Technical Publications Manager

At SirsiDynix, we are partnering with our clients to create a future in which libraries play a more strategic role within their communities - making sense of the vast world of information and bringing knowledge in all its forms to real people to meet real needs. We provide software solutions and associated services for libraries of all types (academic, public, corporate, government, public/private K-12 schools and special).

We offer an exciting and challenging work environment with excellent benefits. We're currently looking for a sharp, energetic and ambitious individual to join our team. We have an immediate full time, supervisory opportunity at our Provo, Utah office for Technical Publications Manager.

Essential Functions:

• Understands product lifecycles and where the Technical Publications department and information products fit into them.
• Coordinates the publication of internal and end-user documentation. Identifies documentation deliverables and defines target audiences for those deliverables.
• Monitors and manages the level of quality for all documents. Coordinates and tracks multiple projects/documents. Makes technical decisions and maintains schedules and deliverables.
• Represents the department in cross-departmental meetings, engineering team meetings, product meetings, and management meetings. Conducts Technical Publications department and team lead meetings.
• Supervises remote, distributed teams. Uses a variety of leadership styles to achieve department goals and approach problems. Uses team-building skills to monitor employee morale, efficiency, and productivity.
• Identifies team performance and administrative needs. Addresses and resolves employee concerns and issues. Identifies training opportunities for team members and trains other writers in product knowledge, technical communication, and job skills.
• Properly manages company, department, and team budgets. Prepares and monitors equipment, software, and training budgets for the department.
• Performs all the responsibilities of a senior technical writer: Writes and maintains source files for technical publications; publishes PDF documentation and online help. Researches available information, such as design specs and prototypes; interviews technical experts and reviews other external third-party information relevant to the subject matter. Conducts independent tests of technical features and software/documentation usability.
• Monitors internal documentation department processes and policies. Helps develop department style standards, including templates and style guides. Researches and implements new writing methods, processes, and tools.
• Demonstrates a good knowledge of core company products and additional product modules. Trains other writers in product knowledge.
• Serves as an editor for multiple documents. Uses department style guide for edits and adheres to templates. Understands user needs and writes/edits at an appropriate level.
• Works with other departments such as Training, Client Care, and Implementation to accomplish documentation tasks and resolve issues.
• Coordinates relationships with outside vendors, such as contractors and translation agencies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication, problem-solving and leadership skills.
• Ability to manage people and multiple cross-product projects, research and understand new technologies, coach and mentor less experienced writers, work in a team environment and independently.
• Familiar with agile development environment and best practices, software source control systems (such as CVS, Subversion, Microsoft SourceSafe, or Perforce), and project management or defect-tracking software (such as Atlassian Jira).
• Expertise in Adobe FrameMaker, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Quadralay WebWorks/ePublisher tools.
• Familiarity with other areas related to technical documentation, such as usability testing, interface design, single-sourcing, etc.

Education (minimum requirements/equivalent):

Bachelors degree in English, Journalism, Communications, or Library Science, or equivalent experience required. Master's degree preferred.

Experience:

6-10 years of previous experience in technical writing in the computer software industry; 3 years leadership experience strongly preferred. Experience with single-sourcing concepts and tools to publish web-based documentation. Working library operations knowledge preferred.

For more information, please visit our website at www.sirsidynix.com or apply online at http://www.sirsidynix.com/Company/Careers/.