✨ JOB OPPORTUNITY! ✨

I’m thrilled to share that we’re hiring a senior writer at Pivotal. This is a one-year, full-time contract position, reporting to me, to boost our short-term capacity.

Melinda French Gates founded Pivotal to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the United States and around the world. An essential part of that work is communicating convincingly about why change is needed—and what it will take to achieve it. We’re lucky to have a team of collaborative, hard-working, and genuinely kind writers and editors who bring that mission to life every day, by sharing Pivotal’s ideas, elevating our partners, and supporting Melinda French Gates as she articulates her values and perspective.

We welcome candidates from a variety of professional backgrounds, but one thing is non-negotiable: You must be willing for fight for the em‑dash.

Just kidding. (Sort of.)

You must have spent at least five years writing for high-profile leaders, publications, and/or organizations—and done so exceptionally well. We’re looking for someone comfortable contributing in any medium (from warm, personality-driven Instagram posts to data-driven policy memos) and on any of our subjects (from women’s health to venture capital).

Location: Seattle or DC, with the possibility of remote work from states where Pivotal has a presence.

Please spread the word!

Posted by: Linda Perlstein

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Interim Senior Writer

Seattle, WA; Washington, DC; US-Based Remote

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Founded by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal is a group of organizations working to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the U.S. and around the world.

Inspired by our founder, we reach across communities and sectors to bring together innovative thinkers who can scale up proven ideas and catalyze new ones. We learn from their experiences, amplify their resources, and support them as they lead.

Pivotal includes Pivotal Philanthropies, focused on charitable grantmaking and impact investing; Pivotal Initiatives Fund, focused on policy and advocacy work; and Pivotal Ventures, focused on direct investments and partnerships. 

ROLE DESCRIPTION                                   

The Interim Senior Writer works across multiple entities within the Pivotal ecosystem and is responsible for delivering world-class thinking, writing, and storytelling in support of the Principal, the Pivotal brand and Pivotal leadership. This position works closely with the Senior Manager, Speechwriting & Editorial Content to develop content including op-eds, essays, speeches, social media posts, scripts, blogs, website copy, and other internal and external communications. This individual collaborates with colleagues across Pivotal and its partner organizations to support Pivotal’s mission to advance social progress.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Content Development

• Conceive, draft, and edit a wide range of deliverables for the Principal, the Pivotal brand, and Pivotal leadership, operating with minimal direction, producing drafts that require minimal edits, and consistently demonstrating sound editorial judgement across all assignments.
• Play a strategic role in positioning the Principal and Pivotal spokespeople as thought leaders, developing unique frameworks that present our issues in compelling and creative ways that are relevant to broader global and national conversations.
• Effectively translate our programmatic work into clear, accessible language that puts a human face on our policy priorities while accurately reflecting our strategies.
• Support other writing assignments as needed, including providing ghostwriting support for program experts and senior leadership.
• Stay current on breaking news, op-eds, white papers, events, and issues relevant to the Principal and Pivotal (e.g., global health, gender equality, philanthropy, women’s health, AI, and venture capital).

Editorial Project & Stakeholder Management

• Simultaneously manage multiple writing projects and editorial processes from conception to completion—coordinating with editors, subject-matter experts, and stakeholders.
• Navigate a complex and collaborative ecosystem, effectively managing relationships and information flow.
• Collaborate with Creative Studio and Digital teams to transform content into social-friendly formats (e.g., graphics, explainer videos).

Team & Culture Contributions

• Represent the team at meetings and support team operations such as content archiving and fact-checking.
• Foster a culture of inclusivity and accountability across the Communications & Public Affairs team and its partners.
• Maintain flexibility and the ability to adapt to evolving strategies and situations.
• Demonstrate equity in all aspects of work, consistent with organizational values and legal requirements.
• Travel domestically and, occasionally, internationally.

Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES

To perform this role successfully, individuals must demonstrate the skills and behaviors aligned with our Pivotal Principles that define what success looks like across all roles. These competencies reflect the expectations for how we work together, lead, grow, and deliver impact for all employees regardless of function or level.

Build and Maintain Trust

Act with integrity and foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment.

• Is Inclusive – Advance a culture of equity and belonging.
• Act with Integrity – Tell the truth, take responsibility for your actions, meet your commitments, and act ethically.
• Collaborate – Build trusting relationships and treat people with dignity and respect.

Drive Impact

Deliver high-quality work that is aligned with Pivotal Strategic Initiatives.

• Solve Problems – Identify issues and seek diverse perspectives to develop potential solutions.
• Propel Work Forward – Take initiative, prioritize work appropriately, and complete work on time.
• Center Stewardship – Use resources responsibly, consider and manage risk, and follow Pivotal policies and procedures.

Learn and Grow

Demonstrate a commitment to continuous individual and organizational development.

• Contribute Constructively – Participate in advancing individual, team, and organization-wide well-being and resilience.
• Occupy Growth-Mindset – Embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and focus on improvement.
• Share Knowledge – Document work appropriately, assess outcomes, and share explicit and tacit learning.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Minimum 5-7 years of experience writing for high-profile leaders, foundations, newspapers, periodicals, or related organizations, or an equivalent combination of advanced training and experience.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize data and evidence into clear, accessible arguments.
• Experience writing for a variety of audiences (e.g., decision-maker, online) and formats (e.g., contributed content, social posts, and websites).
• Deep understanding of cultural and geographical considerations.
• Proficiency using Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and SharePoint).
• Fluency in use of systems necessary to role (e.g., Workday).
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed both domestically and internationally.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Experience writing in the voices of both a principal and a brand.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines in a role requiring continual attention to detail in composing, typing, and proofreading content.
• Understanding of digital media landscape.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

The Salary range for this position is $175,100 - $186,100. This position is based in Pivotal's Seattle, WA or Washington DC office. Remote may be considered for exceptionally qualified US-based candidates in certain geographic locations who are willing to travel.

This role is expected to have a duration of 12 months. This means that, absent some change, the position will end within that timeframe as defined in the offer letter. The limited duration of the position does not alter the at-will nature of the position or work at Pivotal Ventures.  

Benefits will be provided by your employer of record and currently include medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and long-term care insurance, fertility benefit, caregiving support, 144 hours of vacation, 96 hours of sick leave, 401k, HSA, FSA, and more. Eligibility for and the amount of benefits provided are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents. 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, in Pivotal’s discretion, with or without notice.

Pivotal values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and all applicants seeking employment. All employment decisions at Pivotal are based on the candidate’s or employee’s capabilities and qualifications without regard to race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), color, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, caste, veteran or military status, marital, parental, or familial status, disability (including sensory, physical, or mental disability), medical condition, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, political ideology, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law.

Pivotal complies with federal, state, and local equal opportunity and disability laws and makes reasonable accommodation consistent with those laws for applicants and employees with disabilities. Please contact PandC@pivotal.com for assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process.

Applications may be submitted via the Pivotal Careers page.