Contract, Technical Writer, Life Sciences
On-siteCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Job Summary
Translate complex life sciences research into clear, decision-ready briefings, white papers, and executive reports for government clients and program officers. Partner with the Grants Manager to develop technical narratives, specific aims, and scientific appendices for NIH, ARPA-H, DARPA, and UK-funded initiatives while maintaining strict compliance. Build and maintain a version-controlled content library of vetted scientific descriptions and regulatory narratives, then actively leverage LLMs and lightweight automations to accelerate drafting and systematize workflows. Create figures, diagrams, and visual summaries that make experimental designs legible to non-specialist audiences, and develop program documentation including SOPs, study protocols, and data management plans aligned to US and UK frameworks.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in a life sciences discipline (molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, genomics, biomedical engineering, or closely related field)
- Demonstrated track record of grant writing success, including proposals that have been awarded
- Demonstrated experience translating complex scientific or technical content for non-technical audiences, ideally in a government, policy, or regulated environment
- Scientific literacy sufficient to hold substantive conversations with researchers, represent their work accurately (nuances and limitations included), and push back when claims are imprecise or unsupported
- Exceptional written communication skills, with proven ability to write clearly and concisely for executives, clients, and non-specialist stakeholders
- Hands-on experience using AI tools (LLMs, AI writing assistants, or similar) in professional workflows: active, habitual use, including comfort building lightweight tools or automations to streamline repetitive writing and documentation tasks
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deliverables across parallel programs and tight timelines
- Eligibility to obtain a US security clearance
Desired Qualifications
- Prior experience writing technical content for major life sciences funders (NIH R01, U01, program project, or cooperative agreements; ARPA-H; BARDA; UK funding applications such as UKRI councils MRC and BBSRC, NIHR, ARIA, Innovate UK)
- Experience securing your own research funding (F31, F32, K-series, dissertation awards, postdoctoral fellowships, or equivalent independent grants in the US or UK), or translating seed/pilot funding into larger follow-on awards
- Active US security clearance
- Experience supporting a grants or business development function in a research or government-adjacent organization, including familiarity with study protocols, data management plans, biosafety documentation, and translational or preclinical reporting standards
- Ability to create clear figures, schematics, and visual summaries for broad audiences, with experience designing or managing a content library or documentation repository
Hiring someone like this?
Get your role in front of qualified candidates on Sorce.