Editor and Writer

$60,320 - $68,640/Yr

The Morton Arboretum - Lisle, IL

Part-time - Mid Level

Lisle, IL

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions

About the position

The Morton Arboretum is a world-renowned tree-focused botanical garden located just outside of Chicago in Lisle, Illinois. With more than one million annual visitors, the Arboretum seeks an experienced editor and writer to support a variety of Arboretum communications and uphold the institutional brand through written communications. This role is essential in helping to advance the Arboretum's mission to plant and protect trees for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world while working with a talented marketing team. This is a part-time, hybrid-eligible position with competitive benefits. As an editor and writer, you will be responsible for editing and proofreading a variety of Arboretum communications to ensure a high quality of expression and alignment with the Arboretum's voice and brand. You will write communications for various channels and audiences to support the mission, programs, and events of The Morton Arboretum. This includes serving as a resource to members of the Marketing and Guest Experience team and the organization at-large by editing and proofreading a wide variety of communications. Your work will support the team's efforts to illustrate the Arboretum's mission and value to people and the environment. Your responsibilities will include crafting Arboretum messages to key audiences in innovative, creative, consistent, and compelling ways to inspire interest in, knowledge of, and love for trees, science, and nature. You will also reflect the Arboretum's mission, brand, and voice in all communications, ensuring that they demonstrate grammatical excellence, consistency, and adherence to AP and/or the Arboretum style guide. Additionally, you will maintain a relevant and updated Arboretum style guide in coordination with the senior writer and the director of marketing, collaborate effectively, and provide project management and coordination of writing projects. Mentoring other staff members in effective writing and communication will also be part of your role, along with advising and training other departments as needed.

Responsibilities

• Edit and proofread a variety of Arboretum communications to ensure high quality and alignment with the Arboretum's voice and brand.
• Write communications for various channels and audiences to support the mission, programs, and events of The Morton Arboretum.
• Serve as a resource to the Marketing and Guest Experience team by editing and proofreading communications.
• Craft Arboretum messages to key audiences in innovative and compelling ways to inspire interest in trees and nature.
• Ensure written communications demonstrate grammatical excellence and adherence to AP and Arboretum style guides.
• Maintain a relevant and updated Arboretum style guide in coordination with the senior writer and director of marketing.
• Collaborate effectively and provide project management for writing projects.
• Mentor staff members in effective writing and communication, including scientific topics.
• Advise and train other departments in effective written communications.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, English, or related field preferred.
• 4+ years professional editing experience required, with AP style preferred; storytelling experience a plus.
• Excellent writing, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills are required to meet varied and simultaneous deadlines.
• Experience editing marketing materials, press releases, and web content preferred.
• Experience or background in scientific writing and editing preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to provide feedback to professional and non-professional writers in a constructive manner.
• Proficiency with Google applications required.

Nice-to-haves

• Interest in trees and dedication to the Arboretum and its mission.
• Ability to lead projects and work independently to meet deadlines.
• Skill in writing to different age, reading, and knowledge levels.
• Commitment to increasing diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility through storytelling.

Benefits

• Competitive hourly wage between $29.00 - $33.00 based on experience.
• Part-time, hybrid-eligible position with flexible scheduling.