Job Description

Description

Would you like to be part of a team of passionate professionals who are working to shape the future of transportation?

Leidos is hiring a Technical Writer-Editor to work as part of a team providing communications and outreach activities promoting the Federal Highway Administration\xe2\x80\x99s (FHWA\xe2\x80\x99s) cutting-edge research in Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA) technologies at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC), in McLean, Virginia. The Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL) is an advanced research lab and smart garage dedicated to conducting CDA research and testing. The STOL laboratory enables the FHWA to validate and refine new transportation services and technologies created by Leidos and our partners.

This role will be part of a larger team of Transportation, Engineering and Software professionals who produce a variety of work products including whitepapers, articles, public presentations, conference materials, posters, and technical reports that are advancing research, shaping the future of the industry and encouraging government adoption of CDA technologies.

The Technical Writer-Editor will maintain the editorial quality and voice of these work products, ensuring that they tell the story of the CDA work being done at STOL and advance the overall communications strategy and implementation plan to inform, educate, and engage stakeholders in the transportation industry. This includes efficiently creating and editing a variety of communications products, including fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations, video scripts, infographics, journal articles, and social media posts. The successful candidate will be passionate about technology and transportation, willing to learn about CDA, capable of creating and editing technical content, graphics and other visual content, and most importantly, trained in developing creative ways to visualize and promote the research and the benefits of adopting CDA.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Writes, rewrites and/or edits technical documents such as fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations, video scripts, infographics, journal articles, social media posts, and related technical publications to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Acquires subject knowledge by interviewing project stakeholders and engineers, observing performance of production methods, referring to technical specifications, blueprints, engineering illustrations, and trade journals.
• Oversees preparation and selection of illustrative materials, drawings, sketches, diagrams and charts to enhance written technical content.
• Write briefs to inform the creative team of project intent, audience, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Conducts quality review of materials to ensure compliance with format, style, and Section 508 requirements.
• Validates the accuracy and completeness of content before submitting for review by the FHWA editors and Public Affairs personnel.
• Writing and reviewing standard operating procedures and internal working documentation as needed.
• Estimating costs and work required for technical writing components of new proposals.
• Recommending industry best practices and participating in process improvements.
• Communicates across team to complete projects and assignments as needed.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree and 4+ years of relevant experience or a Master\xe2\x80\x99s degree with 2+ years of prior relevant experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance (which includes three years of immediate residency in the US).
• Must have valid driver\xe2\x80\x99s license and ability to pass DMV background check.
• Experience writing, editing, producing, and overseeing technical proposals, reports, presentations, and/or similar documentation and multimedia products; experience editing technical journal articles, research papers, manuscripts, and/or books; knowledge of the end-to-end documentation process, from intake to printed and electronic output and distribution.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to communicate and advocate discipline-related knowledge, services, and programs.
• Prior working knowledge with various Adobe and Microsoft Office tools/programs, especially PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Capable of transforming complicated subject matter and diverse source material into accurate, coherent, and engaging content for a variety of audiences.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a collaborative team in a highly flexible work environment.
• Demonstrated creative and technical initiative and resourcefulness.
• General knowledge of the USDOT, FHWA, the transportation industry, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced understanding of, or interest in the transportation industry or related technology and engineering fields, automated vehicle technologies, Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA), Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and emerging technologies.
• Strong work ethic and \xe2\x80\x9cstart-up company\xe2\x80\x9d spirit, and the ability to balance competing priorities and deadlines.
• Experience as a Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act subject matter expert, ensuring content is compliant as it relates to accessible documents and electronic media.

Anticipated pay range for this role: $80,000 - $92,000 - $106,000

Pay Range: Pay Range $59,150.00 - $91,000.00 - $122,850.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Leidos