Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc.

Staff Writer, Recycling & Materials Management

Position in Seattle or Oakland Office

Cascadia Consulting Group develops and implements innovative solutions to today’s environmental challenges. Founded in 1993, we work with private- and public-sector clients to advance sustainability through recycling and materials management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency, and water and natural resources management. The Cascadia team brings both expertise and creative thinking to research and analysis, strategic planning, program design and implementation, and outreach and evaluation. With offices in Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, we serve clients across the country and abroad. Our mission is to pioneer a sustainable future, making a positive difference for our clients, our global community, and the environment.

Cascadia hires individuals who value a collaborative, fast-paced work environment, who can think creatively and communicate effectively, and who will work hard to get the job done well. Consulting is about taking initiative, problem solving, and serving clients, so we seek staff with those skills. We offer a flexible working environment and provide excellent benefits. The firm is a multiple recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.

Position description:

Cascadia Consulting Group is seeking a talented writer to function as part of our Recycling and Materials Management team. Responsibilities will include writing and editing documents ranging from blog posts and articles to business proposals, high-profile reports, research plans, and training manuals. Candidates must demonstrate excellent communication skills, the ability to organize ideas clearly and concisely in writing, and the ability to communicate technical concepts into simple, commonly accepted language that any reader can understand.

Primary job responsibilities:

• Collaborate with team members, clients and external partners to draft, edit, and finalize technical sections of proposals, work plans, and reports:
  • Communicate scientific and technical ideas clearly using simple, commonly accepted language.
  • Edit documents for organization, clarity, style, tone, grammar, and spelling.
  • Follow the appropriate style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, or Cascadia- or client-defined) for each document type.
  • Assist with research as needed, collecting and citing relevant data, report and proposal sections, and other information from internal and external sources.
  • Use MS Excel and Access or other software to prepare draft visual representations of data (including charts, graphs, forms, and tables).
  • Work with designers to finalize document layout and ensure accurate representation of data.
• Assist with the development of in-house protocols for communicating highly technical concepts clearly and accurately to lay audiences.
• Occasionally prepare articles, press releases, and reports on current trends in recycling and materials management.
• Occasionally participate in out-of-office fieldwork, i.e., sorting waste, recycling, and organic materials at landfills, transfer stations, and other waste handling facilities.

Desired Qualifications:

• One of the following combinations of education and experience:
  • A Bachelor’s degree in English, writing, or related field that involves substantial writing, plus at least two years of technical writing and/or editing experience in English.
  • A Bachelor’s degree in another field, plus at least three years of technical writing and/or editing experience in English.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint; basic skills in MS Excel.
• Ability to write and edit documents under a tight deadline and harmonizing a variety of writing conventions and styles.
• Willingness to work both in teams and independently to advance common goal and create high quality work products.
• Knowledge of, or interest in, the field of solid waste and recycling.

Additional Valued Skills:

• Training in or experience using Washington State’s “Plain Talk” principles or a similar system.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in MS Excel.
• Experience with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Acrobat and/or MS Publisher.
• Training or experience in data visualization.
• Fluency in Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Somali, Tagalog, Korean, or Russian a plus.
• Ability to work outdoors, lift up to 50 pounds, and stand and walk on uneven surfaces for up to ten hours per day.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full time position. Salary is commensurate with experience. We offer a generous benefit package including health insurance, 401K with an employer match, life insurance, long-term disability, transportation subsidies, flexible spending accounts, and generous vacation.

To Apply:

To apply, please send resume and cover letter to jobs@cascadiaconsulting.com and indicate RMM Staff Writer – [Your Name] in the subject line. Cover letters should address your ability to meet primary job responsibilities, relevant experience, and interest in the position. Please state where you learned about the position. Please note if you are interested in a position based in Cascadia’s Seattle office, Oakland office, or are open to either location. Applications accepted through Friday, April 10, 2015.

Cascadia Consulting Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status in employment or the provision of services