Digital Publications Technical Specialist

Position Summary

This is an ONSITE position located in Arlington, VA.

NCC is seeking a Digital Publications Technical Specialist for an upcoming contract (*contingent upon award*). This role will design, code, and produce interactive educational and informational eBooks in modern digital formats. This role combines technical expertise in development with a creative approach to user experience and accessibility. The ideal candidate will engineer high-quality, standards-compliant digital publications—integrating multimedia, interactivity, and responsive layouts—while collaborating closely with cross-functional teams in an Agile environment.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Develop educational and informational publications in digital formats for mobile e-Readers (iPhone, Kindle, Android) and desktop e-Readers, both in reflowable and fixed-layout formats and inclusive of interactive media and activities, while following an Agile development cycle.
• Codee-Books with XHTML, JavaScript, CSS, XML, XSLT, WebGL or Three.js, MathML and similar technologies that apply toe-Book products, as well as utilize git for version control.
• Participate in meetings with colleagues and stakeholders throughout the entire project lifecycle and provide solutions for best practices for content development so that content and media will translate appropriately for digital and interactive formats.
• Analyze source files and transfer into appropriate templates/formats fore-Books.
• Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to design high-fidelity prototypes as proof of concept, utilizing understanding of current UI trends and following UX best practices to ensure an intuitive experience.
• Develop e-Books using EPUB specific knowledge following W3C and ACE by Daisy specifications, ensuring all e-Books pass all validation and 508 compliance requirements, and managing metadata in the package.
• Test e-Books on a variety of devices (PC, Apple, Android, Kindle, etc.) and e-Reading applications (Apple Books, Google Play Books, Reasily, Kindle, Overdrive/Libby, etc.).
• Understand and communicate the interdependencies between operational impact and content scope/complexity; document relationships between different content types; and strive for efficiency, reproducibility, and sustainability.
• Constantly drive innovation by staying current with technology and trends as related to design, coding, e-Books, and e-Leaming; and brings new ideas for creating intuitive and interactive user experiences, content management and process improvements.

Minimum Requirements

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust government security clearance (Must be able to pass a criminal background and credit check).
• Bachelors Degree or higher, or Associates Degree or relevant program certificate with 5 years of applicable experience in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Web Development, or Graphic Design.
• 5 years of Digital content management experience with practical hands-on experience/understanding of XHTML, JavaScript, CSS, and XML.
• 5 years experience in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, XD, Audition, and Acrobat).
• 3 years experience in coding/development using XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML.
• Experience optimizing image, audio, and video files.
• Experience in accessibility issues related to e-Books and Section 508 compliance.
• Understanding of effective and modem graphic and UI design concepts.
• Basic understanding of UX design principles.
• Ability to work in a Mac-based environment.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a small team.
• Ability to multi-task and handle several assignments at once.
• Excellent, organization, time management, and communication skills (written, oral, presentation, facilitation, and listening).
• Exceptional attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications (Not Required)

• Strong understanding of electronic publishing protocols and technology, knowledge of the publishing industry, and general understanding of copyright law.
• Firm grasp of responsive e-Book design best practices for cross-device viewing.
• Experience automating and optimizing development workflows using modem build tools like Gulp, Grunt, NPM scripts, or Webpack.
• Experience in coding/development using XSLT, WebGL, Three.js, and MathML.
• Experience with document conversion using Pandoc.
• Experience with a version control system such as Git or Bitbucket.
• Experience with web stacks, libraries, and frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue.
• Experience with issue and project tracking software such as Jira.
• Experience working in an Agile environment.
• Experience with Less/Sass CSS.
• Experience in Public Speaking.
• Excellent customer service skills.

Special Position Requirements

Schedule: Monday-Friday

Environmental/Physical Demands: This position is primarily sedentary and performed in an office or remote work environment. The role requires extensive use of computers and digital tools for coding, design, and project management, including prolonged periods of sitting, typing, and viewing a monitor. Occasional lifting of materials up to 20 pounds (e.g., laptops, reference materials) may be required.