Associate Project Technical Editor

SWCA Environmental Consultants; Salt Lake City (UT); Hybrid; USD 39,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

SWCA Environmental Consultants seeks an Associate Project or Project Technical Editor to join the Technical Publications team and support offices throughout the company, with emphasis on the Great Basin subregion. You will edit and format scientific documents and proposals to meet SWCA and client standards.

The role requires a minimum of 3 years (Associate) or 4 years (Project) of editing experience, a science background is desirable, and strong Word/Acrobat skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Three (3) years of technical editing experience.
• Science background and/or knowledge of environmental consulting, biological sciences, or cultural resources is highly desirable.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Track Changes and Styles; experience with Excel and collaborative editing platforms.
• Experience with Microsoft Teams and Outlook for workplace communication.

Responsibilities

• Leads and coordinates project efforts from conception through delivery, setting goals, timelines, and standards.
• Edit technical documents for clarity, coherence, consistency, and SWCA standards.
• Collaborate with project teams to integrate content, design, and technical accuracy across deliverables.
• Develops and implements project-specific style guides and editing protocols.
• Mentor and guide junior staff, sharing knowledge and improving skills.
• Innovate editing processes and tools to improve efficiency and quality.
• Manage multiple editing assignments, prioritizing to meet deadlines and budgets.
• Provide feedback on complex technical documents ensuring accuracy and alignment with goals.
• Follow applicable regulations, standards, and specifications.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Skills

Technical editing

Project coordination

Microsoft Word

Excel

Adobe Acrobat

Communication

Mentoring

Editing workflows

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Adobe Acrobat

Microsoft Teams

Outlook

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants seeks an Associate Project or Project Technical Editor to join the Technical Publications team and support offices throughout the company, with an emphasis on our Great Basin subregion.

SWCA’s technical documents range from simple memoranda to multichapter, multivolume environmental impact reports and environmental impact statements. The candidate will be responsible for editing and formatting our scientific technical documents and marketing proposals.

This requisition can hire at two levels:

• Associate Project Technical Editor – Typically with a minimum of 3 years of relevant technical experience and expertise.
• Project Technical Editor – Typically with a minimum of 4 years of relevant technical experience and expertise.

This is a regular, full-time, benefits-eligible, hourly/non-exempt position. The position is eligible for hybrid or distributed (i.e., remote) work and reports to our Salt Lake City, Utah, office. This position has occasional evening, weekend, and overtime work when deadlines demand.

Application Deadline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews may be scheduled as qualified candidates are identified. This position may close without prior notice once a strong candidate pool is established.

What you will accomplish

• Leads and coordinates project efforts to align with client and SWCA objectives from conception through delivery. This includes setting clear project goals, timelines, and standards; coordinating efforts, schedules, and budgets between technical staff, project managers, and other stakeholders; and ensuring a cohesive approach to project execution and objectives.
• Editstechnical documents for clarity, coherence, consistency, and compliance with SWCA and client standards, applying in-depth knowledge of technical subject matter.
• Collaborates effectively with project teams, including technical experts, project managers, and other Quality professionals, to ensure the integration of content, design, and technical accuracy in all project deliverables. Acts as a liaison to bridge gaps between different functions, ensuring a unified approach to project execution and delivery.
• Developsand implements project-specific style guides and editing protocols, standardizing approaches to ensure consistency across documents.
• Mentors and guides junior staff, fostering a culture of excellence, continuous learning, and professional growth within the team. Provides feedback, shares knowledge, and offers support to enhance skills and capabilities.
• Innovatesediting processes and tools, leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and document quality.
• Managesmultiple editing assignments simultaneously, prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines and budget constraints.
• Providesfeedback and guidance on complex technical documents, ensuring accuracy and adherence to project goals.
• Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Additional Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Formats and finalizes reports of varying size and complexity, including text, tables, maps, graphics, and appendices.
• Identifies review bottlenecks, schedule risks, and staffing or workflow issues early, and proactively recommend solutions or elevate concerns as needed.
• Maintains document control by tracking revisions, monitoring version control, and verifying changes.
• Works with multiple authors in a single document.

Experience and qualifications for success

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Three (3) years of technical editing experience.
• Science background and/or technical knowledge of environmental consulting, biological sciences, or cultural resources is highly desirable.
• Command of Microsoft Word, particularly Track Changes and Styles, and experience with Microsoft Excel and collaborative document-editing platforms.
• Experience with Microsoft Teams and Outlook for workplace communication and collaboration.
• Command of Adobe Acrobat, including creating and modifying simple and complex PDFs.

Preferred Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes

• Five (5) years of technical editing experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to balance ever-changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexibility, excellent interpersonal skills, and commitment to teamwork.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and establish or shift priorities under tight deadlines.
• Excellent verbal, writing, and analytical skills.
• Ability and willingness to learn SWCA’s in-house style guide and client/agency style guides.
• Superior command of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and composition.
• Ability to translate technical jargon into plain language.