Technical Writer-Editor

US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Fort Collins (CO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), seeks a technical writer to design, develop, produce, and maintain manuals, job aids, training materials, and other scientific communications.

The role emphasizes editing and proofreading, clear writing for diverse audiences, and creating content for web-based information systems, focusing on accuracy, findability, and usability of complex biological information.

Qualifications

• Editing and proofreading scientific documents for clarity, accuracy and plain language.
• Designing, developing and maintaining manuals, job aids, training materials and digital content for information systems.
• Developing complex rule making documents or equivalent policy/procedure documents.

Responsibilities

• Edit and proofread scientific documents for clarity, accuracy, and proper grammar.
• Develop and maintain manuals, job aids, and training materials.
• Create and edit technical content for web-based audiences.

Skills

Editing

Proofreading

Technical writing

Content design

Education

PhD or equivalent doctoral degree

3 years of graduate education

LL.M. (related)

Job description

This position is part of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). You will design, develop, produce and maintain operational and policy manuals, job aids, training materials, and other scientific and technical communication. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL

• Editing and proofreading scientific documents, written personally or by others, for clarity, accuracy, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and plain language to develop adequate, findable, and useable writing products that interpret and explain complex scientific information appropriate for the intended audience
• Designing, developing, and maintaining operational and policy manuals, job aids, training materials, digital content for information systems and other scientific and technical communication or developing and edit technical content for web-based audiences
• Developing complex or official rule making documents (Federal Register or equivalent documentation, public notices, proposed rules and final rules, policy/procedure documents, etc.), either as drafts, proposals, final versions or for public/stakeholder comment

OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the fields of Communications, Marketing, Public Administration, Organizational Management, Library Science, Advertising, Public Relations, Journalism, English or related field.

OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

OR LL.M., if related

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS

• You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
• This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL

Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.