Assistant Editor

Job Location: Atlantic Council Headquarters – Washington, DC
Employment Type: Full-Time
Seniority Level: Associate
Job Category: Staff

Overview

The Atlantic Council seeks a motivated, skilled, and creative editor to assist its Editorial team across a wide range of work, with a particular focus on short-form articles and newsletters. The Assistant Editor will have a particular focus on providing production, editing, and administrative support for the Atlantic Council’s flagship short-form section, Dispatches, along with the Council’s flagship newsletters. This position sits at the tip of the spear of the Council’s mission to be “relevant at speed” for global events, working with experts across the organization to deliver timely analysis when news breaks and creative coverage that brings our readers depth on the most urgent issues of the day.

The role will also involve occasional writing assignments, such as writing event recaps. The Assistant Editor will draw on experience in editing and editorial production to improve the quality and expand the reach and impact of the Council’s editorial work, engaging staff and fellows, along with occasional external writers, to create unique, compelling, relevant, and influential editorial work on global affairs.

The Assistant Editor will also be expected to help develop editorial strategy, implement editorial innovations, and provide general editorial support for the Editorial team and the Atlantic Council’s programs and centers. We are looking for someone with an entrepreneurial ethos and a collegial spirit, as well as an appetite for the pace of learning and growing in a dynamic organization that moves at the speed of global developments. The ideal candidate will have experience working in journalism and media or think tanks, especially in international affairs.

The Assistant Editor will report to the Managing Editor. This position is based in our Washington, DC, headquarters, requiring a minimum of 4 days per week in office. The Atlantic Council offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, education, and organizational equity, with offers from $61,000 to $78,000. Applications submitted by April 21, 2026, will be prioritized for consideration.

Job Responsibilities

• Assist with editing and producing short-form posts, newsletters, and other editorial copy for the Atlantic Council, with a primary focus on the Council’s Dispatches section as well as other flagship newsletters.
• Edit content to a high standard and with attention to detail, removing errors, improving quality, creating professional copy consistent with the Council’s style guide and editorial guidelines and standards, and maximizing impact.
• Build strong relationships and coordinate editorial work with staff and fellows across the Council’s sixteen programs and centers.
• Help the Editorial team with administrative tasks.
• Write occasional event recaps and supporting text for expert roundups. 
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Journalism, International Relations, Communications, or a related field.
• Approximately 2-4 years of relevant work experience in journalism, media, international policy, and/or communications.
• Excellent editing and writing skills.
• Experience with WordPress or similar web-publishing platforms, HubSpot or similar email marketing platforms, digital publishing, and HTML.
• Strong administrative and organizational skills, and the ability to cope with ambiguity, multitask, and manage multiple priorities, and reliably meet deadlines, including tight ones.
• Multimedia skills in areas such as data visualization, video, and social media production.
• An understanding of think-tank work and the Washington, DC policy environment.
• Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of international affairs and a commitment to the mission and goals of the Atlantic Council.
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to work well with a team in a dynamic, fluid environment.

To produce quality work and to successfully achieve our mission, we recognize the need for our staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a work/life balance. Our comprehensive benefits package helps to keep costs low for our staff and their families. Benefits include, but are not limited to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, 403(b) plan, FSA options, pet insurance, Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, and wellness benefits.