Copy Editor, Volunteer

Copy Editor, Volunteer

About the Pet Cancer Foundation

The Pet Cancer Foundation’s vision is to increase the life expectancy and improve the quality of life of pets diagnosed with cancer. Each year, an estimated 12 million dogs and cats are diagnosed with cancer, six times the number of humans affected annually in North America.

As our content library grows and reaches more pet families, maintaining clear, accurate, empathetic, and accessible writing is essential. The Copy Editor plays a key role in ensuring every published piece meets PCF’s high editorial standards and truly serves our audience. That’s where and how you can help us!

About the position

The volunteer Copy Editor plays a vital role in shaping PCF’s content by reviewing and refining draft articles and resources. You focus on improving readability, grammar, flow, tone, and consistency while preserving scientific accuracy and our compassionate brand voice. Working closely with team leaders, you help transform good drafts into polished, clear, and accessible final articles that truly support pet families navigating health challenges. This role allows you to use your editing expertise to ensure every published piece is professional, empathetic, and helpful to pet owners.

*Please leave a note with your application acknowledging your awareness of the volunteer nature of this position. We will only contact and proceed with candidates who confirm their understanding.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Review and edit draft articles for clarity, readability, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and overall flow while maintaining scientific accuracy.
• Ensure content adheres to PCF’s style guide, brand voice, and editorial standards for consistency across all sections.
• Ensure editing does not change any verified facts, statistics, and source documentation to ensure accuracy and credibility.
• Improve sentence structure, eliminate jargon, and enhance plain-language accessibility for a lay audience.
• When applicable, provide constructive feedback to writers to support their development and improve future drafts.
• Collaborate with team leaders to resolve questions regarding tone, emphasis, or technical accuracy.
• Maintain an organized workflow and meet editorial deadlines within the content calendar.

*Please note that we do not allow AI software for editing work.

About You

You’re a skilled, detail-oriented editor with a passion for clear communication and a strong commitment to accuracy and empathy. You excel at refining writer copy into readable, compassionate content and thrive in a collaborative, remote volunteer environment. You bring:

• 2–5 years of professional editing or copyediting experience (journalism, or communications preferred).
• Exceptional command of English, grammar, style, and plain-language writing for general audiences.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain consistency across large volumes of content.
• Experience providing constructive feedback to writers in a supportive, developmental manner.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and comfort working in shared documents.
• Ability to handle sensitive topics with care, empathy, and professionalism.
• Genuine passion for PCF’s mission and dedication to creating content that genuinely helps pet families.

*In addition to requiring Copy Editors, we are also seeking a Team Leader or Senior Copy Editor to manage this team. We will be reviewing resumes and asking more experienced candidates if supervising editors is of interest.

What we provide you with

Volunteering as Copy Editor allows you to play a meaningful role in shaping trustworthy, accessible resources for pet families. You’ll work with dedicated writers and editors, refine high-impact content that reaches thousands of readers, build your editing portfolio in a mission-driven setting, and contribute directly to PCF’s goal of becoming the leading source of reliable pet health and cancer information.

Footnotes

• Community Service: Please include a short note with your application that clearly states you are willing to volunteer.
• Skills Verification: An editing test will be provided to candidates selected to continue through our process.
• Location: Fully virtual, open to candidates across Canada and the United States.
• Time Commitment: 4–6 hours per week on average, with flexibility during peak editorial periods.
• Learn More: Visit www.petcancerfdn.org for more about our mission and impact.

Job Type: Part-time

Application Question(s):

• Please note that Indeed adds a "suggested salary" for all roles when the posting does not include a salary. As this is a volunteer role, we do not include a salary. To avoid misunderstanding, we ask that you leave us a brief note acknowledging your awareness and willingness to volunteer so we can properly consider your application. Thank you!

Work Location: Remote