Veterinary Medical News Reporter

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the national not-for-profit association established in 1863 and representing over 111,000 veterinarians, is seeking an enterprising, detail-oriented Veterinary Medical News Reporter to join our Marketing & Communications team in Schaumburg, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. This is a hybrid position.

About the role

As a reporter for the premier news source in the veterinary profession, you will cover a dynamic and diverse beat—including animal health and welfare, animal disease concerns, public health, legislative updates, and practice management. The ideal candidate is a seasoned journalist with experience translating complex scientific research, regulatory policy, and clinical data into compelling, accurate, and highly readable stories for our diverse audience of veterinarians, industry stakeholders, and the public. You are highly collaborative and passionate about AVMA’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Beat Coverage & Reporting: Work with the AVMA News senior editor on story identification and development. Pitch, report, and write high-quality news stories, features, and profiles for our digital publications. Stay ahead of trends, research breakthroughs, and public health issues affecting the veterinary community. Interview sources and subject matter experts.
• Source Development: Build and maintain a strong network of sources, including veterinary medical professionals, scientists, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders. Generate story ideas through networking and monitoring news media, online news sources, veterinary publications, medical and scientific journals, and leads from AVMA members and staff.
• Scientific Translation: Read and synthesize technical scientific literature, research papers, and legislative documents, translating complex jargon into clear, accessible prose without sacrificing accuracy.
• On-the-Scene Coverage: Attend and report on major industry events, scientific symposia, and annual conferences (such as the AVMA Convention) to provide timely, relevant on-site coverage.
• Multimedia Integration: Collaborate with editors, creative services, and digital staff to integrate visual and multimedia elements—such as photos, data charts, infographics, and video snippets—to enhance digital storytelling.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with the public relations, marketing, and social media teams to coordinate consistent communications to AVMA members, as well as teams across the AVMA to ensure effective communication of AVMA priorities.
• Editorial Excellence: Fact-check all copy rigorously, adhere to ethical journalism standards, and consistently meet fast-paced digital publishing deadlines while maintaining standard house style (e.g., AP style).

Qualifications

• BS/BA degree in Journalism, Communications, English, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• At least three to five years of professional reporting and writing experience, preferably in daily news, trade journalism, B2B publishing, or digital newsrooms.
• Proven track record of covering science, medicine, healthcare, public health, or agriculture.
• Exceptional interviewing skills, strong analytical ability to parse dense data and research, and proficiency with digital content management systems.
• Direct experience reporting on veterinary medicine, animal welfare, or animal health industries preferred.
• Skills in digital photography, basic audio/video editing, or data journalism a plus.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance.
• FSA & HSA plans.
• 401(k) Plan.
• Generous vacation and sick time.
• 11 Paid Holidays.
• Floating Holiday.
• Paid Parental Leave.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Tuition and professional certification reimbursement.
• Compensatory Time Off.
• Casual dress.
• 37.5-hour workweek.
• Association Forum/ASAE membership.
• Veterinary pet insurance.

Pay

A reasonable estimate of the current base pay range for this position is $78,000 - $82,000. Compensation decisions take into account a wide range of factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, skills, certifications, geographic location, business needs, and organizational policies. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer.

About the AVMA

Located in Schaumburg, Illinois, with an office in Washington, D.C., the AVMA is structured to work for its members and acts as a collective voice for its membership and for the profession. The AVMA provides many benefits to its members, including information resources, state and federal advocacy, opportunities to address issues affecting policies that govern the profession and practice of veterinary medicine, continuing education opportunities, quality publications, and discounts on personal and professional products, programs, and services. The work of the AVMA is carried out by a dedicated staff of over 170. The organization is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors and has a $50M+ annual operating budget.