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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Writing Officer

💰 $45,000 - $85,000

CommunicationsContentWritingEditorialMarketing

🎯 Role Definition

A Writing Officer is the professional owner of written content across an organization or program: creating and editing copy, shaping content strategy, maintaining editorial standards, optimizing for search and accessibility, and collaborating with stakeholders and cross-functional teams to ensure consistent brand voice and measurable impact. The Writing Officer balances creative storytelling with technical accuracy, using data and SEO insights to increase reach and engagement while upholding governance and legal requirements.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Communications Assistant / Communications Coordinator
  • Junior Copywriter / Content Writer
  • Editorial Assistant or Marketing Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Writing Officer / Senior Content Strategist
  • Communications Manager / Editorial Manager
  • Content Director / Head of Content

Lateral Moves:

  • UX Writer
  • Corporate Communications Specialist
  • Social Media Manager
  • Technical Writer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, draft, and edit high-quality, audience-focused content across web pages, blog posts, newsletters, reports, speeches, and policy materials that meet brand voice guidelines and organizational objectives.
  • Lead content strategy initiatives by researching audience needs, conducting gap analyses, defining content pillars, and recommending editorial calendars aligned with marketing and communications plans.
  • Optimize written content for search engines using keyword research, on-page SEO best practices, meta descriptions, headers, and internal linking to improve organic discoverability and traffic.
  • Maintain and enforce editorial and style guidelines (including AP/Chicago/plain English standards), ensuring consistency of tone, grammar, citation, and legal/compliance requirements across all written materials.
  • Collaborate with subject matter experts, program leads, and external partners to gather technical information and translate complex topics into clear, compelling copy for non-expert audiences.
  • Produce persuasive fundraising, donor, and stakeholder communications including appeals, case studies, and stewardship reports designed to drive conversions and build long-term relationships.
  • Manage content production workflows from brief to publication, coordinating with designers, digital producers, and external agencies to meet deadlines and quality standards.
  • Perform rigorous proofreading and quality assurance on content prior to publication, including fact-checking, accessibility checks (alt text, plain language), and cross-link validation.
  • Monitor content performance via analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Search Console) and reporting dashboards; use data to iterate on content strategy and improve engagement metrics.
  • Localize and adapt content for specific audiences, regions, and channels, ensuring cultural relevance and sensitivity while preserving core messaging and brand integrity.
  • Develop content templates, briefs, and training materials to elevate writing skills across the organization and improve the efficiency and quality of contributor-submitted content.
  • Manage and update content in content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal, or proprietary platforms, ensuring taxonomy, metadata, and tagging are consistent.
  • Lead editorial planning sessions, content reviews, and peer-editing rounds to foster shared ownership of content quality and cross-team alignment.
  • Create social media copy and multi-channel content snippets that amplify long-form content, maintain conversational brand voice, and adhere to platform best practices.
  • Draft internal communications that inform and engage employees, including executive messages, intranet articles, and staff newsletters, ensuring transparency and alignment with organizational priorities.
  • Prepare speech notes, briefing documents, and talking points for senior leaders and spokespeople, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and audience-appropriate tone.
  • Support crisis communications by rapidly drafting clear, factual, and empathetic messages in collaboration with communications leadership and legal counsel.
  • Ensure all published content complies with copyright, intellectual property, privacy, and regulatory requirements, collaborating with legal or compliance teams as needed.
  • Coordinate and manage freelance writers, copyeditors, and contractors: develop briefs, review submissions, and ensure deliverables meet editorial standards and budgets.
  • Drive content governance by establishing approval workflows, version control practices, archiving policies, and content lifecycle management processes.
  • Conduct user testing and content audits to identify underperforming pages, remove duplicate content, and consolidate information for better user journeys and SEO health.
  • Lead initiatives to improve accessibility (WCAG) and plain-language readability across public-facing content to broaden inclusion and meet legal standards.
  • Serve as a brand steward by helping define messaging frameworks, core taglines, and positioning statements used across campaigns, collateral, and digital properties.
  • Mentor junior writers and communications staff by providing constructive feedback, editorial coaching, and professional development guidance.
  • Support measurement and attribution for content-driven campaigns, tying content outputs to KPIs such as conversions, lead generation, engagement, and retention.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist with basic image and layout editing to prepare content assets for publication.
  • Help maintain content inventories, editorial calendars, and tracker documents for cross-team visibility.
  • Provide subject-matter input for multimedia projects, including podcasts and video scripts.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced copywriting and editorial skills with demonstrated experience writing for multiple channels (web, email, reports, social media, speeches).
  • Strong command of SEO best practices: keyword research, on-page optimization, schema basics, meta tagging, and content performance monitoring.
  • Proficiency with content management systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal) including publishing workflows, metadata management, and content templates.
  • Experience with analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or equivalent platforms to measure content outcomes and iterate.
  • Familiarity with content governance, version control, and digital asset management systems.
  • Technical plain-language translation skills to convert complex technical, legal, or scientific materials into accessible public-facing content.
  • Experience with editorial style guides (AP, Chicago, internal style guides) and implementing consistent brand voice across materials.
  • Proven ability to produce SEO-friendly metadata, title tags, and schema where applicable.
  • Basic familiarity with HTML/CSS, content snippets, and rich text formatting for web publishing.
  • Experience briefing and managing external copywriting and editing vendors, including contracting and quality control.
  • Competence in using collaboration and project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, JIRA, Slack) to manage content workflows.
  • Exposure to A/B testing, content personalization platforms, and conversion optimization strategies is a plus.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and a rigorous approach to accuracy, grammar, and factual integrity.
  • Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills to influence and collaborate with cross-functional teams and senior leaders.
  • Excellent time management and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Creative problem-solving and storytelling ability to craft engaging narratives that meet strategic objectives.
  • Adaptability and resilience when responding to changing priorities, feedback, and high-pressure situations.
  • Clear verbal communication and presentation skills for delivering editorial rationale to non-writer audiences.
  • Curiosity and continuous learning mindset to stay current with SEO, content trends, and best practices.
  • Coaching and mentoring abilities to improve the writing capabilities of colleagues and contributors.
  • Ethical judgment and discretion when handling confidential or sensitive information.
  • Collaboration and consensus-building aptitude for navigating cross-departmental editorial approvals.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Marketing, Public Relations, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's with honors or a Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Creative Writing, Marketing, or Public Policy.
  • Certification in SEO, content strategy, digital marketing, or plain-language editing is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Communications
  • Journalism
  • English or Creative Writing
  • Marketing
  • Public Relations
  • Technical Communication

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–6 years of professional writing, editing, or communications experience for mid-level Writing Officer roles; 5+ years for senior roles.

Preferred:

  • Demonstrated experience producing high-impact content for public-facing campaigns and internal communications.
  • Proven track record optimizing content for SEO and measurable improvements in engagement, search rankings, or conversions.
  • Experience in regulated environments (government, healthcare, finance) is advantageous.
  • Portfolio of published work that showcases range across channels, styles, and audiences.
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