What are the responsibilities and job description for the Technical Writer position at HireTalent?
Job Description:
We are seeking a Technical Writer to develop equipment training documentation and work instructions for a Pilot Plant manufacturing environment. This role will create clear, effective, and safety-focused training materials that help operators understand, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot equipment.
The ideal candidate will work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, R&D, and Environmental Health & Safety teams to ensure all documentation aligns with company policies, regulatory requirements, and operational best practices.
This position is ideal for someone with technical writing experience in a manufacturing environment, particularly within food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (Client), or other regulated industries.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop operator training materials, including:
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Work instructions
- One-point lessons
- Step-up cards
- Equipment training documentation
- Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, and Engineering teams to gather technical information and develop training content.
- Observe equipment operation and work directly with subject matter experts (SMEs) to document processes accurately.
- Capture photographs and video content to support training programs and learning materials within LMS platforms and Adobe Creative Cloud.
- Standardize training content, instructional formats, and operator competency requirements across equipment and processes.
- Assist with the creation and review of Job Safety Analysis (JSA) documentation.
- Evaluate operator training effectiveness and support refresher training for complex equipment.
- Verify procedural accuracy, identify documentation gaps, and recommend content improvements.
- Prioritize multiple content development projects while meeting established training milestones.
- Support additional training and operational initiatives as needed.
Typical Day
- Participate in daily project and status meetings.
- Create and update training documentation in an office environment.
- Respond to emails and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
- Conduct research and validate equipment-related information.
- Spend time on the production floor shadowing SMEs and documenting workflows.
- Photograph and record equipment during operation, disassembly, cleaning, troubleshooting, and reassembly.
- Review and improve existing training materials and procedures.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in a food manufacturing environment, preferably with consistent tenure at the same facility.
- Experience creating training materials and technical documentation.
- Strong technical writing and procedural documentation skills.
- Experience documenting manufacturing equipment, processes, or operational procedures.
- Ability to translate complex technical information into clear, user-friendly instructions.
- Comfortable working on the production floor and wearing required PPE.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills when working with SMEs and cross-functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (Client), pilot plant operations, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Experience supporting operations, quality, sanitation, safety, or maintenance programs.
- Mechanical aptitude and an understanding of manufacturing equipment and troubleshooting concepts.
- Experience developing equipment setup, operation, cleaning, changeover, or troubleshooting procedures.
Technical Skills
- Technical writing and procedure development
- Manufacturing process and equipment documentation
- Mechanical aptitude and equipment troubleshooting awareness
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Adobe Creative Cloud - PLUS
- Snagit
- Copilot
- iPad proficiency