Our client, an automation device company, is seeking a technical writer – on site. The ideal candidate will have a hardware background, preferably in the automation or medical device industries. Candidates should be detail-oriented, excel at multitasking, learn quickly, require minimal supervision to lead projects to completion, and have a proactive helpful attitude.
The writer in this position will work closely with project managers, mechanical engineers, controls engineers, and other subject matter experts. In addition, the writer will take the initiative to research existing project documentation, including design specifications, parts lists, and CAD models, to complete their understanding of machine operation and construction.
Because the work is hands-on/hardware-related, and because we want the candidate to spend their introductory period developing relationships with the project managers, we’d prefer a local candidate. Remote work will be on the table after the introductory period.
Required
- 5+ years of experience creating documents for projects of varying scope, type, and complexity.
- Excellent oral and written communication, research, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent time and project management skills to manage multiple concurrent projects at differing levels of development.
- Experience delivering documentation from a single source to multiple outputs.
- Experience adhering to a style manual and working with templates.
- Experience operating in a fast-paced, changeable, deadline-driven environment.
- A shareable portfolio of writing examples.
- A basic understanding of electromechanical principles.
- A drive to investigate/self-learn unfamiliar processes/technologies/terminology.
Desired
- A degree in a communications-related discipline.
- Illustration, video editing, image editing skills.
- An understanding of (preferably a background with) FDA validation practices (GAMP, PFMEA, traceability, and so on).
- An understanding of manufacturing processes.
- Familiarity with SolidWorks (or similar tool) and mechanical design documentation.
- Understanding of markup languages, HTML, CSS.
- Familiarity with components used in automation, such as:
- Industrial controls (PLCs and HMIs)
- Pneumatic components
- Robots
- Sensors
- Vision systems
- Lasers
- Conveyors
- Networks/Ethernet
Responsibilities
Duties include:
- Planning and writing deliverables, including system manuals, setup guides, and detailed functional specifications.
- Coordinating with project managers and SMEs to collect project information and adhere to the project schedule.
- Scheduling and hosting document review meetings in-person or via Zoom.
- Identifying and addressing content gaps.
- Providing constructive feedback on the user interface (usability, language, messaging, and consistency).
- Proofreading and editing content created by team members and other staff.
- Collaborating with other departments to ensure consistency in terminology.
- Participating in building a strong culture of communication.
- Continuously improving established documentation processes.
- Maintaining documentation files.
In addition, the writer will perform discrete tasks such as:
- Acting as a mentor/troubleshooter for Microsoft and Adobe applications.
- Capturing and editing demo videos.
- Modifying/converting PDFs.
- Editing images.
- Contributing to company web page content.
- Contributing to the company wiki.
- Submitting CDRH reports to the FDA.
Tools
The writer is expected to be proficient with a variety of authoring and image development tools, including:
- The Microsoft 365 suite
- The Adobe CC suite
- Madcap Flare
- Camera equipment
A willingness/desire to learn new tools will be considered to address knowledge gaps.