Careers at Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) is the country’s largest collegiate-based transportation research institute, charged with finding solutions to the greatest transportation challenges facing our world. The Technical Proposal Editor supports VTTI’s Proposal Team, which produces and submits $100M in proposals annually, having a direct impact on transportation safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

The Technical Proposal Editor is responsible for assisting with the content development, editing, formatting, and production of proposals. This role ensures correct grammar, appropriate tone and style, high clarity and cohesiveness, and a complete response to the requirements in the request for proposal. The Technical Proposal Editor contributes to the outlining and drafting of research proposals and plays a key role in the critical review process before proposal submission. Additionally, the Technical Proposal Editor develops and maintains resources and training materials to assist in future proposal writing and preparation.

Key Responsibilities:
• Proposal Editing: Primarily responsible for editing proposals, ensuring they meet high standards of quality and responsiveness.
• Collaboration: Work with other VTTI technical editors to edit technical project reports, journal articles, website content, press releases, and other documents as time allows.
• Content Development: Assist in the content development process, contributing to the outlining and drafting of research proposals.
• Critical Review: Participate in the critical review process, ensuring proposals are clear, cohesive, and fully responsive to the requirements.
• Resource Development: Develop and maintain resources and training materials to support future proposal writing and preparation.

Skills and Qualifications:
• Editorial Skills: Possess excellent editorial skills, with a strong attention to detail.
• Communication: Demonstrate strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Technical Content: Comfortable editing highly technical scientific content and interested in learning more about VTTI’s research domains to enhance editorial skills.
• Independence and Collaboration: Able to work both independently and collaboratively with minimal supervision.
• Time Management: Capable of working under tight deadlines while managing multiple concurrent tasks.

The team is looking to hire for the Blacksburg area but is open to considering remote work.

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, science/engineering, or equivalent related training or experience.
• Writing and Editing Skills: Strong writing and editing skills with the ability to understand and communicate technical information to a variety of audiences. Comprehensive knowledge of English grammar.
• Task Management: Demonstrated experience working under tight deadlines while managing multiple concurrent tasks.
• Organizational Skills: Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Technical Proficiency: High level of proficiency in Microsoft Word.

• Experience within an academic environment, understanding of the research process, and/or familiarity with the government contracting process
• Experience working under the constraints of different style guides (e.g., Government Publishing Office, American Psychological Association), particularly with regard to references and citations.
• Experience with reference management software (e.g, EndNote, Zotero) and LaTeX or LaTeX editors
• Experience with the entire document production process: printing and design; electronic and print media; and publications principles, concepts, and techniques.

4

Restricted

Starting rate of $22/hr; commensurate with experience

2/19/2025

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.