SC31M1 Executive Editor, Policy and Regulation

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific membership association, with a mission to “advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people”.

ACS Publications is a Division of the ACS and has all the characteristics of a medium-large scientific and technical publishing organization. It is one of two Divisions charged with serving the dual function of generating a reliable annual surplus to support the Society’s programmatic activities, while also fulfilling a core goal of the Society in advancing knowledge in the field of chemistry and the chemical enterprise. The Division publishes 85+ high-quality peer-reviewed journals covering the breadth of chemistry and allied fields, as well as numerous other high-quality products and services of benefit to the global community.

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) is the platform for science journalism in the Division’s portfolio.

C&EN is the leading news and analysis platform of the chemical world. C&EN produces authoritative, award-winning independent journalism from around the world of chemistry, including research, education, industry, funding, and regulatory policy. C&EN seeks to service audiences across the global chemical enterprise with print and digital formats. Published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), C&EN is received by all paid members of the Society and is described in member satisfaction surveys as a primary benefit of Society membership. Its audited print/digital circulation is about 90,000, its newsletters go to more than 160,000 subscribers, and the website receives nearly 400,000 monthly unique visitors on average.  The media group has recently launched a new strategy to grow its digital offering. At the heart of this strategic position is a more agile and diverse digital offer along with a strong global outlook in our coverage. In addition to subscription fees, C&EN is supported through advertising revenue and a generous subsidy from the Society.

Job Summary:

C&EN is looking for a talented Executive Editor, Policy and Regulation, to join our team of Executive Editors who lead teams on Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Business. The role will be a crucial part of a leadership team delivering content for a global audience in and around the global chemical enterprise.

 Primary Job Accountabilities – What You’ll Do:

• Coordinate C&EN’s coverage of regulation and science policy. Coverage spans national and international science policy, pollution control policy, major regulatory agencies, climate change, the energy transition, food and drug safety, laboratory and industrial safety, research funding and ethics, and scientific publishing. There is a particular focus on regulatory bodies at the level of both national government and multilateral regimes.
• Help conceive, shape, and edit content across a range of formats, ensuring that stories are accurate, balanced, and compelling.
• Work with executive editors and platform editors to ensure C&EN is covering major news developments that cross disciplines.
• Oversee the quality of work and professional development of the team of policy reporters as well as maintain a small network of talented freelance contributors.
• Work with C&EN’s art directors and creative team to deliver the optimal experience for our audience using a range of media.
• Work with analytics and marketing teams to contribute to audience development targets and continued enhancement of our value proposition as a journalism outfit.
• Nurture contacts in the regulatory and science policy communities Contribute to editorial strategy decisions across the newsroom.

What You’ll Bring – Education & Skills:

• An undergraduate degree in chemistry or a related scientific field. Alternatively, you may have the experience to demonstrate comparable technical knowledge.
• Achievement in growing editorial coverage and developing audiences internationally.
• Strong editorial judgment, journalistic values and ethics, and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of SEO and social media best practices.
• Achievement in delivering compelling web-based journalism for an international audience.
• Up-to-date knowledge of technologies for providing digital journalism in an effective manner in various delivery formats.
• Dynamic and proactive self-starter with strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills with the ability thrive and lead in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• High comfort levels with change and occasional ambiguity.

What You’ll Bring – Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience working as a government or policy journalist including a minimum of 3 years of experience editing content across formats (experience of working principally in digital formats is particularly desired).
• Experience conceptualizing, developing, and shaping powerful, engaging, and accurate stories that resonate with a scientific audience.
• Experience managing journalists through organizational change is highly desired.
• Experience in managing people, production, projects, and budgets with a record of success.

What You Can Expect:

ACS, C&EN’s host organization, 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 and seeks to reflect these values in its coverage. Therefore, we strongly encourage people from global majority ethnicities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and members of other historically marginalized communities in the global chemical enterprise to apply.

Job location: ACS operates in a hybrid capacity, and this position is intended to be based in Washington, DC; the New York City Metropolitan Area may also be considered. Relocation assistance is available.

Travel: Some travel (up to 15%) within country. Occasional international travel may be required with advanced notice.

This role is based in our Washington, DC office. A reasonable rate of compensation for this position is between $136,000 to $150,000 per year.

ACS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account or health care savings account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and 4-week work from anywhere; each benefit is subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply based on skills, experience, and location.

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of ACS. ACS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities