Technical Author

JFD Global; Westhill; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early finish on Fridays

Pension

Private medical

Cycle to work

Job summary

James Fisher Defence (JFD) seeks a Technical Author for its Westhill, UK operation. The role focuses on creating and updating Operating Manuals, Maintenance Manuals and other publications for defence hardware and marine systems.

You will work closely with engineering and production teams, and manage documentation through our PLM/DMS workflow. The position requires a technical writing background, familiarity with Word templates and graphics, and travel to local/overseas sites if needed.

Qualifications

• Technical writing qualification or equivalent industry experience.
• Mechanical and/or Electrical background.
• Experience producing documents for defence, diving or marine sectors.
• Significant document design and production skills.
• Highly skilled in generating and checking documentation and publications.
• Familiarity with Word templates and styles.
• Knowledge of S1000D, ASD-STE100 and Defence Standard 00-601.

Responsibilities

• Create and amend Operating Manuals (OM), Maintenance Manuals (MM), Books of Reference (BR) and Advanced Information Leaflets (AIL).
• Source technical content by liaising with engineering, production and suppliers.
• Collaborate with drafting staff to produce graphical content for manuals.
• Take photos for documents and ensure deliverables meet client requirements.
• Use JFD templates and adhere to documentation style; log changes in PLM/DMS.

Skills

Technical writing

Documentation

Attention to detail

Graphic/content layout

Education

Technical writing qualification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Adobe FrameMaker

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Technical Author

Westhill with Hybrid Working

Full-Time, Permanent

Please note that this role requires security checks.

The Role:

We are recruiting for a Technical Author to join our Defence Engineering department at our Westhill office. As a Technical Author, you will create and amend user documentation including Operating Manuals (OM), Maintenance Manuals (MM), Books of Reference (BR) and Advanced Information Leaflets (AIL) as well as internal engineering documentation and JFD publications. You will primarily support the JFD standard products range (consisting of diving sets, rebreathers, Hyperbaric Rescue, etc); however, this can also lead to supporting the wider engineering function.

What you'll be doing:

• Creating and amending OMs, MMs, BRs and AILs.
• Using Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker and Adobe Acrobat software.
• Sourcing technical content for inclusion in manuals by liaison with engineering, production, and external suppliers when necessary.
• Liaising with drafting staff to produce graphical content for inclusion in manuals.
• Taking photos for inclusion in documents.
• Producing deliverables to client requirements including printed matter, Adobe PDF, etc.
• Using JFD documentation templates.
• Following the JFD documentation style.
• Filing document creation and amendment details within the Product Lifecycle Management System (PLM). Our Document Management System (DMS).
• Creating Engineering Change Notes when amending documents to adhere to the Engineering Change Control Process.

What we're looking for:

• Technical writing qualification or equivalent industry experience.
• Mechanical and/or Electrical background.
• Experience of producing documents for companies in the defence, diving or marine sectors.
• Significant document design and production skills.
• Highly skilled in generating and checking documentation and company publications.
• Highly skilled in the use of documentation packages such as Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker and Adobe Acrobat.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Word templates and styles.
• Knowledge in the use of graphical packages.
• Knowledge of industry standards for documentation. For example, S1000D, ASD-STE100 and Defence Standard 00-601.
• Knowledge of current and soon to be released documentation packages and add-ons.
• Flexible for travel to local or overseas sites if required.
• Experience with DMSs.

Why join us?

• Early finish on Fridays
• Competitive salary and benefits package aligned with experience (Private Medical Insurance, Life Assurance, Cycle to work scheme, Company Pension, etc.)
• Clear pathways for career development and organisational visibility
• Inclusive and supportive culture that values individual contributions
• Meaningful work with impact across safety, innovation, and global operations

About Us:

James Fisher is a global engineering services company operating across Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport. With a strong heritage in maritime operations, we now deliver innovative solutions in challenging environments. Our One James Fisher strategy is focused on building a unified, sustainable business within the Blue Economy, driving progress through technology, expertise, and collaboration.

Visit our website at: Home | James Fisher and Sons plc

For more information about our values and behaviours, follow the link: About us | James Fisher and Sons plc

James Fisher Defence (JFD), part of the James Fisher Group, is a global leader in underwater capability, delivering cutting-edge diving, submarine rescue, and hyperbaric solutions to both commercial and defence markets. Operating worldwide, JFD is the foremost provider of submarine rescue services and a trusted name in submarine escape training. We’re also at the forefront of hyperbaric rescue innovation and a leading supplier of advanced diving equipment and saturation systems across the industry. Explore more about JFD

At James Fisher and Sons, we are committed to taking positive action on diversity and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and recognise that our success is driven by the talent and diversity of our workforce.

To support an accessible and inclusive recruitment experience in the UK, we partner with Vercida. You can learn more about our approach by visiting our company page: James Fisher and Sons diversity, inclusion, culture - VERCIDA