Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Written Communications Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Written Communications Technician produces, edits and manages high-quality written content that communicates complex information clearly and consistently to internal and external stakeholders. This role combines technical writing, document control and content operations: authoring user manuals, SOPs, release notes, web content and policies; coordinating reviews and approvals; applying style guides, accessibility and localization best practices; and maintaining CMS/version control to ensure accuracy, compliance and discoverability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Communications Assistant or Editorial Coordinator
Junior Technical Writer / Documentation Specialist
Content Coordinator or Administrative Assistant (with writing responsibilities)

Advancement To:

Senior Technical Writer / Lead Communications Technician
Communications Specialist / Content Manager
Documentation Manager or Knowledge Manager

Lateral Moves:

UX Writer or Content Strategist
Information Architect or Localization Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Author, edit and proofread clear, concise, and audience-appropriate technical documentation including user guides, installation manuals, troubleshooting procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), release notes, FAQs and knowledge base articles, ensuring accuracy and readability for diverse audiences.
Collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs), engineers, product managers and customer support to gather technical information through interviews, walkthroughs, product demos and requirement artifacts, translating complex technical concepts into plain language.
Maintain document control and versioning processes using content management systems (CMS), SharePoint, Git or other version control tools; enforce naming conventions, metadata tagging and archival workflows to ensure traceability and auditability.
Create and maintain standardized templates, style guides and editorial checklists (brand voice, tone, terminology, formatting) for consistent content production across products, channels and teams.
Produce and publish web and help center content using CMS platforms (Confluence, Drupal, WordPress) and authoring tools, formatting for online readability, linking, SEO, and internal navigation.
Prepare and format documents for multiple output channels (PDF, HTML5, mobile, print), applying single-sourcing and component reuse strategies (DITA/XML, Markdown, MadCap Flare) to reduce duplication and accelerate updates.
Perform structured quality assurance and technical reviews on documentation deliverables, validating procedures against product functionality, running reproducibility checks and coordinating SME sign-offs prior to release.
Drive content localization and translation handoffs by preparing translatable source files, applying internationalization best practices, and coordinating with translation vendors and language leads to ensure consistency and cultural accuracy.
Implement accessibility best practices in written materials (WCAG guidelines), ensuring content is navigable, screen-reader friendly and compliant with organizational or regulatory accessibility requirements.
Monitor product release calendars and change control boards to schedule documentation updates, synchronize delivery with software releases, patches, and product lifecycle events.
Create and maintain high-value procedural and regulatory documentation to support compliance audits, certifications and safety requirements, including traceable revision histories and controlled distribution lists.
Convert legacy documentation from varied formats (Word, FrameMaker, PDF) into structured content platforms (DITA/XML, Markdown) and modernize content architecture for scalability and reuse.
Design and incorporate simple diagrams, flowcharts and annotated screenshots using visual tools (Visio, Snagit, Adobe Illustrator) to enhance comprehension of procedures and system flows.
Manage inbound documentation requests from support and product teams, triage priorities, estimate effort and communicate timelines to stakeholders while maintaining SLAs for content delivery.
Optimize content discoverability and performance by applying on-page SEO best practices (keyword placement, headings, metadata) and tracking key documentation metrics (search success, ticket deflection, page views).
Maintain confidentiality and information security when handling protected, proprietary or regulated content; apply redaction and classification procedures as required.
Support customer-facing communications such as knowledge base updates, release bulletins, product advisories and technical alerts; ensure messaging is clear, timely and aligned with incident response protocols.
Train and mentor junior writers, contributors and SMEs on editorial standards, content submission guidelines and review processes to scale content creation capabilities across the organization.
Create and maintain back-office documentation for internal teams (engineering runbooks, build and deploy instructions, onboarding checklists) to reduce tribal knowledge and accelerate operational readiness.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives: develop content KPIs, gather user feedback, run content audits and implement changes to improve clarity, reduce maintenance effort and measurable user outcomes.
Maintain and contribute to a centralized terminology database / controlled vocabulary to ensure consistent usage across products, translations and marketing collateral.
Coordinate with legal, regulatory and product security teams to ensure all published communications meet compliance, contractual and export control requirements.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist with content governance activities including metadata taxonomy, tagging, archival and records retention schedules.
Provide subject matter guidance for search optimization within knowledge management platforms to improve self-service support outcomes.
Support internal training and enablement by developing facilitator guides, quick reference cards and e-learning scripts derived from technical documentation.
Participate in readiness reviews, change control meetings and post-release retrospectives to capture documentation improvements.
Assist with accessibility remediation tasks and content audits ahead of regulatory or internal accessibility assessments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Technical writing and editing: expert-level grammar, structure, plain-language techniques, and audience analysis.
Authoring tools: proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and advanced tools such as Adobe FrameMaker, MadCap Flare, RoboHelp, or similar.
Structured content: experience with DITA, XML, Markdown and single-sourcing strategies for multi-channel publishing.
Content management and collaboration: Confluence, SharePoint, Drupal, WordPress, Git or other CMS and version control systems.
Basic HTML/CSS and an understanding of web publishing and templating systems for help centers and product docs.
Localization and translation workflows: preparing source files, using translation memory tools and coordinating vendor handoffs.
Accessibility (WCAG) and compliance: applying accessibility principles to written content and remedial testing for screen readers.
Visual authoring: ability to create and annotate screenshots, simple diagrams and flowcharts using Snagit, Visio, or Adobe Illustrator.
SEO and analytics: on-page SEO best practices for documentation and basic analytics (Google Analytics, Confluence analytics) to track usage and impact.
QA and validation: experience running reproducibility checks, documentation testing and coordinating SME review cycles.
Metadata and taxonomy management: tagging, search-optimization and information architecture for knowledge bases.
Document control and records management: versioning, archiving, change logs and controlled distribution processes.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to producing error-free documentation.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and SME interviews.
Stakeholder management and diplomacy: able to negotiate content trade-offs and timelines with engineering, product and legal teams.
Time management and prioritization: handling competing documentation requests and meeting release deadlines.
Analytical thinking: synthesizing complex technical information into structured, user-focused content.
Adaptability and continuous learning mindset to adopt new tools, standards and content strategies.
Customer-centric orientation: writing with empathy for end-users and support teams to improve task completion and reduce escalations.
Team player and mentor: coaching junior writers and fostering collaborative content creation processes.
Problem-solving and resourcefulness when content gaps or conflicting requirements arise.
Confidentiality and professionalism, particularly when dealing with sensitive or regulated content.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Technical Writing, Journalism, Information Design, Computer Science or related field; or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Technical Communication, Rhetoric & Composition, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related discipline.
Certifications such as STC (Society for Technical Communication), UX Writing, DITA/XML training, or authoring tool certifications (MadCap, FrameMaker).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Technical Communication / Technical Writing
English / Professional Writing / Journalism
Computer Science / Information Technology
Human-Computer Interaction / Information Design
Library & Information Science / Knowledge Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of professional experience producing technical or operational documentation.

Preferred: 3–7 years with demonstrated experience in sector-specific domains (software/SaaS, healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace/defense, finance) and familiarity with localization, accessibility and structured content tooling.