Lead Writer

Overview

Join one of the most influential, most quoted, and most trusted think tanks! 

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to equip decision-makers with nonpartisan research and policy strategies to create a more prosperous and secure country and world. 

To advance our mission, we are committed to the following four goals: 

• Develop economic growth strategies for a changing world 

• Expand economic and social opportunity for all 

• Revitalize U.S. democratic institutions 

• Advance peace and security worldwide 

At the core of our mission is the quality, independence, and impact of our research. We are dedicated to finding bold, pragmatic solutions for societal challenges through open-minded inquiry, diverse perspectives, and holding ourselves to the highest standards of scholastic rigor. 

Beyond the pursuit of excellence and intellectual rigor, Brookings places immense value on creating a supportive and collaborative environment where every individual can do their best work, learn, and grow. Because of this, Brookings has been at the forefront of public policy for more than a century. 

About the Executive Office – The Executive Office (EO) moves the Brookings mission forward by supporting and guiding the research programs, external affairs, and business operations of the Institution.  The EO consists of the President’s office and the President's support team and aims to communicate regularly and transparently with Brookings staff about what’s happening at the institutional level.

Position Location: Washington, DC. This position requires regular in-person work at the Washington, DC office, generally 4–5 days per week. Occasional remote work may be permitted based on business needs and with supervisor approval.

Responsibilities

Ready to contribute to Brookings success? 

The Lead Writer serves as the primary writer for the president and the executive office. This position works closely with, and has a dotted-line reporting relationship to, the Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs to ensure coordination of the president’s and the institution’s communications efforts. This is a key role in the executive office and contributes to its overall effectiveness in advancing the president’s priorities, including as a critical liaison to research program, communications, and fundraising leadership to coordinate internal communications and activities of the president. Responsible for developing and executing compelling, strategic messaging that reflects the president’s voice, vision, and leadership. The role combines expert-level writing with strong project management skills to ensure executive communications drive business objectives, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and elevate the organization’s reputation. 

President’s communications and presentation development (70%)

• Serve as president’s speechwriter and manage development of president’s presentations to key audiences.

• Prepare the president for events in which she is a participant, for example as a speaker, a panel moderator, or a fireside chat participant.

  • This process involves gathering and synthesizing information, fact-checking, and tailoring language to reflect the president’s voice and the goals of the event.

  • Partner with president’s research assistant as needed.

• Write the president’s typically concise (3–5 minute) opening or closing remarks for internal or external events.

• Collaborate with the president to write additional speeches and talking points as needed. Assignments may include graduation/commencement speeches or talking points in preparation for donor meetings.

• Ensure consistent presidential messaging on key public policy and other topics across communications products.

• Own the process of preparing presentations for events with stakeholder audiences, such as board of trustees meetings and all-staff town halls:

  • Work closely with president, chief of staff, senior director of board relations, and others as needed to develop and write president’s reports for each board meeting. This includes: collaborating extensively across the institution to gather information; developing and refining outlines and talking points; fact-checking content; managing ongoing review-and-revise process with the president; managing the development of PowerPoint presentations with central communications; managing review with general counsel; managing editorial feedback from other stakeholders with discernment; managing time with the president and other internal stakeholders to rehearse the report in advance of the presentation; preparing final printed talking points for the board meeting; and supporting the delivery of the report as needed (clicking through slide deck or scrolling through talking points).

  • Develop scripts and talking points for all-staff town halls, accompanied by PowerPoint presentations. Process similar to above.

• Support executive office efforts to prepare the president for key meetings, including drafting talking points or background information on Brookings’ work.

• Work closely with communications colleagues to draft social media posts from the president’s accounts.

• In partnership with the vice president of communications and public affairs and the chief of staff, develop and implement communications plans that guide the president’s efforts to increase leadership visibility internally and externally, strengthen shared identity across the institution, and boost community morale.

Written communications and correspondence (30%)

• In partnership with the chief of staff, members of the executive leadership team, and other stakeholders as needed, write, edit, and send all-staff email communications from the president.

• Work closely with the development team to draft and send emails from the president’s account to funders and potential funders. This may include:

  • This process involves gathering and synthesizing information, fact-checking, and tailoring language to reflect the president’s voice and the goals of the event.

  • Partner with president’s research assistant as needed.

• In close coordination with development, events, and communications staff, write and send invitations to high-level external speakers invited to speak at Brookings.

• Ensure all communications consistently reflect the president’s voice.

• Provide support to the vice president of communications and public affairs on written communications, external and internal, as needed and as workload allows.

Qualifications

Ready to make an impact? In this role, you will support Brookings values of collegiality, respect, inclusion, diversity and community, and bring the following qualifications: 

Education/Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Political Science, or a related public-policy field required; Master’s degree desirable. Minimum five years of relevant work experience required; experience providing staff support for executive leaders required. Must have experience in research and analysis to support writing in a principal’s voice. History of writing knowledgeably and comfortably about public policy issues to broad general audiences is desirable. Exceptional writing, storytelling, and editing skills; ability to adapt voice and tone to match the speaker. Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and the ability to distill complex ideas into clear, impactful messages. Proven ability to advise senior leaders with confidence and discretion. Experience working in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.

Strong collaboration skills and cross-functional fluency with communications, public affairs, and executive offices. Complete fluency in written and oral English required.

Knowledge/Skill Requirements

Excellent project management skills are critical, including the ability to plan, own, and take initiative of the full life-cycle of various projects. Must be able to work effectively with all levels of internal and external stakeholders and demonstrate impeccable judgment, people skills and poise. Successful candidates will be deeply collaborative and enjoy an in-person and collegial atmosphere. Must possess excellent organizational skills and an initiative-taking approach with an elevated level of diligence. Must thrive under tight deadlines and accommodate occasional flexible hours. High degree of professionalism with discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality. Exceptional writing skills are also essential, including concept and message development and drafting, fact checking, editing, and proofreading. Must be able to write clearly and concisely for different audiences and be skilled at synthesizing input from diverse sources while serving as a firm advocate for the president’s priorities. Must possess advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Office 365.

Additional Information 

What can we offer you? Brookings provides a generous benefit package that is comprehensive and includes both traditional benefits and unique offerings. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision benefits, generous time off, and workplace flexibility. For more information, please visit Brookings Benefits.   

Brookings requires that all applicants submit a cover letter and resume. Please attach your cover letter and resume as one document when you apply. Please note: if you have applied to more than one Brookings job opening you should add a position-specific cover letter as a separate attachment. 

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for employment at Brookings. 

Brookings welcomes and celebrates diversity in all its forms, including diversity of experience, thought, and personal background.  We welcome applications that reflect a variety of backgrounds based on ideology, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, first generation college goers, and other factors protected by law. Brookings is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace. All selection decisions are based upon merit, skills, abilities and experience.