Technical Writer

The Logistics & Sustainment Department is seeking an experienced Technical Writer to develop, integrate, and deliver complex technical publications supporting multiple defense programs and systems.

This position requires an experienced professional who can work independently, manage complete writing assignments, and move seamlessly between programs based on workload and delivery requirements. The Technical Writer will work directly with engineers, logisticians, maintainers, system managers, illustrators, and program teams to research, develop, validate, revise, and deliver technically accurate documentation.

The selected candidate must be capable of taking ownership of technical writing assignments from initial research and source-data analysis through review and final delivery. The position requires experience with Extensible Markup Language (XML) and the ability to learn and effectively use other authoring, publishing, and collaboration tools required by supported programs.

Primary Responsibilities-The Technical Writer will:

• Independently develop, revise, edit, and maintain technical manuals, maintenance procedures, operating instructions, work packages, technical reports, and other complex technical documentation.
• Support multiple programs and systems concurrently, adjusting priorities as program workload, schedules, and delivery requirements change.
• Develop and maintain structured technical content using XML and other required authoring and publishing tools.
• Take ownership of assigned technical writing projects or processes from initial research through final delivery.
• Research and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, technical data, maintenance information, logistics data, test information, and existing publications.
• Translate complex engineering and logistics information into clear, detailed, and usable instructions for operators, maintainers, and other end users.
• Develop detailed maintenance and operational procedures, including task sequences, tools, materials, safety requirements, warnings, cautions, and supporting technical information.
• Work directly with engineers, logisticians, technicians, maintainers, trainers, and other subject matter experts to obtain, understand, and validate technical information.
• Identify incomplete, conflicting, or insufficient source data and work with the appropriate technical personnel to resolve issues before publication.
• Incorporate engineering changes, configuration changes, test results, field feedback, and approved technical updates into controlled publications.
• Review technical content for accuracy, completeness, consistency, usability, grammar, format, and compliance with contractual and customer requirements.
• Participate in peer reviews, technical reviews, validation, and verification activities and incorporate approved changes into final products.
• Coordinate with technical illustrators to develop and integrate figures, diagrams, callouts, and other visual information supporting technical procedures.
• Maintain document configuration, revision control, and traceability for assigned technical products.
• Support Contract Data Requirements List deliverables and other program documentation requiring technical writing and publication support.
• Manage multiple assignments and delivery schedules while maintaining technical accuracy and product quality.
• Provide technical guidance, coaching, and review support to less-experienced technical writers when required.
• Recommend improvements to technical writing, XML authoring, peer review, publishing, and document-management processes.

Required Technical Capability- Candidates must demonstrate experience or proficiency in the following areas:

• Extensible Markup Language (XML) and structured technical authoring
• Technical writing and editing of complex engineering or maintenance information
• Structured authoring and publishing applications
• Technical manual and publication development
• Engineering drawings and technical source-data interpretation
• Document configuration and revision control
• Technical graphics and illustration integration
• Microsoft Office applications
• Adobe Acrobat and applicable document-production tools
• Collaborative document review and repository environments

The successful candidate must also demonstrate the ability to learn new authoring systems, software, standards, and program-specific tools as requirements evolve.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Typically requires a BA degree and 12 - 15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10 - 13 years of prior relevant experience.
• Relevant experience in technical writing, technical publications, engineering documentation, maintenance documentation, or a related professional discipline.
• Demonstrated experience developing or maintaining structured technical content using XML.
• Experience independently developing complex technical documentation for defense, aerospace, engineering, manufacturing, or similarly complex systems.
• Demonstrated ability to take responsibility for complete technical writing assignments or processes with limited supervision.
• Ability to support multiple programs, projects, or technical product lines concurrently.
• Experience researching and interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, maintenance information, technical source data, or similar documentation.
• Ability to independently identify and resolve routine technical documentation issues while elevating complex technical matters when appropriate.
• Strong technical writing, editing, proofreading, research, organization, and communication skills.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with engineering, logistics, program, and other technical personnel.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet established delivery schedules while maintaining technical accuracy and quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Department of Defense weapon systems, aerospace systems, or other complex defense programs.
• Experience developing Department of Defense technical manuals or Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals.
• Experience with S1000D, MIL-STD-40051, or other applicable military technical publication standards and specifications.
• Advanced XML experience, including structured content development, tagging, validation, and reusable content.
• Experience with Arbortext, Oxygen XML Editor, Adobe FrameMaker, or comparable XML authoring and publishing applications.
• Experience working within a Content Management System or Component Content Management System.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, bills of material, maintenance procedures, provisioning information, or logistics product data.
• Experience supporting technical publications throughout design, development, testing, validation, fielding, and sustainment.
• Experience conducting or supporting technical manual validation and verification.
• Experience coaching, mentoring, or reviewing the work of less-experienced technical writers.

The selected individual will operate as an experienced professional who:

• Works independently to achieve day-to-day objectives with significant impact on program or project deliverables.
• Is responsible for complete projects, products, or processes within the technical writing and publications discipline.
• Addresses difficult and broader technical documentation issues using knowledge of the discipline and supported systems.
• Develops solutions that require analysis and understanding of technical information and program requirements.
• Communicates effectively with internal and customer-facing program teams.
• Influences technical documentation solutions, processes, and approaches through professional expertise.
• Maintains a strong understanding of technical publication practices, standards, and tools.
• Provides coaching and reviews the work of lower-level professionals when required.

Key Outputs

The Technical Writer is expected to:

• Develop, Integrate, and Deliver ahead of schedule whenever program conditions allow.
• Produce technically accurate, detailed, usable, and contract-compliant documentation.
• Move effectively between programs and complex writing assignments based on department and program priorities.
• Independently manage assigned technical products from research through delivery.
• Reduce rework through disciplined source-data analysis, technical coordination, peer review, and quality control.
• Maintain structured technical content that can be efficiently reused, revised, and sustained throughout the system lifecycle.
• Improve technical publication quality and consistency across supported programs.
• Share technical knowledge and contribute to the development of less-experienced writers.

What Success Looks Like

Success requires more than strong writing and editing skills. The Technical Writer must be capable of entering a program, learning the system, understanding the documentation requirements, determining what technical information is required, and working directly with subject matter experts to develop the product.

The successful candidate will be able to seamlessly transition between programs and detailed writing assignments, work effectively in XML and other required technical publication environments, solve difficult documentation problems with limited supervision, and consistently deliver accurate and usable technical products that support program execution and system readiness.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.