Technical Author

R&D Technical Author | Pune, India | Full-time

The Product Technical Author is responsible for developing and maintaining clear, accurate, safe, and reusable technical information for Vanderlande products. Working as part of multidisciplinary R&D teams, the Product Technical Author converts engineering information into user-focused content that supports the assembly, installation, operation, inspection, and maintenance of automated material-handling equipment. The role contributes throughout the product lifecycle and ensures that documentation is delivered in alignment with applicable standards, product changes, and release requirements.

Your Role:

As a R&D Technical Author, you will increase customer satisfaction and productivity by providing outstanding, high-quality user information. You and your team will design and develop technical product content and documentation, including mechanical assembly, installation, maintenance, packaging manuals, technical data sheets, animations, and training materials.

The focus is on creating purposeful, easy-to-understand content that meets the needs of the target audience.

You will work closely with colleagues and subject matter experts to keep content complete and up to date and to maximize content reuse through the Component Content Management System (CCMS).

What you will do/Key responsibilities:

Technical Content and Documentation Development

• Compose and develop user information, including manuals, animations, and training materials.

• Proactively obtain, analyze, and validate technical information from R&D engineers, product owners, safety specialists, service specialists, installation teams, manufacturing teams, and other subject matter experts.

• Understand technical constructions and machines at an overall level and transform technical information into clear guidance that meets end-user requirements.

• Transform engineering information, drawings, specifications, and technical discussions into clear, user-focused content documentation.

• Apply Vanderlande documentation styles, terminology guidelines, and content models.

• Develop visually engaging content with a preference for animations and reduced text where appropriate.

• Create or update technical illustrations from 3D models and engineering data.

• Apply Vanderlande illustration standards.

• Verify consistency between illustrations and technical instructions.

• Maintain content in the Component Content Management System (CCMS) using structured authoring principles, content reuse strategies, metadata, content models, and publication workflows.

• Participate in product development activities to identify documentation requirements.

• Assess documentation impacts of engineering changes and product updates.

• Maintain documentation throughout the product lifecycle.

• Incorporate approved safety information, safety notices, and information about residual risks into the technical documentation.

• Collaborate with safety specialists and engineers to validate safety-related content.

• Perform peer reviews of technical content and illustrations. Coordinate technical reviews with subject matter experts and ensure review comments are implemented appropriately.

• Agile & Jira Working

• Create, estimate, and maintain documentation work items in Jira.

• Participate in relevant Agile ceremonies, such as sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily stand-ups, and sprint reviews.

• Report progress, risks, and dependencies to stakeholders.

Project & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with engineers, customers, and other stakeholders to gather and validate technical information.

• Effectively participate in projects and contribute to achieving key milestones.

• Review and assess the quality of work created by colleagues to secure and share knowledge.

• Identify, manage, and escalate issues and risks that may impact project timelines.

• Ensure documentation and content are complete, accurate, and delivered according to project requirements.

Planning & Continuous Improvement

• Manage personal planning and balance competing priorities effectively.

• Provide accurate feedback on progress, status, and planning.

• Contribute to continuous improvement of content development processes and tools.

• Support knowledge sharing and best practices within the Global Learning & Content Development team.

• Continuously improve the effectiveness and usability of technical information for customers and Vanderlande employees.

• Contribute to improvements in content models, templates, authoring standards, terminology, publication workflows, and documentation processes.

What you bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, aviation, or a related technical field

• 3+ years of relevant experience, preferably in:

  • Logistic process automation

  • Capital goods industry

  • Industrial system integration

• Ability to successfully manage competing deadlines and balance priorities.

• Didactic mindset with a strong desire to share knowledge and experience.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills at all levels.

• Strong team-player mentality with a results-oriented, determined, and confident approach.

• Influential, proactive, conscientious, and problem-solving mindset.

• Strong interest in translating expert technical knowledge into effective user information.

• Professional-level spoken and written English.

• Knowledge of an additional foreign language is an advantage.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office

• XML editors / Structured Authoring Tools

• Content Management Systems

• SolidWorks Composer or equivalent technical illustration software

• DITA and Component Content Management Systems (CCMS)

• Jira or Agile Project Management Tools

• ENOVIA, PLM, or similar engineering data management systems

• Experience with technical illustrations, animations, and reusable content development

About Vanderlande:

The Global Learning & Content Development department is responsible for customer training and documentation delivery for Airport and Distribution projects worldwide. The department also supports the Technology business unit by delivering manuals for product development.

The team consists of professionals working across several global offices and is dedicated to delivering optimal knowledge transfer so that customers and Vanderlande employees can safely build, operate, and maintain our complex automated systems.

Website: www.vanderlande.com

What we offer:

Working at Vanderlande comes with the support and space to grow, achieve, and enjoy the journey. Here is what that looks like in practice:

• Competitive Salary Package

• 30 days of annual leave (pro-rated from the start of the financial year), including:

  • 22 paid leave days

  • 8 sick/casual leave days

  • Applicable government holidays

• Flexible and hybrid working model that promotes work-life balance

• Access to Vanderlande Academy and a wide range of learning and development programs

• Comprehensive medical insurance coverage, including parental coverage

• Opportunities to participate in diverse Vanderlande communities, networks, and employee initiatives

• Opportunity to collaborate globally with customers, engineers, and technical teams

How we work

We work by three values: Every day better, We care, and Team play.

In practice, this means we drive customer success, lead with transparency, celebrate what we achieve together, and do what we say.

Ready to apply?

Are you interested in this position? Apply directly via our careers page with your CV/Resume and motivation letter.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status.