Senior Technical Writer

Senior Technical WriterLocation: Sterling Heights, MI - ONSITE Contract position for 6 months, possibly longer (they are also open to conversion to FTE) Pay: $48-$52.67 hourly This is for a military/ defense manufacturing company in Sterling Heights, MI. APPLY NOWPosition DescriptionCreates and revises complex technical documentation to support the marketing, operation, repair, and maintenance of company products.Ensures documents conform to company and government standards and specifications and language usage principles.Creates and revises technical documentation using state-of-the-art publishing software technology including product descriptions, detailed functional descriptions, operating procedures, fault isolation, maintenance and repair procedures, illustrated parts breakdown (IPB), miscellaneous reports, proposals, marketing literature, or other technical documentation pertaining to company products.Ensures compliance with customer requirements, government specifications, engineering standards, and language usage principles.Researches and consults with engineering staff on systems and equipment to create and revise technical documentation.Analyzes and interprets engineering drawings and other technical data to translate information into technical documentation.May assist project writer with validating written procedures for equipment.Evaluates illustrations and graphics to determine how to best utilize them within the documentation.Requests the creation of new illustrations/graphics or changes to existing illustrations/graphics.May participate in evaluating project requirements by providing input into time and cost estimates.May assist with overall design of technical documentation by providing input to format and style.Maintains up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, practices, and applications.Maintains a safe work environment and ensures compliance with safety objectives and policies.Skills RequiredWorking knowledge of hydraulics, mechanics, electronics, and system operations to write technical documentation.Working knowledge of publication software.Ability to understand and translate engineering designs into understandable language for non-engineers and to write documentation while still maintaining the desired meaning.Ability to write technical documentation of limited scope and complexity, engage in problem solving discussions with cross-functional team members, provide guidance to cross-functional team members, and ensure documents are produced on time.Ability to concentrate, attention to detail, and command of the English language.XML Authoring Tool Experience (e.g. Arbortext Epic Editor and Oxygen software) MS Office Tools/Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint required; Access a plus) Adobe Acrobat Professional PDF SoftwareProficient for use of illustration markups; or use of a similar PDF (electronic) markup tool Mechanical/Electrical/Operator Tech WriterExperience/Knowledge RequiredPreferred in the defense industry Validation/Verification, on-vehicle experience a plus Content Management System (CMS) experience a plus Customer Interaction/Customer Service skills required (some positions involve direct customer interface representing BAE Systems)Ability to work with a diverse team in several physical locationsBasic understanding of interactive electronic technical manual functionality, development processes, and markup languages is preferredFamiliarity with relevant military and commercial standardsCertain positions may require specialized technical knowledgeEducation RequiredBachelor's Degree in a relevant technical discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, plus 5 additional years of relevant experience.