Speech Writer

Job Description

Salary: $85,000- $100,00

JOB TITLE: Speech Writer, Strategy & Policy

DEPARTMENT: Strategy & Policy

STATUS: Exempt

REPORTS TO: Senior Director of Strategy & Policy

DATE: January 2024

Who We Are

NDIA, comprised of its Affiliates, Chapters, Divisions, and more than 1,700 corporate and 65,000 individual members, is a nonpartisan educational association that has been designated by the IRS as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization—not a lobbying firm—and was founded to educate its constituencies on all aspects of national security. For more than 100 years, NDIA has provided a platform through which leaders in government, industry, and academia can collaborate and provide solutions to advance the national security and defense needs of the nation.

NDIA works to strengthen government-industry partnerships through dialogue, education, and interaction with all three branches of government. Through the Strategy & Policy Team, NDIA educates its members on legislative and regulatory activity important to the defense industrial base. NDIA also actively participates in several industry working groups and coalitions to coordinate the defense and government contracting communities' positions on important issues.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director for Strategy & Policy (S&P), the Speech Writer will lead and manage speech writing and presentation preparation for NDIA’s Executive Team, which includes the CEO and President, Executive Vice President of S&P, and the Chief Operating Officer. This position will generate and manage communications content for the S&P Team, including for NDIA’s website and social media outlets, in coordination with NDIA’s Marketing & Communications Team. The Speech Writer will also manage the drafting of the weekly Policy Digest Newsletter and assist in reviewing and copyediting S&P Team materials to ensure grammatical accuracy and a common NDIA “voice.”

The S&P Team routinely engages at the highest levels of industry, the U.S. government, and outside stakeholders, and this position provides an opportunity to work with a close-knit group of dedicated personnel to strengthen public and private partnerships in support of national security.

Main Responsibilities

· Lead the drafting, preparation, coordination, and editing of speeches and communication materials for NDIA’s Executive Team for various audiences and occasions. (50%)

· Generate and update content for the S&P webpages for NDIA’s public and member-only websites in coordination with the Marketing and Communications Team. (20%)

· Compose weekly content for social media outlets highlighting S&P initiatives, regulatory submissions, trending issues, and other relevant policy information. (10%)

· Manage the drafting of the weekly “Policy Digest Newsletter” in collaboration with the S&P Team. (10%)

· Review and copyedit policy articles for National Defense Magazine, policy reports, white papers, regulatory comments, congressional testimonies, collateral for official meetings, letters, Amicus Briefs, and other policy materials to ensure alignment with the NDIA writing standards guide and continuity of the “voice” of NDIA. (10%)

Qualifications and Experience

· Bachelor’s degree required.

· 2+ years in a relevant role, including internship experience, volunteer experience, or equivalent military service.

· Ability to exercise sound judgment, with strong written and oral communication, administrative, and organizational skills.

· Ability to work closely with staff across all levels of the organization, with all levels of leadership, and within a diverse organization.

· Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism, maturity, and trust.

· Ability to take initiative and work independently on projects, from conception to completion, with little oversight.

· Ability to multi-task, think critically, and problem solve individually and as part of a team.

· Understanding and experience within the Microsoft Office environment.