Technical Writer/Editor

Clearance

Overview

The Technical Writer/Editor will provide authoritative writing, technical editing, coordination, and document-management support for OSIRC. The role is designed to help ensure that foundational security policy remains current, comprehensive, understandable, and aligned with operational requirements and risk. The successful candidate will work on materials that influence the protection of Department personnel, information, facilities, property, and other assets.

Background

The position is embedded within OSY’s Plans, Programs, and Compliance Division (PPCD), which provides operational planning, policy, training, compliance, and programmatic support across Departmental operating units and offices. The Technical Writer/Editor will support PPCD most directly and will also perform recurring work for the Information Security Division, Personnel Security Division, and HCHB Security, with periodic assignments from other OSIRC divisions, offices, and security teams.

OSIRC maintains and disseminates Department Organization Orders, Department Administrative Orders, the Manual of Security Policies and Procedures, official memoranda, standard operating procedures, forms, website materials, presentation briefings, inspection and assessment reports, and other official products. Because these materials may establish or communicate Department-wide security requirements, precise editing and sound editorial judgment are essential.

Responsibilities

Technical writing, editing, and policy support

• Routinely review and revise playbooks, handbooks, memoranda, manuals, policy papers, informational handouts, posters, PowerPoint presentations, templates, after-action reports, and other official products to improve clarity, consistency, accuracy, organization, and effectiveness.
• Provide technical editing for security policies, procedures, and SOPs while protecting predecisional, sensitive, and security-related content.
• Facilitate updates to the Manual of Security Policies and Procedures and assist in developing the HCHB Security Policy and accompanying security-operations SOPs and checklists.
• Support updates to OSY Department Administrative Orders and Department Organization Orders and help coordinate OSIRC responses to external policy updates.
• Research, develop, review, and edit management policies, Departmental Orders, Memoranda of Understanding, Departmental memoranda, and other documents requiring Department-level review or approval.
• Coordinate stakeholder review, adjudicate or track comments, prepare materials for approval, and support controlled dissemination of final products.
• Analyze potential policy needs, catalog current and historical guidance, identify gaps or conflicts, and present recommendations to program managers and senior leadership.
• Develop and document repeatable processes through SOPs and related guidance, including procedures and systems for assessing program and management effectiveness.
• Create, review, and refine reports and briefing materials for OSIRC, bureau, and Department leadership.

Digital content and communications

• Review, write, edit, and help administer approved content for OSIRC websites, the OSY SharePoint environment, and the Commerce Learning Center.
• Protect sensitive content and help ensure that only reviewed and approved information is published or distributed.
• Develop and coordinate the quarterly OSIRC newsletter and support other informational products as assigned.
• Prepare and refine presentation materials, handouts, posters, templates, and other communications for internal and Department-wide audiences.

Coordination, meetings, and program support

• Support Departmental working groups and meetings, including agenda or material preparation, note-taking, and development of accurate meeting minutes.
• Coordinate with OSIRC divisions and subject-matter experts to obtain source material, resolve comments, validate technical content, and keep policy updates moving on schedule.
• Maintain policy and suspense trackers, monitor assigned actions and deadlines, and communicate status to stakeholders and leadership.
• Analyze and evaluate program operations on a qualitative and quantitative basis and assist in preparing management reports.
• Advise program managers and senior managers on administrative and procedural matters within the scope of assigned work.
• Establish and maintain records and files, including appropriate disposition under applicable records schedules.
• Perform word processing, data entry, document production, and other general office support as assigned.
• Provide responsive, professional customer service; balance competing stakeholder needs; and exercise diplomacy and discretion when working with sensitive information.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Approximately five years of demonstrated experience in technical writing and editorial review.
• Proven ability to review and edit correspondence, reports, policies, procedures, web content, PDFs, and presentations for grammar, punctuation, syntax, clarity, consistency, tone, structure, and usability.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Word and PowerPoint, with strong working knowledge of Outlook and Excel.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to produce professional, publication-ready work that meets organizational and agency standards.
• Strong command of English grammar and the editorial judgment to make clear, sensible, and defensible decisions concerning style, usage, terminology, and plain language.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage, prioritize, and complete multiple assignments with competing deadlines.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while collaborating effectively with subject-matter experts, program managers, senior leaders, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated discretion and ability to safeguard predecisional, sensitive, security-related, or otherwise controlled information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience editing security, policy, regulatory, operational, compliance, or other high-impact government material.
• Experience developing or maintaining policies, directives, manuals, SOPs, checklists, Memoranda of Understanding, executive memoranda, or formal briefings.
• Experience supporting federal agencies or working in a policy, security, legal, executive-secretariat, or similarly controlled environment.
• Experience administering or editing SharePoint, website, learning-management-system, newsletter, or other digital content.
• Familiarity with the U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual and federal plain-language practices.
• Experience coordinating review cycles, tracking comments and suspense items, maintaining records, and managing document approval workflows.

Education

• B.S./B.A. degree, or equivalent, in English, Communications, Journalism, Technical Writing, or a related field.

Location and Work Hours

• This position is based at the U.S. Department of Commerce Headquarters, Herbert C. Hoover Building, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.
• Work is primarily performed on-site, Monday through Friday during normal business hours, generally 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• AWS flexibility available: 5-4/9 compressed schedule
  • Example: Week 1: 36 hours | Week 2: 44 hours

Compensation

The compensation range for this position is $68,000- $75,000 annually. Compensation will be discussed in greater detail with candidates who advance in the interview process, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of qualifications and alignment with role requirements.

Compensation Disclaimer: The salary range provided for this position represents a general guideline. Final compensation will be determined at the Company’s discretion based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, skills, education, internal equity, geographic location, and contract requirements. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range.

Benefits and EEO

At Ardent Eagle Solutions, we offer a comprehensive benefits package to our employees and their families:

• Medical/Dental/Vision Coverage
• Matching 401(k) Plan
• Continuing Education Assistance
• Paid Time Off

This job description is intended to describe the general scope of work and level of work that is needed to perform while on task with Ardent Eagle Solutions. Other duties may be assigned. Selected candidates may undergo a government security investigation and must fulfill eligibility criteria for accessing classified information. US citizenship may be a prerequisite for certain roles. Ardent Eagle Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer