Science Writer

The GBIF Secretariat (GBIFS), located in Copenhagen, Denmark, is seeking a committed and proactive Science Writer to be part of our communication team and be responsible for the planning, preparation and delivery of scientific publications produced or commissioned by GBIF (including annual reports, work/strategic plans, press releases, website content, peer-reviewed papers, best practice guidelines, user manuals, technical reports, and pamphlets, among others).

Key responsibilities:

1. In close liaison with senior staff, lead on the planning, preparation, revision/editing, and production of GBIF publications and promotional material;
2. Lead on the preparation, and/or proof-reading/editing of written content published via the GBIF website, including news items, press releases, etc.;
3. Review and proof-read/edit GBIF documents to ensure consistency in terms of concepts, terminology, language and style;
4. Assist the GBIFS senior programme staff in the identification of thematic gaps across GBIF’s documentation, as well as items requiring updates or archiving;
5. Update and ensure adequate use of the GBIF editorial guidelines as appropriate;
6. Manage and update an archive (both analogue and digital) of all GBIF publications, promotional materials, and other documentation (including also external documents relevant to GBIF);
7. Play an active role in the search and data basing of all external publications and media items which reference GBIF, use of GBIF-enabled data, etc., as well as those external publications and documents of interest or relevance for GBIF;
8. Liaise with external reviewers, writers, translators, etc. involved in the publication of GBIF documents as appropriate.

Desirable skills and experience:

1. The successful candidate must have a science degree, preferably in life sciences (especially biology/biodiversity), and minimum 2-3 years of experience in science writing.
2. Domain experience in biodiversity informatics is highly desirable as well as some prior familiarity with GBIF.
3. The candidate we are looking for needs to be able to understand and communicate complex scientific or technical information in a clear, concise language that can be understood by people who may not be experts in these fields, while maintaining accuracy of meaning.
4. Excellent skills and proven experience in the full publication cycle from draft manuscript to final print is required. Attention to detail and deadlines as well as capacity to manage several production pipelines simultaneously are important.
5. Expertise using Microsoft Office applications and document management and word processing tools is required. In-house training for other IT applications used at the Secretariat will be offered if required.
6. Ability to work independently but also as part of one or more teams is essential.

This post is an exciting career-enhancing opportunity to work in a multicultural environment for an international organisation at the cutting edge of scientific developments in biodiversity informatics. If you match the above requirements and are able to start as soon as possible, we look forward to hearing from you.

Remuneration:

GBIF salaries are competitive and based on the IOS standard and are exempt from Danish income tax. Salary will be negotiated according to experience and qualifications within the general range for the position, according to the GBIF Staff Rules.

Application procedure and deadline:

Applications for the position must include:

1. a cover letter outlining your experience in relation to the key responsibilities and required skills for the position and your motivation for applying;
2. a complete curriculum vitae;
3. one reference letter and contact details for two further referees;
4. 3-5 examples of relevant authored or edited documents, which can include web content, detailing the applicant’s specific contribution in their development and production.