Web Content Strategist

Job Description

MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Technical Communications team is seeking a Web Content Strategist who can help develop and manage content in support of internal and technical sponsor-facing web-based applications.

The Web Content Strategist:

•    Develops written content for internal and external Lincoln Laboratory web-based projects, for both operational initiatives and sponsored technical programs.
•    Works with project stakeholders to define project goals, audience, and requirements.
•    Collaborates with subject matter experts such as content owners and web developers to structure content in an approachable, accessible format.
•    Polishes content and successfully adapts writing to the audience and medium.
•    Develops or coordinates development of web content, articles, visual assets, and training materials.

As a member of the UX Team within Lincoln Laboratory’s Technical Communications group, the Web Content Strategist will:

•    Work on an interdisciplinary team in agile and waterfall capacities.
•    Collaborate daily with peers cross-functionally, contributing to products' clarity and usability.
•    Write human-centered copy that satisfies stakeholder and user criteria for success.
•    Gather data and perform research to inform content decisions and identify content gaps. 
•    Present and advocate content strategy to partners, explaining a rationale for decisions and expressing a compelling, data-driven narrative around the why of this decision making.
•    Research the latest industry trends and best practices for content and actively participate in shaping the Laboratory’s UX editorial style.

The ideal candidate is someone who proactively recognizes potential enhancements and is motivated to address inconsistencies that could easily go unnoticed. We also value eagerness to connect with users and a passion for user research results.

Primary duties include:

Content Development:

•    Create new original content out of data, drafted text, and interviews.
•    Write and maintain documentation for a range of audiences, such as style guides, how-to instructions, application/interface overviews, and decision records.
•    Draft other materials as needed, such as surveys, user testing scripts, and advertising material.
•    Write SEO keywords.

Advising and Best Practice Implementation:

•    Identify user needs and craft a strategy to meet them.
•    Encourage a consistent understanding of platform use cases.
•    Audit content based on writing quality, structure, and user needs.
•    Strategically organize content to create maximum impact based on platform and audience.
•    Develop website navigations, taking into account specialized vocabularies, established taxonomies, and user research methods (e.g., card sorting exercises).

Ongoing Collaborative Exchanges:

•    Build positive relationships to collaborate across all levels of the organization.
•    Facilitate content ownership and maintenance responsibilities to appropriate stakeholders
•    Track content ownership across organizational units.
•    Note opportunities for improvement and pursue updates as appropriate.

Design and Strategy Contributions:

•    Collaborate with researchers, designers, and developers to actively contribute to design decisions and intranet strategy, bringing a strong point of view about the value of language as part of user interfaces.
•    Contribute to the ongoing development of the department’s UX service through the consistent application of an established style guide across all user touch points.

Qualifications

Required:

•    3-5 years’ experience with content strategy, content design, UX writing, or similar experience
•    B.A. or higher in English or Communications, or equivalent education or experience
•    Familiarity with Microsoft 365, ideally including SharePoint websites
•    Proficiency with Figma
•    Deep knowledge of English language, with an editorial eye
•    Excellent grasp of a user-centered design process and design thinking

Preferred:

•    Experience working in an academic environment
•    Interest and comfort with technical subject matter
•    Experience writing help documentation
•    Experience creating style, voice, and tone guidelines
•    Experience with writing keywords/SEO
•    Familiarity with Accessibility best practices and 508 compliance