Physical Sciences Reporter, C&EN

ACS; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation leave

Paid sick leave

Paid holidays

Health insurance

Flexible spending account or health-sg

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement benefits

Short- and long-term disability

4 weeks work from anywhere

Job summary

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is seeking a reporter and writer to keep C&EN readers informed about inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials science and engineering, and related topics. This role can be based in Washington, D.C. or Columbus, OH.

The successful candidate will identify breaking news, generate unique story ideas, and contribute to podcasts, videos, newsletters, and other formats while upholding ethics and accuracy in reporting.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of newsroom experience as a science journalist.
• Multimedia journalism experience is a plus.
• Experience in chemistry-related field and/or scientific publishing is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Identify breaking news and features across inorganic, nuclear, analytical chemistry, materials science and related fields.
• Generate and implement unique story ideas not covered elsewhere.
• Contribute to podcasts, videos, newsletters and other formats.
• Uphold strong journalism ethics and accuracy in reporting.
• Collaborate with creative team to produce images, graphics and infographics.
• Engage audiences across social media and other platforms.
• Develop contacts by attending meetings and speaking with sources regularly.

Skills

Science journalism

Strong writing

Editing

Oral communication

Cross-platform storytelling

Team player

Job description

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." Among the key elements of the ACS Strategic Plan 2025-2029 are the core values, which are our shared beliefs. This set of fundamental ideals defines who we are and how we live our mission. For ACS, these shared beliefs are a passion for science, lifelong learning, inclusion and belonging, and sustainability.

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 90+ high-quality peer-reviewed journals covering the breadth of chemistry and allied fields, as well as numerous other products and services of benefit to the global community, including but not limited to its flagship magazine, Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN).

The Division has domestic facilities in Washington, D.C. and Columbus OH, as well as worldwide operations in a growing number of international locations including but not limited to the UK, Singapore, and China.

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) produces authoritative, award-winning journalism from around the world of chemistry, covering research, education, industry, funding, and policy. It is published by, but editorially independent of, the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society dedicated to a single discipline.

We are seeking a reporter and writer who will keep C&EN readers informed about research and developments in inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials science and engineering, and other chemistry-based topics.

What You’ll Do:

1. Identify breaking news and feature topics, with coverage spanning trends in inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials science and engineering, physical chemistry, surface chemistry, and chemical analysis.
2. In addition to covering breaking news, consistently generate and implement unique story ideas that aren’t being covered elsewhere.
3. Contribute to a variety of platforms, including podcasts, videos, newsletters, and other story formats.
4. Have a strong sense of journalism ethics and a dedication to accuracy in reporting.
5. Construct sophisticated and complex stories that conform to C&EN’s style and deadlines. Work with C&EN’s creative team to produce images, graphics, and infographics that engage and inform audiences.
6. Work with colleagues to maximize audience engagement with your journalism, for example, through social media platforms.
7. Develop contacts and story ideas by attending or covering key meetings and events and speaking to sources on a regular basis.

What You’ll Bring - Experience:

• 1. A minimum of 3 years of newsroom experience working as a science journalist.
• 2. Experience with multimedia journalism is a plus.
• 3. Experience working in a chemistry-related field and/or scientific publishing is a plus.

What You’ll Bring - Skills

• 1. A background in reporting on science.
• 2. Strong news judgment, good writing and editing skills, and good oral communications skills.
• 3. The ability to gather and analyze information from a variety of sources and convey it to readers in a clear and coherent manner.
• 4. Track record of writing engaging stories on complex topics for a scientifically sophisticated audience.
• 5. Proven ability to take initiative and produce insightful and compelling content across a variety of platforms.
• 6. A positive attitude and commitment to being a team player.

This role can be based in our Washington, D.C. or Columbus, OH office. A typical rate of total compensation for this position is between $75,000-$85,000 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.