Senior Technical Editor

People Technology And Processes; McLean, Washington (VA, District of Columbia); On-site; USD 116,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

People Technology And Processes in McLean, VA seeks a Senior Technical Editor to lead editorial processes for high-stakes technical publications, ensuring consistency and quality across programs.

The role requires a Master’s degree in English, Journalism, or a technical field, and at least 10 years of supervisory and project management experience, plus expert knowledge of the GPO Style Manual and strict QC.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree mandatory; experience cannot substitute for degree.
• 10+ years of supervisory and project management experience.
• Expert-level command of the GPO Style Manual and meticulous attention to quality control.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the entire editorial process for high-stakes technical documentation, ensuring stylistic consistency across large-scale programs and mentoring junior staff.
• Transform raw data and engineering jargon into authoritative documents meeting stringent agency requirements, including reference checking, fact checking, and copyright compliance.
• Lead substantive editing, verify technical accuracy, and ensure compliance with agency style guides for all documents, reports, and manuals.
• Direct staff and assign tasks alongside the Project Manager to ensure timely, accurate completion of publication-ready materials.
• Manage the full lifecycle of a document from outline to final publication, including online and web publishing.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Technical editing

Quality control

Mentoring

Education

Master's degree in English, Journalism, or technical field

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: Mc Lean, VA 22101, Position Type: Full Time, Salary Range: $116,000.00 - $128,000.00 Salary, Position Title: Senior Technical Editor

Location: Mc Lean, VA, (occasional support at FHWA HQ, Washington, DC)

Clearance required: Unclassified. Requires USDOT badge and favorable National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI, low risk / non-sensitive); E-Verify required

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to)

• Oversee the entire editorial process for high-stakes technical documentation, ensuring stylistic consistency across large-scale programs and mentoring junior staff.
• Transform raw data and engineering jargon into authoritative documents meeting stringent agency requirements, including reference checking, fact checking, and copyright compliance.
• Lead substantive editing, verify technical accuracy, and ensure compliance with agency style guides for all documents, reports, and manuals.
• Direct staff and assign tasks alongside the Project Manager to ensure timely, accurate completion of publication-ready materials.
• Manage the full lifecycle of a document from outline to final publication, including online and web publishing.

Qualifications

• Master's (advanced) Degree in English, Journalism, or a technical field. NOTE: an advanced degree is mandatory for this position; experience may not be substituted for the degree.
• 10+ years of experience with supervisory and project management experience.
• Expert-level command of the GPO Style Manual and meticulous attention to detail for quality control of all publications and documents.

Desired Qualifications

• Transportation experience, especially in highway and surface transportation.