in the role and submit:

• A résumé
• A cover letter describing your interest in this position
• A short written piece (no more than 3 pages) that showcases how you make a complex topic, preferably in science, accessible to a more general audience
• A brief written description (no more than 1 page) that describes who your audience was, why this piece was important, and how it represents your writing process and style

For full consideration, please apply by the priority application deadline of November 1. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The salary range for this full-time position is $120,000 to $140,000 annually, depending on experience. We also offer a highly competitive benefits package, including health, dental, and life insurance; a defined-contribution retirement plan; and a generous paid-time-off program.  

Our office is located in downtown Princeton, New Jersey. A hybrid working arrangement is possible for this position; the employee may work remotely and in the office, as needed.

About the Foundation

The Rita Allen Foundation is a venture philanthropy organization that invests in transformative ideas in their earliest stages to leverage their growth and promote breakthrough solutions to significant problems. It enables early-career biomedical scholars to do pioneering research, seeds innovative approaches to fostering informed civic engagement, and develops knowledge and networks to build the effectiveness of the philanthropic sector. We support discoveries in their earliest stages that will ultimately improve human health, democracy, and understanding.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. The Rita Allen Foundation is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation or expression, gender, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, military status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established under law. All individuals are welcomed and encouraged to apply.