The Program Manager - Technical Documentation roles leads the implementation and ongoing management of our industrial equipment documentation content management system. This strategic role will transform how technical information is created, managed, and delivered across our organization, significantly improving equipment maintenance efficiency and customer satisfaction. The ideal candidate will blend technical knowledge of industrial equipment with expertise in content management, digital transformation, and program leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and execute the strategic vision for digital transformation of technical documentation
- Build and lead cross-functional teams spanning technical writing, IT, engineering, and field service
- Secure executive sponsorship and manage stakeholder expectations
- Define and track success metrics for the CMS implementation
- Establish governance frameworks and sustainability plans
Technical Implementation
- Lead the evaluation and selection of appropriate CMS technologies
- Oversee system architecture design and integration with existing enterprise systems
- Develop content models and metadata frameworks specific to industrial equipment documentation
- Establish standards for content structure, authoring, and publication
- Guide the migration of legacy documentation into the new system
Process Development
- Design and implement efficient workflows for content creation, review, and publication
- Establish quality assurance protocols for technical accuracy and consistency
- Develop terminology management and localization processes
- Create feedback mechanisms to capture field insights for continuous improvement
- Implement change management processes to ensure user adoption
Team Leadership Collaboration
- Build and mentor a team of content strategists, technical writers, and documentation specialists
- Foster collaboration between engineering, service, training, and documentation teams
- Facilitate knowledge transfer between experienced technicians and documentation teams
- Partner with IT to ensure system performance, security, and scalability
- Collaborate with field service to optimize content for practical application
Continuous Improvement
- Analyze system usage and performance metrics to identify improvement opportunities
- Stay current with industry trends in technical documentation and content management
- Lead ongoing enhancement initiatives based on user feedback and operational needs
- Develop roadmaps for integration with emerging technologies (AR/VR, IoT, AI)
- Establish communities of practice to promote knowledge sharing
Education and Experience
Required Experience Knowledge
- 8+ years of experience in technical documentation, content strategy, or knowledge management
- 5+ years of program/project management experience, preferably in digital transformation initiatives
- Proven experience implementing content management systems or similar digital platforms
- Strong understanding of technical documentation principles and best practices
- Experience with structured content, XML-based documentation, or DITA
- Bachelors degree in technical communication, engineering, information science, or related field
Preferred Experience
- Experience in industrial manufacturing, equipment maintenance, or related technical fields
- Familiarity with industrial equipment documentation and maintenance procedures
- Knowledge of enterprise integration patterns and API-based architectures
- Experience with change management and organizational transformation
- Background in user experience design or information architecture
- Understanding of CMMS, EAM, or other maintenance management systems
- Experience with translation management and localization workflows
Key Skills
Technical Skills
- Working knowledge of content management systems and documentation tools
- Understanding of database structures and content modeling
- Familiarity with search technologies and information retrieval principles
- Basic understanding of web technologies and mobile application platforms
- Knowledge of metadata standards and taxonomy development
- Experience with analytics and performance measurement
Leadership Soft Skills
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing abilities
- Strategic thinking and vision-setting capabilities
- Ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
- Proven change management and organizational transformation skills
- Team building and cross-functional leadership experience
- Problem-solving mindset with attention to detail
