Senior Editor, AI Policy Lab (Hybrid)

Center for a New American Security; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Center for a New American Security (CNAS) seeks an Editor / Senior Editor to lead rapid-response publications on AI policy, national security, and geopolitics from its AI Policy Lab in Washington, DC.

The role requires strong editorial judgment, ability to manage deadlines, and collaboration with researchers, designers, and communications staff to amplify CNAS expertise. This is a two-year, term-limited appointment with a hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• 6–8+ years editorial experience at a magazine, journal, think tank, or similar.
• Exceptional structural and narrative editing skills.
• Ability to anticipate news and policy trends.
• Experience mentoring and developing writing talent.
• Ability to work independently or in a small team with a start-up ethos.
• Experience handling multiple projects with shifting priorities.
• Willingness to learn the Chicago Manual of Style.

Responsibilities

• Top-edit and line-edit reports and commentary from the AI Policy Lab to strengthen structure, clarity, and policy impact.
• Maintain CNAS editorial standards as defined by supervisor and editorial director.
• Collaborate with research leads to shape research reports and analysis.
• Set agenda for proactive editorial approaches with research leads.
• Collaborate with an AI specialist to automate baseline copyediting where possible.
• Develop editorial standards, workflows, and outputs for the AI Policy Lab.
• Support managing invoices and coordinating with external editors and contractors.
• Coordinate assignments and deadlines with external contractors when needed.
• Coordinate with Communications to lay out and produce online products.
• Review credits and sources for visual material, including photos and graphics.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Storytelling

Deadline management

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Chicago Manual of Style

Job description

Center for a New American Security (CNAS) seeks an Editor / Senior Editor to lead rapid-response publications on AI policy, national security, and geopolitics from its AI Policy Lab in Washington, DC.

The role requires strong editorial judgment, ability to manage deadlines, and collaboration with researchers, designers, and communications staff to amplify CNAS expertise. This is a two-year, term-limited appointment with a hybrid work model.