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Senior Development Writer

Who We Are:

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering America’s criminal justice system. In 2016 and 2021, The Marshall Project was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. We have also been honored with the Goldsmith Prize, multiple National Magazine Awards, and for General Excellence from the Online Journalism Awards. We are not advocates—we follow the facts and we do not pander to any audience—but we have a declared mission: to create and sustain a sense of urgency about the criminal justice system. We do not generally cover breaking news, although we curate the reporting of other news outlets in our morning newsletter. Our work includes investigative and explanatory projects and shorter pieces aimed at highlighting stories that other news organizations miss, underestimate or misunderstand. To assure our work reaches a larger audience we partner with other media outlets; we have ed with more than 200 newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and online sites.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders and sexual orientations, including people who have been incarcerated or otherwise involved with the criminal justice system.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

We are hiring a Senior Development Writer who can compose beautiful prose, conveying our mission with urgency and grace to a growing community of donors. This position will be responsible for drafting tailored, high-level donor correspondence of all kinds. Their writing will support the fundraising team and the President in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors.

We are a small team with big ambitions. We are looking for someone who can roll up their sleeves while also supporting colleagues in writing assignments, taking on their own projects, delegating others and offering editorial feedback and support. We are looking for someone who writes clean, compelling copy both quickly and accurately. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment.

  • Lead and execute communications strategy for donor outreach; write materials that build and strengthen relationships with prospective and existing donors to The Marshall Project.
  • Synthesize complex information related to our journalism into clear and compelling narratives.
  • Support President by drafting suite of donor materials for The Marshall Project’s major donors: biweekly President’s Brief, triannual Impact Report, and Annual Report.
  • Draft, edit, and finalize a variety of written work, including proposals, grant reports, letters of inquiry, membership appeals, and other stewardship materials for individual and institutional donors.
  • Support frontline fundraising team by drafting emails, solicitations, case statements, and program summaries that they can use in their own communications with donors.
  • Develop and maintain knowledge of The Marshall Project’s history, present, and vision for the future.
  • Track and meet all internal and external writing deadlines.

 

Job Requirements:

  • At least five years of writing experience in journalism, development, marketing, or communications.
  • Excellent verbal and written communications skills, with proven experience in creating persuasive and compelling cases for support. Experience in foundation relations a plus.
  • Ability to synthesize and communicate complex issues clearly and concisely, adapting writing styles for varied audiences.
  • Ability both to think creatively, and to execute and manage multiple projects while meeting tight deadlines.
  • A strong commitment to accuracy and attention to detail.
  • Ability to develop and maintain productive relationships within a team and across a broader organization.
  • Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts.
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, valuing all individuals and respecting differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance.
  • Commitment to the mission of The Marshall Project.
  • We are headquartered in New York City but this position can be remote.
  • We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders and sexual orientations, including people who have been incarcerated or otherwise involved with the criminal justice system.

We do not expect every candidate to be equally skilled in all these areas, and this is not a complete list of all relevant qualifications applicants might bring to the job. Please tell us about your other assets not mentioned here that may be valuable to this role. Reaching talent across a range of backgrounds and experiences is deeply important to us. If you do not have the exact combination of skills listed here, but are still interested in this role and/or in The Marshall Project, we'd love to hear from you.

 

Compensation and benefits:

This job is full-time, with a competitive salary and benefits including:

Salary Range: $85,000-$100,000

100% employer-paid medical, employer subsidized vision and dental insurance; matching traditional and Roth 401k (immediate vesting). Voluntary benefits include: Health and Dependent Care FSA; commuter benefits; pet insurance; short and long term disability insurance; employee and dependent life insurance; AFLAC accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage; legal benefits; personal excess liability insurance; and employee discount marketplace. We also observe 17 days of paid time off each year (in addition to office closure between Dec 24 and January 2); and provide paid parental leave.

 

How to Apply:

To apply, use this form to send a cover letter, resume, and two work samples. [Please include in your cover letter a brief description of a new project you launched or managed, or a job you held, which allowed you to demonstrate your leadership, organizational skills, and innovation. ]

Due to the expected volume of applications, we will follow up with the most promising candidates but cannot respond individually to all applicants. Please know it usually takes us more than a month to review applications.

 

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