The posting
The Position
Ballotpedia seeks a full-time, 100% remote Staff Writer to join our Policy Team. Ballotpedia’s Policy Team researches, curates, and neutrally presents the basic facts, key terms, and core arguments surrounding many important public policy debates in America. As a Policy Staff Writer, you will be part of a team helping Ballotpedia focus on becoming a complete Encyclopedia of American Politics. As we seek to expand our coverage of various public policy verticals and close the political information gap, you will strive to understand and help our readers understand the true nature of complex policy debates. This may include building indices of key arguments for an issue on all sides of the political spectrum; participating in large, 50-state research projects on policy areas in question; or maintaining and improving existing Ballotpedia coverage.
Applicants should know that the day-to-day work is generally balanced between writing and research. In this role, you will write encyclopedic pages and promotional content to break down complex policy terms, court cases, arguments, reform proposals, and other concepts for the average reader. You will also research, compile, and present information in various formats, including spreadsheets and databases.
To succeed at Ballotpedia, you must be self-aware and personally invested in constant improvement. You must have a passion for creating a delightful experience for Ballotpedia’s readers and donors, and you must strive to develop expertise in your subject and the inner workings of your project.
Responsibilities
As Policy Staff Writer, you will be:
- Generating content about complex topics in a neutral, clear, and concise manner.
- Reading as much as possible about the policy coverage areas and becoming a content expert in the coverage areas.
- Creating and editing articles on noteworthy and upcoming court cases, laws, executive orders, key terms, influencers, and scholarly work related to our policy coverage areas.
- Identifying and curating arguments for and against proposed policy changes.
- Identifying and curating proposed policy reforms.
- Tracking news events to keep policy coverage up to date.
- Efficiently reading scholarly work with an eye to what’s missing in our related content and finding a way to incorporate that into our content.
- Finding the most compelling feature of a story and promoting it with a strong headline.
- Hosting and leading webinars and drafting presentations, incorporating feedback in preparation.
- Contributing ideas to recurring newsletters.
- Drafting recurring newsletters, incorporating feedback as needed.
- Producing educational outreach opportunities, including Learning Journeys and Learning Expeditions.
- Contributing to topical webinars on breaking news related to the topic.
- Proofreading content effectively, efficiently, and consistently.
- Analyzing court decisions and tracking legislation across the 50 states to identify policy trends and developments.
- Participating in recurring team book clubs.
- Traveling to and attending related events as needed.
Skills and Qualifications
An ideal Policy Staff Writer will have:
- A demonstrated passion for Ballotpedia’s mission.
- Knowledge of the United States political system.
- Personal interest in U.S. policy, with professional experience in covering federal or state lawmaking an added benefit.
- A desire to work collaboratively with Ballotpedia staff from multiple departments.
- Comfort seeking and responding to feedback.
- A drive for innovation and flexibility, and an ability to identify and solve problems proactively.
- Self-awareness and a drive toward constant improvement.
- Interest in or experience using AI tools to increase productivity.
- A familiarity with the administrative state, the federal rulemaking process, and/or public assistance programs such as SNAP or Medicaid is preferred.
An effective Policy Staff writer will:
- Interact with customers, including but not limited to donors, external and internal stakeholders, and media, in a professional, helpful, and pleasant manner.
- Use and generate complex procedure checklist documentation to perform key tasks.
- Edit content from multiple perspectives to unearth new improvement opportunities.
- Learn and master Ballotpedia’s taxonomy of bias and Style Guide.
- Learn from and apply feedback others give, such as in Master Classes.
- Identify trends in policy developments that span multiple areas.
- Work with breaking news, including having an eye for developing stories.
- Apply proper judgment when monitoring news to know which stories merit coverage.
- Conduct research efficiently and seek out the best possible sources.
- Collaborate professionally and effectively with coworkers and external partners.
- Innovate to improve work processes and enhance content quality.
- Think creatively beyond standard article components to include additional content.
- Use and master complex tools such as templates and spreadsheets.
Environment
The Policy Staff Writer will work remotely from their home location. All Ballotpedia staff work remotely. To join Ballotpedia, you must have a computer with Internet access. Ballotpedia utilizes Google Workspace (including Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, and more), Slack, and Asana to achieve our goals. Some familiarity with Google Workspace, Slack, and Asana is helpful.
Ballotpedia offers a flexible work environment, BP Flex, which allows every employee to enjoy unlimited vacation and flexibility in scheduling. Each employee will be oriented to the principles of Ballotpedia’s flexible environment during new employee training.
Compensation
The starting pay for the Policy Staff Writer is $42,500-44,000.
In addition to salary, Ballotpedia offers bonuses based on performance and an $8,000 annual benefits stipend, which may be used to pay for a complete benefits package, including health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement accounts; and more. If benefits are not elected, the $8,000 stipend is taxed as regular income and added to salary.
To Apply
To apply, click ‘Apply for this job’ below and complete the form.
Please attach:
- Résumé
- Cover letter detailing your interest in Ballotpedia’s mission and this position
- Neutral writing sample (under five pages)
Note: please include this in the same file as your cover letter
Please ensure that either your résumé or cover letter includes your current address. Applications without a valid address will not be accepted.
Please note that if you are hired for this position, Ballotpedia participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Ballotpedia is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E-Verify, or if you believe that your employer has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact DHS.
About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a mission-driven organization dedicated to providing Americans with accurate, relevant, and unbiased information about politics, elections, and public policy. Our mission is to ensure that the only unknown on your ballot is who gets your vote. We value innovation, humility, intellectual curiosity, drive, and a collaborative spirit and are committed to continuously improving our offerings to better serve our audiences, readers, and candidates.
