| Department: | Development |
| Job title: | Technical Author |
| Internal relationships: | Directors, Senior Managers, Developers, Test and Design, Technical Support, Product Managers, Sales and Marketing, Training. |
| External relationships: | Existing & Potential Customers |
| Responsible to: | Software Development Manager, Senior Technical Author |
Job summary
Responsible for the production and maintenance of Digita's user assistance content encompassing all products within its portfolio.
Main duties and responsibilities
Technical:
- Responsible for creating concise and technically correct user assistance content.
- To ensure all user assistance content is written in Plain English.
- To ensure a consistent style and approach is adopted for user assistance content across all Digita Products.
- To work with Product Managers, Support, Sales and Training to ensure assistance content meets the requirements of its intended audience.
- To actively participate in design reviews and relevant technical meetings.
Personal Development:
- Maintain up to date knowledge of Digita software products, including keeping up to date with new "user assistance" technologies.
- Take responsibility and show initiative in areas of own professional development and learning.
- Be prepared to act as a mentor to other employees within the organisation and impart relevant knowledge.
Quality:
- Apply quality standards and house style throughout all content.
- Ensure all content is delivered on time and with minimal defects.
Risk:
- Promote and establish a healthy and safe working environment, ensuring that health and safety policies are complied with.
- Identify potential hazards in the work environment that have the potential to create a risk to other employees or visitors to the organisation.
Additional Information:
- The post-holder will work without supervision and may be expected to deal with other duties appropriate to level and post.
- The job description is an outline of the post-holder's duties and responsibilities. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of the organisation.
Person specification
| Criteria | Essential | Desirable | Method of assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education / Qualifications | English and Maths GCSE or equivalent. Able to communicate effectively in English. Able to quickly learn and work with complex and diverse software packages. | Relevant English or Technical Communication degree. Relevant Computing degree or equivalent. | Interview / Certificates |
| Previous experience | At least 3 years technical authoring experience. Experience with a variety of help authoring packages. | Knowledge of Madcap Flare | Interview / References. |
| Skills, knowledge and abilities | Able to deliver high quality content within timescales. Excellent communication skills both verbal and written. Able to prioritise tasks. Able to determine work estimates and associated risks. Able to link help topics to application dialogs. | Knowledge of XHTML and XML transforms. | Interview / Assessment |
| Attitude, Aptitude and Personal Characteristics | Must work on own initiative. Highly motivated. Demonstrate a creative and analytical mind. Able to demonstrate professional integrity. Work well within a Team. Quality focussed. Excellent interpersonal skills. Able to adapt readily to changing demands. | Conceptual thinker. Attention to analytical detail. | Interview / Assessment |
How to apply
If you would like to apply for this post by email, please read the Fair Obtaining Statement, and complete the following form. A new email will open when you click the "apply now" button: please complete your covering letter and attach your CV in Microsoft Word or RTF format.
Apply by post
Alternatively, please send a copy of your CV to: Personnel Department, Digita, Liverton Business Park, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 2NR.
