Washington Business Journal seeks federal contracting reporter

The federal government represents roughly a third of the Greater Washington economy, so this beat is one of the most important we cover at the Washington Business Journal. The industry straddles official Washington — the nation’s capital — and Washington as a major regional business center.

The beat focuses on the public and private companies providing services to the federal government, with an emphasis on defense, IT and other government contractors. Who’s hiring? Who’s firing? Who’s moving? Who’s winning contracts? Who’s losing contracts? And, finally, what does it all mean for the local economy? How? We follow the money and the people.

The successful candidate will break down the complex regulatory environment, avoiding the alphabet soup and bureaucratic jargon so prevalent in federal procurement.

Coverage areas include: major solicitations, from RFPs to bid protests; local publicly traded defense and technology companies; industry personalities; GAO reports; federal agency budgets and the regulatory environment; and innovation in federal procurement.

A Business Journal reporter is the beating heart of the organization and the business, with the vital task of pumping news, information and life into our products on all platforms. First and foremost, reporters must establish themselves as the go-to source of news, data and perspective in their assigned area of coverage. The top mission: to own audience, by every measure.

Our reporters must marry strong traditional journalism skills – source building, sharp interviewing techniques, strong analytical and investigative reporting skills, clear writing, document use – with online and social media know-how. They are expected to contribute both short-form (daily online posts) and long-form (print) stories to our news products. Scoops matter. A lot. Scoops serve as the oxygen supporting the rest of our content operations and are vital to “owning” one’s beat.

Only by being “out front” of the news can our reporters establish their credibility with their audience, identify the most influential newsmakers, and interpret the news on their beats with authority.

Email your resume, cover letter and links to three clips to Editor-in-Chief Doug Fruehling, dfruehling@bizjournals.com.