Technical Writer

Job Details

Description

As a member of the team of software professionals responsible for the analysis, design, programming, testing and maintenance of the MIPS software products, the Technical Writer is engaged in writing, illustrating, reviewing, managing and translating the customer-facing technical documentation of the MIPS software products, ensuring that a single-source policy is maintained. The Technical Writer manages the translation of the user interface of the MIPS software products and fulfils a coordinating role in case of outsourced translations.

**Place in the organisation**

Department : Software Development

Direct Report : Team Leader Technical Writer LIS

Office : CliniSys | MIPS HQ Ghent, Belgium

**Job Summary**
- Write, illustrate, review and control all customer-facing technical product documentation, ensuring a single-source policy is enforced throughout the development department
- Writing of both new documentation and maintenance and improvement of existing technical product documentation
- Collaborate closely with all stakeholders: product manager, functional analysts, software development engineers and the software testing engineers.
- Propose improvement of internal procedures, helping to increase the organizational efficiency
- Publish service packs and documentation on customer portal
- Translate or coordinate the outsourced translation of the technical product documentation and user interface texts

**Responsibilities**

Technical writing
- To write, illustrate, review and control all customer-facing technical product documentation for the company’s software, such as user guides and online help systems, ensuring a single-source policy is enforced throughout the development department.
- Incorporate system administration guides and installation guides provided by system engineering into the on-line help system
- Report user-level bugs and inconsistencies in behaviour of software while documenting project

Translations
- Translating technical product documentation.
- Translating user interface texts for the software products into any language required; when outsourced (internally or externally), the documentation team member will coordinate these translations.
- Translating internal documents; when outsourced (internally or externally), the documentation team member will coordinate these translations.

Consultancy
- Act as a consultant in documentation matters to client services and other customer-facing departments.
- Provide recommendations for changes to working procedures and methods in order to improve the quality, effectiveness and productivity and to ensure that procedures are followed.

Project management
- To be aware of the company’s product delivery and software development plans and your responsibilities therein.
- Good working knowledge of the document development cycle and publications procedures.
- To carry out any reasonable statement assigned to you by the direct manager.

**Function Criteria**

Education:

- Master Degree or equivalent in languages Dutch - English - French

Experience:

- Experience with Technical writing, preferably for software packages
- Experience with CAT is an asset (memoQ + SDL Passolo is an asset)
- Experience in IT is an asset
- Experience in Health sector is an asset
- Experience with an IT or software providers organization
- Any equivalent combination of education and/or experience providing the knowledge / skills/ abilities listed
- Experience with HAT (MadCap Flare) is an asset

Knowledge
- Ability to build online-help systems using a commercial help editor package.
- Working knowledge of screen capturing tools is an asset.
- Good working knowledge of MS Office.

Languages
- Good knowledge of primarily Dutch and English written and spoken.
- French - German - Spanish depending on assignment.

Competences
- To coach and train other team members
- To take initiative in collaboration with the Team Leader / Development Director to optimize technical product documentation and organizational issues
- Be an expert in specific domains : train colleagues, give presentations if needed, take ownership in certain issues
- To be able to fully manage specific projects
- The ability to analyze thoroughly and adequately convey this information to colleagues
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Able to communicate with technical and non-technical clients and staff at all organization levels.
- Strong self motivational and organizational skills
- Self disciplined and focused with good time-management and multi-tasking skills
- Ability to work independently and in a team
- Adaptable to change. Must be flexible when faced with changing demands and be able to implement and manage change
- Experience of working to tight deadlines and delivering tasks in difficult circumstances
- Logical problem-solving skills
- Assertive with strong planning and organizational skills, and sound judgment
- Respect and radiate the MIPS values : tea