Senior Reporter - Chemicals Policy

Overview

Chemical Watch News & Insight, the world leader in covering chemicals management policy, is looking for a senior reporter to join our editorial team.

Chemical Watch is the news arm of Enhesa, a global regulatory and sustainability intelligence provider. Our clients include some of the world's largest companies across chemicals, manufacturing, automotive, electronics, and retail.

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious and wants to become a subject matter expert on chemicals compliance, helping our readers stay on top of the complex regulations and policies that govern the substances used in everyday products.

The senior reporter will digest technical topics and convey them succinctly through impartial news stories written to deadline. There will also be opportunities to write longer feature articles, contribute to podcasts, and attend regulatory events.   

What we are looking for

•    Fluency with dense primary sources – agency rulemakings, risk evaluations, legal briefs, docket comments, legislative text – and the ability to identify what matters in them;
•    An aptitude for developing relationships with key sources inside regulatory agencies, trade associations, law firms, and companies, including finding experts who will share behind-the-scenes details needed to keep a finger on the pulse;
•    A genuine interest in the machinery of regulation and policymaking, and a willingness to use AI to dive deeper into those topics;
•    Horizon scanning instincts, to be able to spot regulatory divergences between state programs, read a court filing for what it reveals about litigation strategy, or flag statutory ambiguities that could cause challenges in the future; and
•    Strict impartiality, serving a readership that spans the full range of viewpoints on a controversial subject by providing a trusted voice that does not advocate for a certain policy outcome.

We write for an audience that understands chemical regulatory matters deeply. Our readers come to us for analysis and intelligence, which means our reporters must build the expertise needed to provide readers with insights they can use in their work.

We hire inquisitive and driven individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including environmental journalists, graduates from advanced programs in public health or policy, environmental lawyers, trade association policy experts, and government and regulatory affairs professionals.

Role requirements

•    A minimum of three to five years of relevant professional experience involving analytical skills, including in journalism, policy, law, regulatory affairs, or a related field;
•    The ability to work with complex technical, scientific, and legal material on deadline;
•    Clear, precise, and accurate writing for a professional audience;
•    Self-motivation and reliability as a remote worker;
•    Willingness to travel periodically to conferences and events in North America and occasionally abroad.

Chemical regulatory policy is a niche field, and we do not expect someone to arrive with that expertise. What we need is a candidate with the intellectual curiosity and analytical disposition to dive in and learn as they go.

Experience with chemical regulations, TSCA, or other relevant environmental statutes is advantageous, but not a requirement.

We read cover letters carefully and will not consider an application unless one is included. Please describe what excites you about becoming a senior reporter with Chemical Watch News & Insight and why you are the right candidate for us.