Technical Writer - GM Defense

GM Defense; Milford Charter Township (MI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Clearance eligible

Job summary

GM Defense is seeking a Technical Writer to develop and sustain technical publications for military and commercial vehicle programs. The role converts engineering, service, logistics, and customer information into clear procedures for operators, maintainers, and trainees.

Work under general supervision with the Publications Team Lead and collaborate with engineers, designers, and SMEs to ensure accuracy, safety, and compliance across operator manuals, maintenance guides, and training content.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in graphic design, technical illustration, technical communication, engineering, or a related discipline.
• 2+ years of experience creating technical illustrations or graphics for automotive, defense, aerospace, or safety‑critical publications.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, CAD/3D data, wiring schematics, and system diagrams.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute assigned technical-publication work packages under general supervision.
• Review statements of work, contract requirements, and publication specs to determine content and format.
• Develop, author, edit, update, and maintain operator, maintenance, and training publications for complex vehicles and equipment.
• Translate engineering and service information into clear, concise procedures for safe operation and maintenance.
• Coordinate with engineers, technicians, and subject matter experts to validate content and resolve discrepancies.

Skills

Technical writing

Editing

Analytical skills

Cross‑functional communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in graphics/technical writing or related field

Tools

GM Service Information tools

GM MATH

Teamcenter

XML/SGML editors

Arbortext

Job description

Job Description

Hybrid - This role is categorized as hybrid. The successful candidate is expected to report to Warren, Michigan, or Milford, Michigan, at least three times per week and more frequently when required by work assignments, validation activities, or program needs or other frequency dictated by the business.

About GM Defense

GM Defense is driving the future of military mobility by leveraging the best-in-class capabilities of General Motors for unmatched innovation, proven performance, and breakthrough life-cycle economics. We deliver dependable, affordable, and innovative products across a full spectrum of capabilities, including integrated vehicles, electrification, autonomy, robotics, and security. Within GM Defense, the Integrated Product Support organization ensures that customers receive world-class aftermarket support. The team develops and sustains the documentation and support products required to keep GM Defense vehicles and systems operational throughout their lifecycle. This includes technical manuals, service information, parts cataloging, diagnostic software, service programming, design-for-serviceability inputs, field service support, and spare parts.

The role

GM Defense is seeking a Technical Writer to develop and sustain accurate, usable, and compliant technical publications for military and commercial vehicle and equipment programs. This role converts engineering, service, logistics, maintenance, and customer information into clear procedures and supporting content for operators, maintainers, technicians, instructors, field-service personnel, and other end users. The Technical Writer works under general supervision and uses independent judgment to plan and complete assigned writing work packages. The role partners with the Technical Publications Team Lead, service and sustainment engineers, design engineers, technicians, graphic artists, technical illustrators, software and controls specialists, logistics personnel, program teams, customers, and subject matter experts.

Deliverables may include operator manuals, maintenance manuals, repair manuals, troubleshooting procedures, inspection and servicing procedures, training manuals, parts-related documentation, technical orders, service information procedures, electronic technical-manual content, work cards, job aids, and other technical-publication products required by the assigned program. Deliverables may be produced for GM Service Information, military technical manuals, customer-specific systems, structured XML/SGML environments, or other controlled publication formats.

Candidates may bring experience from GM Service Information, military or aerospace technical manuals, commercial vehicle service documentation, heavy equipment, industrial equipment, or another structured technical-publication environment. The selected candidate will be expected to learn the authoring standards, systems, terminology, and deliverable formats required for assigned programs.

