TECHNICAL AUTHOR JOB DESCRIPTION

A Technical Author who cannot translate engineering drawings into clear operator instructions leaves maintenance crews working from guesswork. That gap, in defense and maritime environments where documentation governs safe vehicle commissioning, has measurable consequences. The Technical Author fills that gap by owning the full documentation output for complex engineered platforms, from user handbooks and standard operating procedures to safety and risk assessments. The role sits inside multi-discipline project teams, coordinating with illustration, engineering, and production functions to meet content strategies and project KPIs on schedule.

As the Technical Author, you will produce, verify, and maintain technical documentation for engineered platforms and systems across a multi-discipline project environment, ensuring content accuracy meets specification and delivery milestones. You work within a cross-functional team that includes engineering, illustration, and operations stakeholders, with your output directly determining the usability and compliance of fielded documentation packages.

Career Impact: Authoring to defense and maritime engineering standards, including vehicle commissioning documentation and hazardous systems manuals, builds a portfolio that is directly transferable across government and industrial defense programs.

Business Impact: Field teams and end-users depend on accurate, specification-compliant documentation to commission, operate, and maintain complex vehicles safely- incomplete or inaccurate output creates real operational risk.

Growth Opportunity: Mastery of engineering standards, safety assessment writing, and multi-platform documentation positions Technical Authors for senior authoring, documentation management, or content strategy roles within defense and engineering organizations.

• Produce and maintain technical documentation, including user handbooks, standard operating procedures, and vehicle datasheets, to project specification and style standards.
• Develop content from engineering drawings, source materials, and subject matter expert interviews to ensure accuracy across all document types.
• Author bespoke commissioning documentation, including test and acceptance plans and safety and risk assessments, for internal and customer delivery.
• Review and adhere to project schedules to support accurate delivery against key content milestones and KPIs.
• Collaborate with illustration teams to integrate compliant graphics and diagrams into coherent documentation packages.
• Gather usability feedback from end-users and customers and incorporate improvements into existing documentation.
• Coordinate with authors and cross-functional team members to ensure consistency of output across all project deliverables.
• Support proposal writing projects and serve as documentation coordinator for larger production efforts as required.

• Bachelor's degree or HNC in an engineering discipline, or equivalent work experience in technical communication.
• 3 or more years of technical authoring experience, with demonstrated ability to produce operator and maintenance documentation for complex engineered systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical source materials accurately.
• Knowledge of engineering industry specifications, standards, and documentation guidelines applicable to defense or industrial environments.
• Proven ability to produce well-structured, specification-compliant documentation including manuals, procedures, modification work orders, and test plans.
• Strong written English skills with attention to detail in grammar, consistency, and accuracy of published material.
• Organizational skills sufficient to manage multiple production requirements and parallel deadlines within a project-managed environment.

• Hands-on engineering exposure in a relevant discipline such as aerospace, marine, or land vehicle systems.
• Experience producing safety and risk assessments or commissioning documentation for vehicle or systems programs.
• Familiarity with UK Nuclear or equivalent defense standards and hazardous systems documentation requirements.
• Competency in graphics and image editing for photo manipulation and diagram production within technical documents.

• Documentation delivery rate against project milestone schedule, measured as percentage of tasks completed on time.
• First-pass acceptance rate of authored content by QA or customer review, reflecting specification compliance.
• Error rate per document revision cycle, indicating consistency and accuracy of authored output.
• Volume of usable feedback incorporated per documentation update cycle, measuring end-user responsiveness.
• Consistency score across project deliverable suite, assessed during cross-author peer review.
• Typical tools: XML or structured authoring environments (commonly DITA-based platforms); image editing software (commonly Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator).

