Senior Technical Writer
About The Position
The Senior Technical Writer leads documentation efforts for software applications, IT systems, GEOINT capabilities, and mission-critical technologies supporting national-security missions. The role works with software and systems engineers, program leadership, subject-matter experts, and customer stakeholders to gather and validate information, understand technical concepts, and produce clear, accurate, mission-ready documentation. The writer independently manages assignments from information gathering through review and delivery, and helps establish consistent documentation standards, templates, and content-management practices across development teams. Programming experience is not required. The primary work location is Gaithersburg, Maryland. The schedule is flexible and telework-friendly, but the employee must be local and able to come onsite throughout the week as needed. The position requires an active Top Secret/SCI clearance and the ability to successfully pass a polygraph examination. U.S. citizenship is required by contract.
Requirements
- U.S. citizenship is required per contract.
- Bachelor's degree in English, Technical Communication, Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience; additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- 5+ years of professional technical writing experience supporting software development, IT systems, systems engineering, or similar technical environments.
- Demonstrated experience creating and maintaining technical documentation for software applications or IT systems, including user guides, SOPs, system documentation, technical manuals, and release notes.
- Ability to understand technical terminology and communicate effectively with software engineers, system administrators, and other technical personnel.
- Experience working with technical teams to gather, understand, and document system or software information.
- Familiarity with the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and Agile development environments.
- Hands-on experience with Confluence and Jira or similar collaboration/documentation tools.
- Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and information-organization skills.
- Ability to research unfamiliar technical topics and work with subject-matter experts to develop accurate documentation.
- Proven ability to independently organize and manage documentation deliverables across multiple projects or teams.
- Strong attention to detail and technical accuracy.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Active Top Secret/SCI clearance and ability to successfully pass a polygraph examination.
Nice To Haves
- Experience supporting Intelligence Community (IC), Department of Defense (DoD), or other federal customers.
- Experience working in a classified environment.
- Experience documenting enterprise software applications, web-based systems, or data analytics platforms.
- General familiarity with software architecture, APIs, databases, cloud infrastructure, and modern software development environments.
- Experience documenting Agile software development or DevSecOps teams.
- Experience with Markdown, Git, XML, JSON, or similar documentation/content-management tools.
- Familiarity with software release processes, system deployments, and configuration management concepts.
- Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) or similar certification.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development, writing, editing, and maintenance of technical documentation for software applications, IT systems, GEOINT capabilities, and mission-critical technologies.
- Translate complex technical concepts into clear, concise, audience-appropriate documentation.
- Collaborate with engineers, developers, architects, analysts, and subject-matter experts to gather and validate technical information.
- Create and maintain system documentation, user guides, standard operating procedures (SOPs), release notes, technical manuals, and other program deliverables.
- Develop documentation that supports software development, system operations, application functionality, and end-user workflows.
- Review and update existing documentation for accuracy, consistency, clarity, and completeness.
- Interview technical and mission personnel to gather information and turn it into usable documentation.
- Independently manage documentation assignments from initial information gathering through final review and delivery.
- Participate in Agile team meetings, technical discussions, and release activities to stay informed of system changes and documentation needs.
- Manage multiple documentation assignments and meet established deadlines.
- Work in controlled and classified environments while following program security and documentation requirements.
- Help establish and maintain consistent documentation standards, templates, and content-management practices across development teams.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
