Content Specialist

TED@Work is a new initiative that reimagines TED Talks for workplace learning and development. With a library of powerful talks and practical tools, we want to help organizations work smarter, happier, and with purpose. TED@Work sits in TED’s Global Partnerships team, which establishes a variety of custom partnerships with the world’s leading organizations. This role reports into the TED@Work team, and will also support content creation efforts on the larger Global Partnerships team. 

The Content Specialist for TED@Work will support TED@Work’s content development efforts by curating new TED Talk selections for TED@Work, writing new original content that transforms TED Talks into learning experiences (entails lightweight instructional design), writing new PDF materials including job aides and reference materials, supporting writing and content development efforts for TED’s custom programs, and curating TED content so our client organizations understand which TED Talks will best suit their program needs.
 

We’re looking for a candidate who: 

• has an insatiable curiosity and desire to learn. Watching TED Talks and reading TED Talk transcripts will be a significant part of the onboarding process. 
• has 3+ years experience in copywriting and editing, incorporating brand voice and style guidelines. 
• has a background in learning design and an interest in the corporate Learning and Development industry. They’ll be asked to develop a deep understanding of the taxonomy of skills, keywords and topics that TED Talks have been classified against to align with the industry. 
• understands how different systems and people work together to publish and distribute content. 
• has experience working in the media industry and/or with video as a learning medium. 
• is a taskmaster and can track a number of parallel projects across different workstreams. 
• has a “can do” attitude. We are a small, entrepreneurial team who pitch in as needed. 
• has a global mindset. 
• has experience creating diversity, equity and inclusion content (considered a strong plus). 
• has strong user empathy. 
• enjoys a fast-paced, constantly-evolving work environment. 
• is extremely detail-oriented. 
• can point to content they’ve created to appeal to different audiences -- from learning assets to newsletters to blog posts. 

Responsibilities include: 

For TED@Work (75%):  

• Curate new TED Talk selections for TED@Work based on curation guidelines.
• Working closely with the wider TED editorial team, stay up-to-date on the publishing schedule of new TED Talks and other TED original content. 
• Write new course content for TED@Work. 
• Develop new learning materials and job aides to accompany course content, including facilitator guides and copy for interactive learning tools. 
• Support content creation for additional tools as needed (including marketing and web copy, site microcopy, marketing 1-pagers). 
• Advise and provide curation recommendations to clients. 
• Stay current on industry trends. 

For the larger Global Partnerships Team (25%): 

• Oversee editorial processes for partner-event written content. 
• Write and/or edit curation-related copy for the TED.com platform including talk titles, summaries, and speaker biographies. 
• Work with TED's editorial team to edit and finalize assets, preparing talks for posting on TED.com.
• Maintain and update program materials such as speaker preparation handbooks and event program guides. 
• Create written introductions to externally-facing partner handbooks. 
• Write blog posts and quarterly marketing newsletters, highlighting the work of the team. 
• Write up insights reports and partner recaps, summarizing conferences and events. 
• Draft copy for talk posting and social posts.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Bachelor's degree or higher
• Background in instructional design and/or curriculum development, ideally incorporating a distinct brand voice
• Skilled in writing and developing content related to professional development and human skill development
• Excellent copyediting and proofreading skills 
• Excellent computer skills: Google Docs, Airtable, etc 
• Strong editorial point of view 
• Excellent time-management skills with ability to meet deadlines