Senior Technical Editor

Aashto; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

403(b) retirement plan

Health insurance

Transit stipend

Paid leave

Tuition assistance

On-site fitness center

Job summary

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is hiring a Senior Technical Editor for our Washington, DC office. This full-time role supports the Assistant Director of Publications, coordinating with state DOTs and members to produce technical standards and guidelines.

You will copyedit, proofread, and desktop-publish a range of publications, ensure accessibility, and manage the publication process from balloting to final distribution, often leading project

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of technical and/or large book production experience
• Bachelor’s degree in English or related field required
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Technical copyediting, proofreading, desktop publishing and project management skills
• Ability to juggle multiple projects and lead teams
• Knowledge of publication process and digital preparation; WCAG accessibility experience is a plus

Responsibilities

• Produce multiple technical publications per year through a rigorous process
• Copyedit and proofread documents and coordinate with authors, vendors, committees, and staff
• Move content from balloting to finished publication, including querying responses
• Perform extensive desktop publishing and apply accessibility features
• Prepare proofs for printing and online posting; maintain publishing queue
• Follow Publications style manual and the Chicago Manual of Style
• Assist with staff exhibits and general administrative tasks in Publications Division

Skills

Technical editing

Copyediting

Proofreading

Desktop publishing

Project management

WCAG accessibility

MS Word

InDesign

Illustrator

PowerPoint

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Education

Bachelor’s degree in English or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

MS Word

PDF creation/editing

Job description

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is currently hiring a Senior Technical Editor, a full-time position located in our Washington, DC office.

Nature of Position:

The Senior Technical Editor aids the Assistant Director of Publications in the production of the Association’s technical publications. These publications are created through collaboration with subject matter experts from the state DOTs, which are the Association’s members. Publishing these technical guidelines and standards is a critical part of the mission of the organization and these publications are distributed and sold to our members and industry to assist with transportation best practices and standards. The Senior Technical Editor is responsible for moving committee-approved content through the various steps of production to a completed publication ready for distribution.

The incumbent is responsible for the production of multiple technical publications per year through a rigorous process. The process requires the incumbent to copyedit and proofread documents; to communicate extensively with authors, vendors, committee members, and technical staff to ensure technical accuracy; to expedite the progress of a document from the balloting process through to query responses; to perform extensive desktop publishing; to implement accessibility features; to review final proofs and make preparations for printing and online posting, or both; to help to establish the annual publishing queue; and to work with members and industry to provide continuous improvements to the technical publications and process.

The incumbent uses MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Adobe Creative Suite (including InDesign, the main layout software used; Illustrator; and Photoshop), and Adobe Acrobat Pro software to produce primarily accessible technical documents and occasionally marketing materials and presentations for technical committee meetings, as needed. The incumbent will be requested to attend local and out-of-town meetings, to meet with author committees, and to staff Publication exhibits.

The incumbent is responsible for adhering to and contributing to the maintenance of the AASHTO Publications style manual and guides, editorial standard operating procedures, and for referring to the Chicago Manual of Style. The incumbent should be skilled in working efficiently in partnership with fellow editors or independently with little supervision, communicating project status and potential challenges to the Assistant Director of Publications. The incumbent is also responsible for completing a variety of general administrative tasks in support of the Publications Division following the production procedures for electronic organization and project closeouts.

Position Requirements:

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 5-7 years of technical and/or large book production experience using a variety of digital production processes. Previous association or non-profit work is desirable but not required. A bachelor’s degree in English or course work in any of the following: technical editing, design, publishing, printing, project management, and digital publishing/production is required.

The candidate must have excellent demonstrated written and oral communication skills, as well as technical copyediting, proofreading, desktop publishing, and project management skills. The incumbent is oftentimes required to juggle multiple projects at one time and should be skilled in working efficiently and collaboratively with others and leading project teams.

The incumbent must have knowledge of PC-based word processing (MS Word), desktop publishing, design software (InDesign and Illustrator), and skills in other PC applications, such as PDF creation and modification, equation creation, spreadsheet manipulation. Also, a demonstrated understanding of all aspects of the publication process, including digital preparation is required. The incumbent must have the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines. Experience using WCAG accessibility features is a plus.

Who We Are:

AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing transportation departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We represent all transportation modes including: air, highways, public transportation, active transportation, rail, and water. Our goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system that is safe and efficient for every individual. We strive to educate the public and key decision makers about the critical role that transportation plays in securing a good quality of life and sound economy for our nation.

The culture displayed at AASHTO is one of inclusiveness. AASHTO fosters a supportive working environment for staff and focuses on both the professional and personal successes of employees. Additionally, employees benefit from a collective workplace that genuinely cares about them and what they do.

Perks and Benefits:

This position primarily reports out of our Washington, DC office located in Metro Center. AASHTO offers employees hybrid work schedules, with remote work up to 2-3 days/week.

The salary range for this position is $65,000 – 85,000.

Additionally, as a full-time employee, you are eligible for:

• A 403(b) plan with an automatic 3% employer contribution, and up to 9% match.
• Comprehensive health insurance benefits and complimentary employee assistance program (EAP).
• A monthly public transit benefit up to $325, covering most or all of your costs to get to and from the office.
• Generous leave accrual, starting at 13 days of vacation leave, 18 sick days, and 10 paid holidays – 3 of which can be used as floating holidays.
• Tuition assistance up to $7,500 per year for job-related programs and degrees.
• Access to an on-site fitness center at no cost to you, with workout classes offered throughout the week.

AASHTO is an equal opportunity employer. AASHTO strives to foster an environment where our employees feel respected, valued and empowered. From our hiring practices through the entire employee experience, we embrace and celebrate the unique experiences, perspectives and cultural backgrounds that each employee brings to the workplace. All qualified applicants, including those with disabilities or veterans, will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected class under federal or local laws.