What You’ll Do

• Independently plan and execute assigned technical-publication work packages under general supervision, balancing scope, technical accuracy, quality, schedule, and competing program priorities.
• Review statements of work, contract requirements, publication specifications, logistics requirements, engineering inputs, service requirements, and customer expectations to determine the content and format needed for each deliverable.
• Develop, author, edit, update, and maintain operator, maintenance, inspection, servicing, repair, troubleshooting, parts, and training publications for complex vehicles, equipment, hardware, and software systems.
• Analyze engineering drawings, CAD and 3D math data, wiring schematics, system diagrams, requirements, software information, parts data, engineering changes, photographs, test results, and other source material to extract accurate technical content.
• Translate complex engineering and service information into clear, concise, actionable procedures that support safe operation, inspection, maintenance, diagnosis, repair, training, and equipment readiness.
• Organize content using topic-based and structured-writing principles so information is consistent, reusable, traceable, maintainable, and appropriate for the target publication and audience.
• Create and maintain procedures in GM Service Information authoring systems, structured XML/SGML environments, military technical-publication systems, or other applicable content-authoring platforms.
• Apply applicable writing, terminology, formatting, safety, warning, caution, note, illustration, cross-reference, and delivery requirements, including Simplified Technical English when required.
• Identify where warnings, cautions, notes, initial conditions, special tools, personnel requirements, consumables, parts, torque values, measurements, and expected results are needed to make a procedure complete and safe to execute.
• Work with service and sustainment engineers, design engineers, technicians, and subject matter experts to validate technical content, resolve discrepancies, confirm nomenclature, and ensure that safety-critical information is complete and correctly represented.
• Coordinate with graphic artists and technical illustrators to define figure requirements, identify line art and exploded views, integrate graphics with written steps, and verify that figures support the associated procedure.
• Identify and incorporate relevant content from engineering and service systems, including GM MATH, Teamcenter, art folders, Electronic Parts Catalog information, virtual‑reality content, drawings, schematics, and other approved sources when required.
• Manage revisions, change incorporation, traceability, document configuration, and version control as engineering designs, parts, procedures, customer requirements, and program configurations evolve.
• Participate in technical reviews, peer reviews, quality audits, logistics demonstrations, maintenance evaluations, and formal validation and verification activities.
• Perform hands‑on validation with technicians, vehicles, equipment, test articles, and customers when assigned; walk through procedures, document discrepancies, and drive corrections to closure with the appropriate technical owner.
• Support development and resolution of moderate‑scope technical‑publication issues during engineering development, prototyping, production, field support, and sustainment.
• Communicate status, risks, dependencies, technical concerns, assumptions, and potential schedule impacts early to the Technical Publications Team Lead and affected partners.
• Resolve moderate‑scope documentation problems independently using established processes and sound technical judgment; elevate issues requiring engineering authority, customer direction, contract interpretation, or a change to an approved technical baseline.
• Recommend and help implement improvements to authoring methods, content reuse, templates, terminology, quality checks, review processes, validation practices, and publication‑delivery workflows.
• Maintain a safe work environment and follow all applicable GM Defense, customer, facility, equipment, and high‑voltage safety requirements.

Your Skills And Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in graphic design, technical illustration, technical communication, fine arts, engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 2+ years of demonstrated experience creating technical illustrations or graphics for automotive, defense, aerospace, aviation, military, or comparable safety‑critical technical publications.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and use engineering drawings, CAD or 3D math, wiring schematics, parts information, system diagrams, engineering changes, requirements, or other technical source data.
• Demonstrated ability to write clear, accurate, and actionable operator, maintenance, repair, troubleshooting, inspection, servicing, or training procedures.
• Experience working in a structured‑authoring, XML/SGML, content‑management, PLM, service‑information, technical‑order, or comparable publication environment, or demonstrated ability to learn those systems.
• Ability to independently manage multiple assignments, coordinate dependencies, meet delivery commitments, and follow work through review, validation, and resolution.
• Strong technical writing, editing, analytical, organizational, and cross‑functional communication skills.
• Ability to learn vehicle and equipment systems, including high‑voltage, battery, propulsion, controls, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and software‑enabled systems as required by assigned work.
• Ability to work safely around vehicles, equipment, test articles, maintenance activities, and high‑voltage systems as required by assigned work.
• Candidate must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).
• Eligible to obtain Secret U.S. Security Clearance after hire.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Common Access Card.

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Active Secret U.S. Security Clearance as of the first day of work.
• Experience authoring GM Service Information using GM Service Information authoring tools, GM MATH, GM graphic‑art processes, Electronic Parts Catalog information, or related GM service‑publication workflows.
• Experience developing military, aerospace, aviation, marine, heavy‑equipment, or industrial technical manuals using applicable standards such as MIL‑STD‑40051, MIL‑STD‑3031, MIL‑STD‑38784, MIL‑STD‑2361, S1000D, or comparable customer requirements.
• Experience with Teamcenter, Arbortext, structured XML editors, content‑management systems, PLM software, Interactive Electronic Technical Manual processes, or comparable authoring and publishing systems.
• Experience developing publications for complex vehicle systems, propulsion, controls, electrical systems, software‑enabled equipment, hydraulics, pneumatics, or other integrated hardware and software.
• Experience reading and analyzing full‑vehicle wiring schematics, system architecture, software requirements, diagnostic information, or engineering‑change documentation.
• Experience performing physical validation, verification, logistics demonstrations, maintenance evaluations, technician reviews, or customer acceptance activities.
• Experience managing document configuration, revision tracking, change incorporation, traceability, content reuse, or publication archives.
• Experience applying Simplified Technical English or another controlled‑language standard.
• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in technical writing, English, communications, engineering, computer science, technical communication, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• High‑voltage safety training or certification applicable to the assigned program.
• Experience improving technical‑publication workflows, templates, quality checks, review methods, traceability, or content‑reuse practices.
• Experience training or mentoring others in technical writing, maintenance documentation, authoring systems, or related technical skills.
• Green Belt or Black Belt certification.

#GMD

This position requires eligibility to access classified information at the Secret U.S. Security Clearance level for which the U.S. Government requires U.S. Citizenship. The successful candidate must have eligibility to access classified information at that level. GM does not provide immigration‑related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1‑B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J‑1, etc). This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. This job is not eligible for relocation benefits. Any relocation costs would be the responsibility of the selected candidate. The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).

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