Not the Right Place

There is a technical writer position open in a geographical region far away from me. It would be awesome if it wasn't far away. Look at what they want - "Create content that can be reused for multiple audiences and types of deliverables, e.g. user guides, help systems, and reference documentation. Maintain complex, shared content across multiple releases." - and tell me that wouldn't be totally awesome! There's too many technologies listed below, though, to make me unrealistic in being hired for it. Plus, there's the distance between here and there.

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Technical Writer ( 2 positions )

The technical writer is responsible for developing content that can be delivered as various types of user assistance -- including how-to guides, reference guides, context help, tech notes, cheat sheets, or embedded help.

Role reports to: Manager, Technical Publications

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Create and maintain documentation project plans for the writing team and for stakeholders. Include detailed content plans, delivery milestones, and dependency assessments.
• Work comfortably and productively in an Agile/Scrum environment. Multi-task, prioritize, and negotiate workload across multiple scrum teams.
• Work independently to research subject matter. Interact with department writers, customers, and contributors to obtain and exchange information, if needed.
• Create content that can be reused for multiple audiences and types of deliverables, e.g. user guides, help systems, and reference documentation. Maintain complex, shared content across multiple releases.
• Explain scientific and technical ideas in simple language.
• Ensure technical verbiage is easy to understand by the layperson.
• Write clear and concise policies and procedures.
• Follow the technical publishing life-cycle.
• Ensure that documentation complies with department standards for presentation, format, and content.
• Document new processes and train other writers in their use.

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree, plus writing or writing-related professional qualification.

EXPERIENCE:

8-10 years of experience in high-tech computer industry, SW or HW writing. Storage industry, virtualization, distributed networks, file systems, operating systems, GUI, and CLI.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies and applications of those technologies with minimal ramp-up time.
• Demonstrated familiarity with industry-standard concepts in information architecture, modular information development, minimalist content development, information typing, content management, and user-centered design.
• Demonstrated familiarity with implementations of those concepts, for example architectures and tools such as OASIS DITA, OASIS DocBook, or MadCap Flare.
• Expert user of authoring tools: Adobe Technical Communications Suite, Confluence (or other Wiki), Microsoft Office, and structured authoring tools.
• Hands-on approach to writing. Expert user of the products they s/he is documenting. Works directly with SMEs in engineering.
• Understands and performs all roles in the technical publishing life-cycle: planning, analyzing user needs, solution design, creating content, coding, formatting, publishing, peer editing, kitting, and delivery.
• Knowledgeable user of Linux, UNIX, and Windows OS.
• Skilled user of GIT, SVN, or other code repository.
• Familiarity with developing curated content for social media.
• Experience producing global products and creating translatable content.

DESIRABLE SKILLS:

• Knowledge of technologies such as distributed storage, virtualization (VMWare, Hyper-V), networking and Linux are a plus.
• Familiarity with high-tech start-ups is an advantage.
• Familiarity with CLIs, GUIs, and REST APIs is a plus.

Posted 8 days ago