Technical Editor

Jobtailor

United States

On-site

USD 75,000 - 110,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced technical editor to edit and QA complex documents for federal contracts. You will manage multiple rounds of reviews, ensure accuracy, accessibility, and publication readiness, and collaborate with researchers, reviewers, and clients across a range of deliverables.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in a technical or scientific field and 5–10 years of editing experience. On-site work in the Washington DC area is expected, with standard business hours.

Qualifications

Edit complex technical content for clarity, accuracy, consistency, organization, and publication readiness.
Apply U.S. GPO Style Manual, APA, and client-specific style guides.
Ensure Section 508 accessibility across print, web, and electronic deliverables.
Quality control for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting across documents.

Responsibilities

Edit client deliverables for clarity, structure, and publication readiness.
Provide substantive editing, copyediting, proofreading, rephrasing, formatting, rewriting, and fact-checking.
Verify technical accuracy and consistency of narrative text, data, tables, figures, and references.
Apply style guides (GPO, APA) and client standards.
Review materials for Section 508 accessibility across formats.
Perform final quality control for grammar and formatting.
Maintain version control and support multi-round review workflows.
Collaborate with researchers, subject matter experts, project managers, federal stakeholders, and client teams.
Work independently under tight timelines while meeting federal quality standards.
Serve as final editorial gatekeeper for reports, summaries, decks, infographics, SOPs, manuals, web content, and newsletters.

Skills

Technical Editing

Copyediting

Proofreading

Fact-Checking

Reference Checking

Formatting

Rewriting

Publication Production

Editing Long-Form Documents

Education

Bachelor’s degree in technical writing, English, journalism, communications, science, engineering, transportation, public policy, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

PDF Editing Tools

AI Tools for Editing

Job description

Responsibilities

Edit client deliverables and communication products for clarity, structure, technical accuracy, and publication readiness
Provide substantive editing, copyediting, proofreading, rephrasing, formatting, rewriting, fact-checking, and reference checking across multiple production stages
Verify technical accuracy and consistency of narrative text, data tables, figures, schematics, captions, references, terminology, and formatting
Apply U.S. Government Publishing Office, APA, and client-specific style guides
Review materials for Section 508 accessibility, including alternative text, accessible formatting, logical structure, and consistency across print, web, and electronic deliverables
Perform final quality control for grammar, spelling, punctuation, logical flow, coherence, formatting, references, permissions, copyright, product names, trademarks, and style consistency
Maintain version control and support multi-round review workflows
Collaborate with researchers, subject matter experts, technical reviewers, project managers, federal stakeholders, legal reviewers, communications teams, and client stakeholders
Work independently under tight timelines while meeting federal quality standards
Serve as final editorial gatekeeper for complex reports, research summaries, briefing decks, infographics, brochures, standard operating procedures, manuals, web content, presentations, newsletters, and other communication products

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in technical writing, English, journalism, communications, science, engineering, transportation, public policy, or a related scientific or technical field
5-10 years of experience in technical editing, technical writing, documentation, research communications, or publication production
Demonstrated ability to edit existing complex technical content for clarity, accuracy, consistency, organization, technical integrity, and publication readiness
Strong command of English grammar, punctuation, typography, editorial conventions, and technical publication standards
Fluency in assessing modern tools, including AI, to enhance operational scale and performance
Experience applying the U.S. GPO Style Manual and the Publication Manual of the APA, or comparable federal, technical, or scientific style guides
Experience with Section 508 accessibility, alternative text, accessible PDFs, Word documents, web content, or other electronic deliverables
Experience conducting fact-checking, reference checking, permissions review, copyright review, and consistency checks across figures, tables, schematics, captions, references, and body text
Experience editing documents through multiple review cycles involving technical subject matter experts, legal reviewers, communications teams, and client stakeholders
Experience editing long-form technical documents ranging from 50-page reports to 300+ page publications preferred
Experience editing content for infrastructure, natural and man-made hazards, transportation, engineering, scientific research, public‑sector, or federally funded programs strongly preferred
Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to coordinate with researchers, subject matter experts, technical reviewers, project managers, and federal stakeholders
Strong organizational skills, with ability to manage multiple assignments, review cycles, versions, and deadlines simultaneously
Proficiency in Microsoft Word and other Microsoft applications; experience creating, editing, reviewing, or remediating PDF documents preferred
Ability to work on-site in the Washington D.C. area as needed
Ability to work during standard business hours
Must be a U.S. Citizen and consent to a full background check due to federal contract requirements
Must be able to complete any required federal background investigation, identity verification, security awareness training, and access procedures
Must meet eligibility criteria for access to sensitive information

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in technical editing and publication production, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and adherence to style guides. Proficient in managing complex documents and collaborating with diverse stakeholders while meeting federal quality standards.

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