• Base Salary Range: $60,000 to $85,000 annually, depending on experience and platform specialization
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus, typically 5 to 10 percent of base salary
• Equity: Not typically offered at this level in defense engineering environments
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer contribution varies by organization
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually, plus federal holidays common in defense contracting settings
• Common Perks: Professional development support, security clearance sponsorship where applicable, and schedule flexibility for office and field-based tasks

Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employment in this role is contingent on successful completion of a background check and, where applicable, verification of eligibility to access controlled or sensitive program materials. All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Consideration for employment is extended to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

The Technical Author delivers accurate, on-time content across multi-discipline production environments, developing materials from source analysis while coordinating with illustration teams against KPI targets and project schedules. Reporting to the Project Manager and collaborating with authors and cross-functional teams, this work ensures consistent, specification-compliant documentation that supports successful project outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Be accountable for delivering content and documentation to set timeframes while ensuring quality of authored tasks meets set specification and standards.
• Monitor and execute to ensure quality and project KPI are successfully met.
• Ensure customer satisfaction by achieving high standards of consistency and accuracy of authored tasks.
• Review and adhere to project schedules to support successful and accurate delivery to key milestones.
• Develop content through analysis and understanding of various source materials.
• Work in conjunction with illustration teams to deliver a fully compliant and coherent document.
• Collaborate with other authors and team members to ensure consistent output across project deliverables.
• Suggest improvements and alternatives to support efficiency and operational development.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience in a technical authoring field, or a qualification in a technical communication course.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and experience with aero engines, land vehicles, and ideally marine vehicles.
• Up-to-date knowledge and experience of industry specifications and guidelines.
• Knowledge of industry technology and specifications in support of content creation and technical documentation.
• Strong communication skills.

Embedded within a cross-functional engineering and operations environment, the Technical Author produces, maintains, and verifies vehicle documentation spanning user handbooks, software manuals, and safety assessments. Working closely with maritime operations, production, and in-house design teams, this work translates end-user feedback and hands-on vessel testing into compliant, high-quality instructional materials.

Core Functions

• Produce, maintain, update, and verify documentation to support vehicle activities, including user handbooks, software manuals, maintenance work packages, standard operating procedures, trials plans and reports, and vehicle datasheets.
• Work closely with all relevant teams across the business to understand products and services.
• Produce bespoke documentation for vehicle commissioning, including internal and customer test and acceptance plans, safety and risk assessments.
• Produce vehicle and software training course material.
• Gather usability feedback from customers and end-users and make subsequent improvements to existing documentation and materials.
• Provide input to in-house design teams to feed back end-user experience.

Qualifications & Experience

• Some engineering exposure, ideally with a qualification or technical experience in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Previous experience operating small boats preferred.
• Ability to produce and deliver high quality, well formatted technical documentation.
• Use of graphics and image editing software for photo manipulation.
• Seeing the big picture, leading and communicating, collaborating and partnering, building capability, delivering at pace, and managing a quality service.
• Attention to detail in the production of written and published material, with excellent written skills in English.

Reporting to department leadership, the Technical Author shapes the full lifecycle of technical documentation, from research and writing plans through quality assurance and electronic library maintenance, serving both internal teams and external proposal efforts. Partnering with technical professionals across specializations, this work builds a reliable documentation infrastructure that supports compliant delivery of manuals, specifications, and test plans for hazardous systems.

Primary Duties

• Interface with technical professionals in the writing, editing, and publication of documents such as specifications, manuals, reports, plans, training material, and presentations.
• Research assigned topics and develop writing plans and outlines.
• Assist in the development of supporting materials including illustrations and tables.
• Track and monitor flow of all documents from inception to distribution of final copies and identify and correct problem areas as they arise.
• Provide quality assurance checks for all document deliverables.
• Participate regularly in department and company-wide proposal writing projects and serve as proposal coordinator for large production efforts as needed.
• Utilize appropriate computer software for document production and investigate and implement best ways to produce documentation electronically.
• Establish and maintain electronic and hardcopy data libraries of documents and work order files.

