Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Knowledge Administrator

🎯 Role Definition

As a Knowledge Administrator, you will be the central pillar of our information ecosystem, tasked with developing, managing, and optimizing our company-wide knowledge base. You are not just a gatekeeper of information, but a strategic partner who empowers our teams by ensuring they have the right knowledge at the right time. Your mission is to transform raw data and tribal knowledge into a structured, searchable, and valuable asset. This involves collaborating with subject matter experts, analyzing content usage, administering our Knowledge Management System (KMS), and driving user adoption. If you are passionate about organization, clear communication, and leveraging technology to make information accessible, you are the perfect candidate to help us build a smarter, more efficient organization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Technical Support Specialist (Tier 2/3)
Technical Writer or Content Coordinator
Junior Business Analyst or Process Analyst
Corporate Librarian or Information Specialist

Advancement To:

Senior Knowledge Manager or Knowledge Management Strategist
Content Strategist or Information Architect
Program Manager, Knowledge & Enablement
Head of Knowledge Management

Lateral Moves:

Business Analyst
Technical Trainer or Instructional Designer
Product Owner (for internal tools)
Communications Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Serve as the primary administrator and subject matter expert for the enterprise Knowledge Management System (KMS), such as Confluence, Zendesk Guide, or Salesforce Knowledge.
Manage the end-to-end content lifecycle, including planning, creating, editing, publishing, reviewing, and archiving knowledge base articles, FAQs, and internal documentation.
Collaborate extensively with subject matter experts (SMEs) across various departments (Engineering, Product, Support, Sales) to capture, validate, and document complex processes and information.
Develop and enforce content quality standards, style guides, and templates to ensure consistency, clarity, and accuracy across all knowledge assets.
Proactively identify knowledge gaps by analyzing support tickets, search queries, and user feedback, and create targeted content to address those needs.
Design, implement, and maintain an intuitive information architecture and taxonomy to improve content discoverability, searchability, and user navigation.
Champion and promote a knowledge-sharing culture by evangelizing the value of the knowledge base and encouraging contributions from across the organization.
Develop and deliver training programs and materials to educate employees on knowledge management best practices, content creation standards, and KMS functionalities.
Monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as content usage, user satisfaction, search success rates, and time-to-resolution to measure the effectiveness of the knowledge base.
Generate regular reports and dashboards to provide insights on content performance and user engagement to stakeholders and leadership.
Manage user roles, permissions, and access controls within the KMS to ensure information security and appropriate content visibility.
Implement and manage the Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) methodology, including coaching teams on the "solve and evolve" loop and maintaining the KCS program's health.
Perform regular content audits and health checks to identify and update outdated or inaccurate information, ensuring the knowledge base remains a trusted source of truth.
Triage, troubleshoot, and resolve user-reported issues with the KMS platform, escalating to vendors or IT when necessary.
Stay current with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in knowledge management to drive continuous improvement initiatives.
Optimize content for both internal search algorithms and, where applicable, external search engines (SEO) to maximize visibility and impact.
Facilitate the migration of content from disparate sources into the central knowledge base, ensuring data integrity and proper formatting.
Create and maintain documentation for the knowledge management processes themselves, including governance policies and standard operating procedures.
Act as a liaison between business users and the IT department to communicate requirements for KMS enhancements, integrations, or customizations.
Review and edit content submitted by other authors, providing constructive feedback to improve their writing skills and ensure adherence to quality standards.

Secondary Functions

Support product launch and feature release cycles by ensuring all relevant support and user documentation is created, updated, and published on time.
Assist in the development of internal and external communication materials, leveraging the knowledge base as a primary source.
Participate in user acceptance testing (UAT) for new KMS features, upgrades, or integrations.
Curate and distribute regular "knowledge highlights" or newsletters to promote new and important content to relevant user groups.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

KMS Administration: Advanced proficiency in administering enterprise knowledge management platforms like Confluence, Zendesk Guide, SharePoint, Salesforce Knowledge, or similar systems.
Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS): Deep understanding and practical experience with KCS methodology (v6 certification is a strong plus).
Information Architecture: Expertise in designing and implementing logical content structures, taxonomies, and tagging strategies for large volumes of information.
Content Management: Demonstrable experience in the full content lifecycle, including writing, editing, and managing technical or support documentation.
Data Analysis: Ability to use analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, built-in KMS reporting) to interpret usage data, identify trends, and derive actionable insights.
Basic HTML/CSS: Competency in using HTML/CSS for advanced content formatting, styling, and troubleshooting within the KMS.
Technical Writing: Skill in translating complex technical concepts into clear, concise, and easy-to-understand language for various audiences.
Project Management: Ability to manage small to medium-sized projects, such as content audits, migrations, or process improvement initiatives.
Search Optimization (SEO/Internal Search): Understanding of how search engines work and how to optimize content for better discoverability.
Ticketing Systems: Familiarity with help desk software like Zendesk, Jira Service Management, or ServiceNow to analyze support data for knowledge gaps.

Soft Skills

Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a talent for clarity, grammar, and style.
Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and build strong relationships with subject matter experts.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous approach to editing, formatting, and quality assurance to maintain the integrity of the knowledge base.
Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills to diagnose issues, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions for both content and system challenges.
Empathy: Ability to understand user needs and perspectives to create content that is genuinely helpful and user-centric.
Initiative & Proactivity: A self-starter mindset with the ability to work independently, identify opportunities for improvement, and drive initiatives forward.
Adaptability: Flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment and manage competing priorities effectively.
Influencing & Persuasion: Skill in advocating for knowledge management best practices and encouraging adoption across the organization.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Library Science, Information Management, or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Communications, English, or Technical Writing
Information Science or Library Science
Business Administration
Computer Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-5 years of direct experience in a knowledge management, technical writing, or content management role.

Preferred:

2+ years of experience administering a major KMS platform (e.g., Confluence, Zendesk).
Proven experience implementing or working within a Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) environment.
Experience in a fast-paced technology, SaaS, or customer support organization.