Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Documentation Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Documentation Coordinator is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and improving the document control lifecycle across the organization. This role coordinates the creation, revision, distribution, and archival of controlled documents (SOPs, policies, work instructions, manuals, training materials, regulatory submissions), enforces version control and approval workflows, and partners with subject-matter experts, quality, regulatory, and operations teams to ensure documentation is accurate, compliant, accessible, and audit‑ready. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong technical writing, records management, and process improvement experience with proven ability to manage competing priorities in regulated or process-driven environments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Technical Writer or Technical Documentation Specialist
Document Control Specialist or Records Coordinator
Administrative Coordinator with experience supporting quality or regulatory teams

Advancement To:

Documentation Manager / Document Control Manager
Technical Publications Manager or Content Strategy Lead
Quality Assurance Manager or Regulatory Affairs Lead

Lateral Moves:

Senior Technical Writer
Quality Assurance Analyst
Regulatory Documentation Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Maintain the document control system and content management platform (e.g., SharePoint, Veeva, Documentum, Confluence), ensuring all controlled documents are properly classified, versioned, and stored in accordance with company policy and regulatory requirements.
Coordinate the end-to-end lifecycle of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), work instructions, policies, forms, and technical manuals — including drafting, review coordination, approval routing, publication, and archival.
Develop, implement, and continually refine standard templates, style guides, and document naming conventions to ensure consistency, readability, and rapid onboarding across technical and non-technical audiences.
Serve as the primary point of contact for internal stakeholders during document reviews and approvals, scheduling reviews, tracking reviewer comments, resolving conflicts, and escalating unresolved issues to document owners or governance bodies.
Administer and configure document control workflows and approval matrices in the chosen document management system to support electronic signatures, review reminders, and audit trails.
Conduct thorough quality checks and edit content for grammar, format, accuracy, and compliance with internal standards and external regulatory requirements (e.g., ISO, FDA, GMP), ensuring documents are audit-ready.
Lead version control and change management activities by creating revision histories, maintaining redline comparisons between versions, and preserving superseded document copies according to retention policies.
Collaborate with product, engineering, quality, regulatory, and training teams to translate technical input into clear documentation, ensuring alignment between product functionality, testing records, and user-facing materials.
Prepare and package documentation for regulatory submissions, audits, or inspections; compile traceability matrices, document indexes, and evidence packages to demonstrate compliance and process integrity.
Track document review and approval KPIs (e.g., review cycle time, time-to-publish, number of overdue reviews) and produce regular dashboards and reports for process owners and site leadership.
Facilitate documentation change control boards (DCBs) or governance committee meetings, prepare agendas, present proposed revisions, and document decisions and action items.
Train and support end users on document control processes, system navigation, and best practices for content creation and versioning to increase adherence and reduce errors.
Implement and maintain records retention schedules, ensuring lawful disposal or archival of obsolete documents and managing off-site storage or electronic archive strategies.
Manage permissions, access controls, and role-based security for the document management system to protect confidential information and ensure appropriate user privileges.
Assist subject matter experts in drafting complex technical content, translating engineering and scientific language into structured, user-centered documentation for operators, customers, and auditors.
Coordinate cross-functional document release activities for new product introductions or process changes, including synchronization with training, quality release, and production readiness checkpoints.
Perform periodic document reviews and metrics-driven audits to identify gaps, update stale documentation, and drive continuous improvement efforts to streamline the document lifecycle.
Create and maintain documentation indexes, master lists, and controlled document catalogs that support quick retrieval and traceability of controlled content across projects and business units.
Support electronic signature validation and audit trail integrity by ensuring metadata completeness, signature sequencing, and appropriate approver authority are documented and maintained.
Act as a liaison with external vendors or contract writers for outsourced documentation projects, managing timelines, deliverables, quality expectations, and invoice approvals.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis related to document control KPIs and content usage patterns.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by recommending metadata standards and taxonomy improvements for better content discoverability.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements for content search, tagging, and analytics enhancements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering and documentation teams to prioritize documentation backlog and system improvements.
Assist in creating training materials, e-learning modules, and quick reference guides derived from controlled documents to support continuous learning and compliance.
Provide backup support for records management, including index reconciliation, file migrations, and cleanup activities during system upgrades or migrations.
Participate in internal and external audits as a documentation SME, providing evidence, answering questions about document history, and implementing corrective actions when necessary.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Document management systems (DMS) administration: SharePoint, Veeva, Documentum, MasterControl, or equivalent.
Strong technical writing and editing skills with experience creating SOPs, policies, manuals, and regulatory submission documentation.
Version control and change control process expertise including redline comparison, revision histories, and archival procedures.
Familiarity with regulatory requirements and standards: ISO 9001, ISO 13485, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GMP, or equivalent industry standards.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and advanced document formatting techniques, templates, and macros.
Experience with content authoring tools and XML/DITA or structured authoring is a plus.
Workflow configuration and automation skills for approval routing, reminders, and e-signatures within a DMS.
Basic data analysis and reporting using Excel, Power BI, or other analytics tools to monitor documentation KPIs.
Knowledge of records retention policies, legal holds, and archival processes for physical and electronic records.
Experience with collaboration platforms (Confluence, Jira) and managing documentation across cross-functional, distributed teams.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to high-quality, error-free documentation deliverables.
Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills to coordinate reviews across multiple functions and senior leaders.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, able to translate technical content for diverse audiences.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle competing document updates and audit-driven priorities.
Problem solving and process improvement mindset to simplify workflows and reduce review cycles.
Facilitation and training ability to onboard contributors to document control processes and tools.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced or regulated environments with shifting priorities.
Collaboration and teamwork orientation to partner with SMEs, quality, regulatory, and operations teams.
Ethical judgment and confidentiality in handling sensitive documentation and controlled records.
Project coordination skills including tracking milestones, dependencies, and delivering documentation releases on schedule.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in English, Technical Communication, Information Management, Business Administration, Life Sciences, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree plus certification(s) such as Certified Document Controller (CDC), Technical Writing Certificate, or records management certification (e.g., ICRM).
Coursework or certification in quality systems (ISO), regulatory affairs, or information governance is advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Technical Communication
Information or Records Management
English, Writing, or Journalism
Life Sciences, Engineering, or Computer Science (for industry-specific documentation)
Business Administration or Quality Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–7 years of progressive experience in document control, technical writing, records management, or related roles.

Preferred: 4–6+ years in regulated industries (pharmaceutical, medical devices, manufacturing, aerospace, or similar) with hands-on experience managing DMS platforms, SOP lifecycles, and audit support.