Policy Reporter, C&EN

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world's largest scientific membership association, with a mission to "advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people." Among the key elements of the ACS Strategic Plan 2025-2029 are the core values, which are our shared beliefs. This set of fundamental ideals defines who we are and how we live our mission. For ACS, these shared beliefs are a passion for science, lifelong learning, inclusion and belonging, and sustainability.

ACS Publications is a Division of the ACS and has all the characteristics of a medium-large scientific and technical publishing organization. It is one of two Divisions charged with serving the dual function of generating a reliable annual surplus to support the Society's programmatic activities, while also fulfilling a core goal of the Society in advancing knowledge in the field of chemistry and the chemical enterprise. The Division publishes 90+ high-quality peer-reviewed journals covering the breadth of chemistry and allied fields, as well as numerous other products and services of benefit to the global community, including but not limited to its flagship magazine, Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN).

The Division has domestic facilities in Washington, D.C. and Columbus OH, as well as worldwide operations in a growing number of international locations including but not limited to the UK, Singapore, and China.

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) produces authoritative, award-winning journalism from around the world of chemistry, covering research, education, industry, funding, and policy. It is published by, but editorially independent of, the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society dedicated to a single discipline.

We are seeking a reporter and writer who will provide C&EN readers with informative and insightful coverage of significant policy and legal developments at the state and federal levels in the US as well as in key international regions and global institutions.

What You'll Do:

1. Identify breaking news and feature topics, with coverage of legislation, regulation, and litigation developments and trends that impact the global chemical enterprise.
2. In addition to covering breaking news developments, consistently generate and implement unique story ideas that aren't being covered elsewhere.
3. Contribute to a variety of platforms, including podcasts, videos, newsletters, and other story formats.
4. Have a strong sense of journalism ethics and a dedication to accuracy in reporting.
5. Construct sophisticated and complex stories that conform to C&EN's style and meet deadlines. Work with C&EN's creative team to produce images, graphics, and infographics that engage and inform audiences.
6. Work with colleagues to maximize audience engagement with your journalism, for example, through social media platforms.
7. Develop contacts and story ideas by attending or covering key meetings and events and speaking to sources on a regular basis.

What you'll bring: Experience

1. Science major or minor required. Chemistry or a chemistry-related field is a plus. Journalism major or minor is a plus.
2. Bachelor of Science or better is preferred.
3. A minimum of 3 years of newsroom experience working as a science and/or policy journalist.
4. Experience with multimedia journalism is a plus.
5. Experience in the chemical sector or scientific publishing is a plus.
6. Experience covering health or food policy is a plus

What You'll Bring - Skills

1. A background in reporting on science.
2. Strong news judgment, good writing and editing skills, and good oral communications skills.
3. The ability to gather and analyze information from a variety of sources and convey it to readers in a clear and coherent manner.
4. Track record of writing engaging stories on complex topics for a scientifically sophisticated audience.
5. Proven ability to take initiative and produce insightful and compelling content across a variety of platforms.
6. A positive attitude and commitment to being a team player.

This role can be based in our Washington, D.C. or Columbus, OH office. A typical rate of total compensation for this position is between $75,000-$85,000 per year.

ACS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account or health care savings account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and 4-week work from anywhere; each benefit is subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply based on skills, experience, and location.

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of ACS. ACS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

Enthusiastic - Shows intense and eager enjoyment and interest
Team Player - Works well as a member of a group
Detail Oriented - Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
Innovative - Consistently introduces new ideas and demonstrates original thinking