Careers

What is the purpose of the role?

We are seeking an experienced, skilled and detail-oriented Technical Author to join our Technical Publications Team. The successful candidate will be responsible for producing, editing, and maintaining high-quality technical documentation to support our products, ensuring compliance with UK, EU, and international standards (including UKCA/CE marking and machinery safety directives).

This role requires a strong understanding of technical writing principles, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with software engineers, mechanical design engineers, and product developments teams to ensure technical accuracy, as well as the ability to present complex information in a clear and accessible manner for varied audiences, including end-users, operators, and maintenance staff.

Primary Responsibilities

• Research, write, edit, and revise user manuals, installation guides, operation instructions, maintenance manuals, and other technical documentation for Ishida products.
• Ensure all documentation is clear, concise, and easily understandable for the end-user.
• Work closely with engineers, product designers, and other subject matter experts to gather necessary information and understand the functionality and features of the machinery.
• Create appropriate illustrations and diagrams to enhance the instructional materials.
• Research industry standards, user needs, and technical specifications to ensure accuracy and relevance of the documentation.
• Analyse and incorporate feedback from end-users, field service engineers, and quality assurance teams to improve the quality of documentation.
• Conduct thorough reviews and testing of machinery to ensure instructions are accurate and complete.
• Regularly update and revise manuals to reflect changes in machinery design or enhancements.
• Ensure all technical documents comply with relevant industry regulations and standards.
• Maintain a consistent style and format across all documentation, adhering to the company’s documentation standards.

What skills are we looking for?

The successful candidate must have a good standard of verbal and written English, possess a solid working knowledge of Microsoft Office and be able to read and understand engineering drawings, strong communication skills are essential, particularly the ability to extract detailed information from technical experts and translate it into clear, plain English.

The ideal candidate must have experience of authoring technical manuals within a manufacturing environment. They should have a clear understanding of the Machinery Directive and the requirements for producing CE-compliant documentation, experience with desktop publishing or authoring software, image editing tools, and the creation of technical illustrations is highly desirable, experience producing service-level ‘workshop’ style documentation and a basic understanding of the technical manual language translation process. Must have a positive attitude, enthusiasm for their work, and the flexibility to adapt to new challenges will be essential for success in this role.

The role requires accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to work under pressure with minimal supervision. A flexible and methodical approach, coupled with good planning skills to meet tight deadlines, is key. You must also demonstrate professionalism in maintaining commercial confidentiality and consistently delivering a high standard of service to both internal and external customers.