Technical Writer / Technical Documentation Lead - JobID-0335

Innovative Defense Technologies•Arlington, VA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) is seeking a detail-oriented, technically proficient Technical Writer / Technical Documentation Lead to join its Advanced Capabilities team and Systems Engineering team in Arlington, Virginia. The role develops, organizes, maintains, and standardizes technical engineering and program documentation supporting the design, development, systems engineering, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment of advanced defense technologies. The successful candidate will work with systems engineers, software developers, technical leads, program managers, and other stakeholders to turn complex engineering concepts, system architectures, and technical workflows into clear, accurate, accessible documentation. The role manages documentation requirements and lifecycles across concurrent projects in a fast-paced engineering environment and coordinates documentation schedules with engineering work and release cycles. Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain an active Secret U.S. Security Clearance. This is a hybrid position requiring 2–3 days in the Arlington office, with approximately 10% travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communication with a technical focus, or a related STEM or technical field, or equivalent full-time professional experience.
Five years of directly relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience developing technical documentation such as technical reference manuals, Interface Control Documents, Statements of Work, Systems Engineering Management Plans, Configuration Management Plans, or similar governance documents.
Extensive knowledge of writing standards and regulatory compliance practices.
Strong understanding of the Systems Engineering V-model and the Software Development Life Cycle.
Extensive knowledge of writing Contract Data Requirements List deliverables, such as training guides, Program Management Plans, Quality Assurance Plans, and test plans.
Strong familiarity with engineering collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, Git/GitLab, or equivalent version-control and issue-tracking tools.
Strong familiarity with project scheduling and management tools such as MS Project, and with developing Plans of Action and Milestones.
Superior technical writing and communication skills, including the ability to understand complex technical architectures and explain them in structured, accessible formats for technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong organizational and time-management capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Proactive approach to identifying issues and driving solutions, with exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to coordinate documentation timelines, align deliverables with engineering sprints, and track milestones.
Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.
Ability to travel approximately 10%.
Ability to obtain and maintain an active Secret U.S. Security Clearance.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Visio, or other design or modeling tools for creating system diagrams and visual aids.
Working knowledge of Model-Based Systems Engineering methodologies or tools such as Cameo or Enterprise Architect.
Working knowledge of configuration management practices, including baseline management, version control, and compliance documentation workflows.
Professional systems engineering or program management certifications such as INCOSE ASEP/CSEP, Certified Scrum Master, PMP, CAPM, ITIL Foundation, or configuration management credentials.

Responsibilities

Develop, revise, and manage technical engineering deliverables, including technical reference manuals, operational guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures, system diagrams, proposal and business development materials, engineering reports, Interface Control Documents, Software Design Descriptions, test procedures, and procedural workflows.
Maintain and update technical baseline documentation, including the Configuration Management Plan, Systems Engineering Management Plan, Statements of Work, Program Management Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, and IDT policy documentation.
Collaborate with engineers, program managers, project leads, and subject matter experts to gather and consolidate technical data and Model-Based Systems Engineering artifacts and convert them into clear, structured documentation.
Ensure technical references and governance documentation comply with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and established standards; audit documentation for completeness, accuracy, and relevance to existing systems.
Create and manage Plans of Action and Milestones and other project documentation to support planning, compliance, and efficient workflows.
Coordinate engineering documentation workflows, manage documentation release cycles, align documentation sprints with software and system release schedules, and maintain documentation trackers such as Jira or Confluence.
Organize documentation repositories and apply version-control practices, tracking revisions and reference sources to support traceability and accessibility.
Identify and address documentation gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities to improve documentation and governance processes.