Senior Science Writer/Editor - BBE

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

 

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world’s deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

 

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

 

The Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Epidemiology (BBE) Program within the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division (VIDD) is home to world-renowned quantitative scientists advancing research at the intersection of quantitative science, infectious diseases, immunology, and global health.

 

Our 40-plus faculty lead cutting-edge work in biostatistics, computational biology, mathematical modeling, clinical trials, genomic epidemiology and public health science. In collaboration with researchers within VIDD and across global research communities, our program plays a central role in clinical trials of novel therapeutics and preventive interventions; develops rigorous statistical and computational methods; extracts insights from complex immunological and virological data; and builds mathematical models to project the population-level impact of interventions or predict immune responses and viral evolution. Through both methodological innovation and collaborative science, we advance VIDD’s mission to accelerate vaccine and infectious disease research globally.

 

The Senior Science Writer/Editor provides support to the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and several other projects in BBE by managing the planning, writing, editing, and production of a variety of scientific and technical documents. This unique role is responsible for producing, editing, and finalizing highly specialized scientific and technical materials for publication, including scientific manuscripts, grant applications, regulatory documents, presentations, etc. The position also conducts scientific literature reviews, generates scientific illustrations, and assists project teams in navigating the document development process, and ensures that all materials meet established guidelines and standards of quality and content. The incumbent also works closely with other Fred Hutch departments such as Communications and Marketing, Shared Resources, and other Center/Consortium faculty and staff to ensure quality and productivity in producing written materials, web content, and other documents/communications. The Senior Science Writer/Editor reports to one of the Principal Investigators (PIs) of the HVTN.

 

Most Fred Hutch jobs require some on-campus work. However, there may be flexibility for certain positions. Please check with the recruiter if you are an out-of-state applicant interested only in working outside of the Seattle area.

• Prepare outlines for scientific manuscripts including drafting materials and methods sections in coordination with other authors and scientific staff involved in the study or trial.
• Produce high-quality figures, tables, and graphics for publications, progress reports, grant applications, presentations, and other program-level and study-specific documents.
• Copyedit and proofread scientific manuscripts and coordinate journal submission.
• Gain concurrence of authors on edited materials; make further revisions as required.
• Manage correspondence with journals related to pending manuscripts through submission and publication.
• Ensure adherence to publication compliance rules (e.g. NIH public access policy).
• Develop, review, and edit grant applications and grant-related documents such as annual progress reports (including human subjects and clinical trials documents), in partnership with faculty and study staff. 
• Conduct specialized reviews of scientific literature to support grant proposals, scientific manuscripts, clinical protocols, and regulatory filings. Review professional journals and scientific literature to stay abreast of new requirements in technical writing field.
• Lead revisions to highly technical documents including grant proposals, manuscripts, book chapters, articles, reports, and presentations. 
• Analyze, interpret, and distill information, and collaborate with faculty and staff to ensure creation of clear, factual, and appropriately concise documents. 
• Translate complex scientific information to communicate research activities and results to lay audiences through program and lab websites, brochures, and other documents.
• Draft, edit, and conduct study-specific correspondence with funding and regulatory agencies and collaborators, as needed.
• Consult with project teams throughout the document development process as needed, including developing project timelines and ensuring that the content and format of all documents adhere to relevant guidelines and standards, are internally consistent, and are complete.
• Create and maintain reference libraries to support accurate and rigorous citation practices within scientific and technical documents. 
• Review professional journals and books to stay abreast of new requirements in technical writing field.
• Provide and lead other writing and editing support as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Doctoral degree (PhD) in mathematics, computer science, biostatistics, statistics, epidemiology, immunology, or related field.
• 8-10 years’ experience in grant proposal development, scientific writing, or journalism.
• Ability to define complex scientific concepts and words, and to prioritize and work with multiple projects at one time.
• Strong demonstrated technical writing and editing skills.
• Extensive familiarity with scientific and medical terminology, as well as scientific research methods.
• Experience with grant preparation, writing/editing scientific manuscripts, drafting of medical protocols, and preparation of documents in support of regulatory filings.
• Expertise in Word, Endnote, Adobe Acrobat, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Proficient in development of high-quality scientific graphics (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop or equivalent).
• Skilled at conducting scientific literature reviews and distilling results into concise summaries of relevant information.
• Ability for quantitative analysis along with a basic understanding of statistics.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and experience working collaboratively with a diverse team across several disciplines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Familiarity with U.S. government regulatory environment including grant funding policies and rules.

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The annual base salary range for this position is from $104,458 to $165,090, and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications.

Although Fred Hutch is not sponsoring most H-1B visas at this time, candidates who already hold an H-1B sponsored by another organization and are currently in the U.S. may be eligible for this position.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance health, well-being, and financial security. Benefits include medical/vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, life, disability, retirement, family life support, employee assistance program, onsite health clinic, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation (12-22 days per year), paid sick leave (12-25 days per year), paid holidays (13 days per year), and paid parental leave (up to 4 weeks).

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability (physical or mental), marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We desire priority referrals of protected veterans. If due to a disability you need assistance/and or a reasonable accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Human Resources at hrops@fredhutch.org or by calling 206-667-4700.