Employment Opportunities at
Society for Science & the Public

Founded in 1921, Society for Science & the Public (SSP) is a nonprofit membership organization located in Washington, D.C. Its vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement: to inform, educate, and inspire.

SSP publishes the award-winning Science News, Science News for Kids, and Science News Prime. It also offers outstanding education programs for students and teachers, including the Intel Science Talent Search, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the Broadcom MASTERS competition and the SSP Fellowship program for teachers. SSP also delivers membership, alumni, and outreach programming in support of its vision.

Full-Time Opportunities

1 - Front-end developer 

The non-profit Society for Science & the Public, dedicated to increasing the public awareness of science and publisher of Science News magazine, is currently seeking an exceptionally talented front-end developer to join our team. We are looking for a creative problem-solver who has the desire to explore and push the boundaries of interactive platforms. This person’s primary responsibility will be maintaining, updating and evolving our upcoming Drupal-based website. We offer a competitive financial package and a creative, collaborative working environment. We are located in Washington, DC. 

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with our team of designers to build prototypes (including wireframes, site navigation, visual design and layout of content)
• Develop and support online storytelling tools such as photo galleries, data visualizations and info graphics
• Add to, modify and maintain existing templates for Drupal website
• Develop and build web-based applications
• Ensure that the layout of the content is easy to navigate, accessible and logical; recommend improvements as necessary
• Prototype new functionality
• Perform maintenance and updates to existing website
• Perform A/B testing
• Cross-train with designers 

The ideal candidate:

• 3+ years of website design and development experience
• Advanced knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript
• PHP experience highly desired
• Experience with HTML5 and responsive design highly desired
• Advanced knowledge of digital imaging using Adobe Photoshop
• Experience with customizing Drupal themes
• Experience building interactive info graphics
• An understanding of online digital media including video and digital compression technologies
• Ability to monitor industry trends, technologies, and standards and be able to research, recommend and apply new technologies as necessary
• Experience with cross-browser and cross-platform issues
• An obsessive approach to accuracy
• Ability to visualize complex ideas in a clear, accurate, and intelligent manner
• Ability to work quickly and multi-task
• A collaborative nature
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• A background in science is not required, but intellectual curiosity about science and comfort with scientific ideas is essential
• Degree in Computer Science a plus

To apply: Send cover letter, resume and link to online portfolio to dd@sciencenews.org. 

 

2 - Project manager, Information technology 

Society for Science & the Public (SSP) seeks a seasoned project manager to provide leadership, management, expertise and support to Information Technology related projects and staff.  The Project Manager will deal predominantly with project-specific activities and will manage and control assigned projects to ensure the successful fulfillment of outlined goals and objectives. 

 

The ideal candidate has strong project management skills, is flexible and an innovative problem solver, and has an eagerness to develop and lead new initiatives. The Project Manager will communicate and collaborate effectively across the organization.   This position reports to the Director of Internal Operations.

 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage technology-related projects for various science education programs including the Broadcom MASTERS, Intel Science Talent Search, and Intel International Science & Engineering Fair.
• Plan large or complex project(s) following established project management methodology, including establishing milestones, resources needed in the form of staff hours, budget, use of technology and tools and document in project plan.
• Prepare requests for proposals and conduct all necessary meetings to facilitate selection of project services and products.
• Organize and manage all phases of a project to ensure on-time completion.
• Meet with application owners and developers to determine business needs and functionalities desired for new or revised web applications.
• Provide technical oversight to staff and track attainment of project milestones.
• Report on progress and budget expenditures to senior staff/project owners.
• Monitor project scope; manage the impact of scope change request 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• In depth knowledge of project management principles, practices, techniques, and tools.
• Ability to follow up on outstanding issues and bring closure to projects’ tasks and activities.
• Excellent inter-personal skills to facilitate meetings, briefings, presentations, and other project tasks and activities.
• Core understanding of internet related technologies, web programming, and database development.
• Demonstrated ability to work within a team as well as independently with minimal oversight, to multi-task, and to be a self-starter.
• A strong understanding of and appreciation for science and other STEM fields is desired.
• Experience with any of the following technologies is desired:  ASP, .NET, Drupal, IIS, Coldfusion, SQL Server, Raiser’s Edge, Blackbaud NetCommunity, WordPress, and other web technologies.

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in either information systems or computer science.
• 8 years of technology related experience with a minimum of 5+ years of full lifecycle IT project management experience.
• Ability to travel for SSP programs and conference events is required.

Other Requirements 

Send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to ssp@societyforscience.org. No phone calls please.

To learn more about Society for Science & the Public, please visit www.societyforscience.org

Internships

1 - Science News Internships

Science News, the award-winning magazine covering all fields of science for a general readership, is now accepting applications for its science writer internships.

The internship is intended for people planning careers in science writing and is offered three times a year for at least a three-month stay within the following periods: spring (January to April), summer (May to August) and fall (September to December). One applicant will be selected for each period. Preference is given to people completing an advanced degree in journalism with an emphasis in science writing. Skilled writers working toward an advanced degree in one of the sciences and experienced journalists in transition to a science specialty are also considered.

Applicants should send by e-mail a cover letter, résumé, names of three references and at least three science writing samples to:

Allison Bohac
Science News
1719 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036
abohac@sciencenews.org

Additional information about internships