Contractor, Technical Science Writer

Your Impact at LILA

Lila is seeking a talented and experienced Technical Science Writer / (Content Creator) to help shape how we explain our work to the world. This role is akin to a managing editor: you will translate complex scientific and technical work into rigorous, accessible content, and you will guide a small bench of contractor writers to deliver consistently high-quality storytelling.

This is a mission-critical role because great science only changes the world when it is understood and trusted. Your work will help:

• Customers understand what Lila enables, how it works, and why it is reliable.
• Partners see where collaboration creates leverage and what “good” integration looks like.
• Government and public-sector partners assess relevance, safety, and societal value.
• Investors understand the technical moat, the platform strategy, and the long-term trajectory.
• Future employees understand the ambition, the rigor, and the problems they will help solve.

What You'll Be Building

• Write and edit high-quality articles, explainers, technical overviews, case studies, and multimedia scripts that communicate complex scientific topics with accuracy and narrative strength.
• Build content that connects what we are building to why it matters, with an emphasis on scientific integrity, measurable impact, and responsible communication.

Audience-specific storytelling

• Adapt messaging and format for distinct stakeholder needs:
  • Customers: practical outcomes, workflows, reliability, and real constraints.
  • Partners: shared roadmaps, joint innovation stories, and integration narratives.
  • Government partners: public benefit, validation, safety, and responsible use.
  • Investors: differentiation, defensibility, and platform trajectory.
  • Candidates: mission, culture of rigor, and the kinds of problems they will own.
• Create “layered” assets where a single core story can be repurposed into multiple depths (social post → blog → technical brief → talk track).

Editorial leadership and managing editor responsibilities

• Assign projects to contractor writers, set clear briefs, and provide feedback to ensure quality, coherence, and consistent voice.
• Establish lightweight editorial workflows (intake, review, fact-check, approvals) that keep content moving without compromising accuracy or confidentiality.

Research and collaboration

• Partner closely with scientists, engineers, and leaders to gather insights, pressure-test claims, and capture the “why” behind the work.
• Translate internal notes, talks, and research milestones into externally appropriate narratives.

Visuals and multimedia

• Oversee development of visuals (figures, diagrams, infographics), photography, and short-form video concepts that enhance comprehension.
• Work with design/creative partners to keep visuals consistent with Lila’s standards while making science legible and engaging.

Quality and trust

• Own editorial quality: accuracy, coherence, and clear sourcing. Maintain journalistic standards (including Associated Press style where applicable).
• Ensure content reflects responsible communication: no hype, no overclaims, and clear framing of what is validated vs. exploratory.

Trend analysis and story discovery

• Stay current on relevant breakthroughs across AI, drug discovery, chemistry, materials science, automation, and compute.
• Proactively identify timely story angles that reinforce Lila’s mission and help audiences understand the broader landscape.

What Success Looks Like

• Lila’s science and platform are explained with a voice that is credible to experts and clear to non-specialists.
• Stakeholders can quickly understand Lila’s “so what,” without sacrificing accuracy.
• A dependable editorial pipeline exists: contractors produce faster with fewer revisions, and internal reviewers trust the process.
• Core narratives travel across formats and channels, increasing understanding, trust, and interest among customers, partners, government stakeholders, investors, and candidates.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in life sciences, chemistry, materials science, journalism, or a related field. PhD candidates or holders are highly encouraged to apply.
• Proven experience as a science writer or journalist, with a portfolio including work published in reputable outlets (for example: Nature, Wired, Chemical & Engineering News, or similar).
• Strong ability to explain complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences without losing technical integrity.
• Experience managing or leading a team of writers (including contractors) preferred.
• Ability to create or manage creation of visual/multimedia content (graphics, photos, video) is a significant plus.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a keen eye for detail.