Technical Writer

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• Experience working as a technical writer or doing closely-related work
• Excellent English-language written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organization skills and the ability to perform detail-oriented work
• Skilled at prioritization and multi-tasking
• Ability to use common Office tools and software
• Ability to create written products in accordance with a style guide

Although rail transit expertise is not required to apply for the position, the successful applicant(s) will be required to become fluent in rail transit terminology and operations; consequently, the selectee(s) must have demonstrated experience having become fluent in at least one technical discipline. The successful applicant(s) will also need to learn about the legal framework of safety oversight and become conversant in the core functions of the WMSC. The learning described in this paragraph will be accomplished by a combination of on-the-job experience and training courses.

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management experience and/or credentials
• Experience with social media applications such as Twitter and WordPress or other web-publishing tools
• Experience preparing or updating a style guide

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop writing plans and manage writing projects
• Plan, format, structure, write, edit, and finalize written products
• Conduct research and ensure the use of proper technical terminology
• Prepare and edit written materials and proof the work of others for grammatical errors
• Gather data and collaborate with others to draft, review, and edit written content for external stakeholders
• Collaborate with technical professionals throughout the writing, editing, and publication stages of written products
• Synthesize technical information (e.g., inspection results, audit findings, and the results on investigations) in a concise manner for consumption by audiences of technical and non-technical personnel (e.g., subject matter experts, regulatory personnel, press, elected officials, and the general public)
• Assist in the creation of supporting materials such as illustrations and tables

The position may occasionally require evening or weekend work, but only during extenuating circumstances, such as preparing an urgent safety oversight document.