Job Details

Technical Writer

The Technical Writer plays a key role in developing and maintaining high-quality product documentation and training materials for AFL. This includes creating and updating installation guides, training presentations, instructional videos, and other content that supports both internal teams and external customers. Collaborating closely with Application Engineers, Field Engineers, Product Line Managers, and Marketing Communications, the Technical Writer ensures that all materials are accurate, clear, and aligned with product and brand standards. Additionally, this role oversees the organization and accessibility of the content library, ensuring it remains current and easily available through internal systems and customer-facing training portals.

Responsibilities

• Create product training content to support AFL's external customers and installation contractors, as well as AFL internal users including engineers, PLMs, and commercial teams.
• Review draft content and finalize.
• Develop methods and tools to improve the content creation and management.
• Interaction with and support for the engineering, PLM and MarCom staff as required.
• Participate in product prototyping and mockups in support of content development.
• Participate in and support industry technical specification reviews and meetings.
• Utilize effective communication and problem-solving skills to foster an effective team environment, which strives for product quality, job productivity, safe working environment, organizational effectiveness, and continuous improvements.
• Document and maintain information in compliance with QMS and TL9000 requirements.
• Participate and lead peer review efforts of newly developed and revised content.
• Adhere to and promote the environmental, health & safety policies of AFL.
• Ensure Consistency and Brand Alignment: Maintain consistency in tone, style, and branding across all technical content, adhering to AFL's documentation standards and guidelines.
• Conduct User Research and Feedback Analysis: Gather feedback from end users, trainers, and stakeholders to continuously improve the clarity, usability, and effectiveness of documentation.
• Maintain Version Control and Documentation History: Track changes and maintain version histories for all documentation to ensure traceability and compliance.
• Support Localization and Translation Efforts: Coordinate with translation teams to adapt content for global audiences, ensuring technical accuracy and cultural relevance.
• Leverage Content Management Systems (CMS): Utilize CMS tools to organize, publish, and manage documentation efficiently across platforms.
• Create Visual Aids and Diagrams: Design or collaborate on the creation of visual content such as diagrams, flowcharts, and infographics to enhance understanding.
• Stay Current with Industry Trends and Tools: Continuously explore and adopt new tools, technologies, and best practices in technical communication and instructional design.
• Provide Training and Mentorship: Offer guidance to cross-functional team members on documentation standards and writing best practices.

Personal Qualities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain issues and strong attention to
• Strong organizational skills to schedule and monitor work activity and adjust as needed to meet
• Results oriented
• Positive attitude
• Strong interpersonal skills: Ability to work well with others in both one-on-one relationships as well as group activities; team player comfortable in a cross-functional, multi-cultural environment
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to break down complex technical information and present it in a clear, concise, and user-friendly format.
• Adaptability and Flexibility: Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and evolving technologies.
• Initiative and Self-Motivation: Proactively seeks out information, identifies documentation needs, and takes ownership of projects with minimal supervision.
• Curiosity and Continuous Learning: Eagerness to learn about new products, technologies, and industry trends to enhance documentation quality and relevance.
• Technical Aptitude: Ability to understand and interpret engineering concepts, product specifications, and technical standards.
• Time Management: Skilled at managing multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously while maintaining high-quality output.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of technical writing or documentation experience.
• Previous background in fiber optics is ideal, along with any technical experience.
• Proficient user of MS Office applications. Experience with quality database applications and analytical tools are preferred.
• Ability to edit and develop pictures and graphics to illustrate technical documents.
• Working knowledge of technical data & specifications, maintaining an objective attitude, and handling multiple competing priorities & meeting deliverable deadlines.
• Experience with Documentation Tools: Familiarity with tools such as Adobe FrameMaker, MadCap Flare, Snagit, Camtasia, or other authoring and multimedia tools is a plus.
• Content Management System (CMS) Experience: Experience working with CMS platforms or document repositories to manage and publish content.
• Understanding of UX and Information Design Principles: Ability to structure content for readability and usability, especially for technical audiences.
• Basic HTML/XML Knowledge: Understanding of markup languages used in structured documentation environments.
• Experience in Agile or Cross-Functional Teams: Comfortable working in iterative development environments and collaborating with diverse teams.
• Strong Research Skills: Ability to gather and synthesize information from subject matter experts, product specifications, and technical standards.

Working Conditions

• This position may be based in an office or remote setting, depending on business needs and candidate location. A collaborative work style is essential, regardless of environment.
• Occasional travel may be required to support product launches, training sessions, or collaboration with cross-functional teams at other AFL locations or customer sites.