Education & Experience

• Degree or HNC in an engineering discipline preferred.
• Proven experience in writing, editing, and managing technical documentation and operator and maintenance manuals for hazardous systems and equipment.
• Knowledge of applicable UK Nuclear standards, specifications, and test practices preferred.
• Ability to conceptualize, format, structure, write, edit, and finalize technical manuals, orders, specifications, modification work orders, and test plans, procedures, and results.
• Working knowledge of word-processing and integrated software applications.
• Excellent written communication skills with strong organizational ability and attention to detail.

Sitting at the intersection of technical communication and engineering operations, the Technical Author leads the creation, editing, and verification of product documentation from prototype build records through indexed catalogues, supporting teams across design, production, and manufacturing. Operating across internal stakeholder groups and external print and translation partners, this work ensures that first-of-kind builds and ongoing product knowledge are captured accurately and accessibly for future reference.

Duties

• Write, edit, and proofread text.
• Collate and verify information.
• Create and edit pictures and diagrams.
• Liaise with other staff such as printers, photographers, and translators.
• Produce indexes and catalogues.
• Work with internal teams to obtain an in-depth understanding of the product and documentation requirements.
• Create specific documentation to record first-of and prototype build details, ensuring all key areas of the product are documented for future reference.

Skills & Qualifications

• Previous relevant experience as a Technical Author or in a similar role preferred.
• Experience in a technical role such as design, engineering, or production environment preferred.
• Technical knowledge and a strong interest in technical systems and processes.
• Strong ability to articulate meaning with good command of grammar and vocabulary.
• Ability to express instructions clearly and briefly in simple language.
• Good documentation skills and ability to produce visually attractive instructions.
• Excellent planning, organisational, and analytical skills with ability to gather information from experts.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Skills in graphics packages such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator preferred.

A key member of the mechanical content development team, the Technical Author builds and maintains service information procedures for Chassis, HVAC, Powertrain, Body, Interior, and Exterior commodities, working across CAD visualization and authoring tools to produce graphics and structured text. Collaborating across internal and external customer organizations, this work ensures that accurate, well-managed publication content reaches dealership technicians and service operations on schedule.

Functions

• Develop and author mechanical service information procedures and related technical content for Chassis, HVAC, Powertrain, Body, Interior, and Exterior commodities.
• Edit existing mechanical service information content as required.
• Utilize CAD visualization tools to create graphics from math data.
• Develop procedure text using authoring software while creating and applying text strings as applicable.
• Manage publication content by section, subsection, and information type.
• Communicate information to and from internal and external customer organizations.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Automotive Technology or equivalent technical experience.
• Dealership experience as a technician preferred.
• Technical writing background preferred.
• Knowledge of CAD visualization techniques preferred.
• Proficient in MS Excel, MS Word, and technical authoring software.
• Illustration and graphics development skills preferred.
• Good organizational skills with ability to clearly communicate complex subject matter.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with others.
• Ability to work in a production environment with adherence to delivery schedule timing.

Clear, audience-calibrated documentation across a corporate technical environment depends on the Technical Author, who owns the production of new copy, reformatted materials, supporting graphics, and a maintained template library serving audiences from end-users to subject matter experts. Based within a corporate setting and working closely with technical staff, this work delivers a uniform documentation suite that gives the organization a consistent, professional standard of written communication.

Accountabilities

• Work closely with technical staff to produce clear, concise, and unambiguous technical documentation.
• Write new copy to an agreed standard and style.
• Convey information appropriate to a specified target audience, from end-user to subject matter expert.
• Update existing text to present a uniform style and level of detail across a document suite.
• Redesign and reformat existing documentation.
• Produce supporting images, graphics, and diagrams.
• Produce and maintain a library of document templates.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of experience in a technical author role.
• Experience working in a corporate environment.
• Capable of producing technical diagrams using appropriate software toolsets.
• Working knowledge of modern IT technologies.
• Excellent written English skills with strong verbal and interpersonal skills.