Research and Development: Technical Writer

POYNTING Antennas; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 360,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

POYNTING Antennas in Johannesburg seeks a Technical Writer to support the antenna development lifecycle by producing clear, production-ready documentation, focusing on assembly and work instructions for MVP and low-volume production.

You will collaborate with engineering, production and quality teams to translate design intent into usable documentation, maintain document control and ISO 9001 alignment, and aid seamless production handover.

Qualifications

• Technical diploma or degree in engineering, industrial design, or a related field.
• 2–5 years’ experience in technical writing in manufacturing, engineering, or industrial environments.
• Experience with assembly instructions, work instructions, or production documentation preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain assembly and work instructions for MVP production.
• Collaborate with engineering, production and quality to ensure accuracy.
• Maintain document control, versioning and traceability.
• Support audits with up-to-date, clear documentation.

Skills

Technical writing

Manufacturing docs

Verbal communication

Written communication

Education

Engineering degree or diploma

Industrial design background

Job description

The Technical Writer supports the antenna development lifecycle by producing clear, accurate, and production-ready technical documentation. This role focuses on assembly instructions, work instructions, and industrialisation documentation to enable efficient transition from prototype to small-batch and MVP production. The Technical Writer will work as part of a rapid MVP team and the main development team, collaborating closely with engineering, production, and quality stakeholders.

Technical Documentation

• Develop, review, and maintain assembly instructions, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation for antenna products.
• Translate engineering designs, drawings, and specifications into clear, structured, and user-friendly documentation suitable for production environments.
• Create and update documentation supporting MVP builds, pilot production, and low-volume manufacturing.
• Ensure documentation aligns with design intent, manufacturing processes, and quality requirements.
• Support the industrialisation phase of antenna development by ensuring documentation readiness prior to production handover.
• Work closely with R&D, Production, and Quality to capture process changes, lessons learned, and continuous improvement updates.
• Assist in standardising documentation formats, templates, and naming conventions across R&D and production.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with engineers, technicians, and production staff to validate assembly steps and technical content.
• Participate in team meetings, design reviews, and build feedback sessions as required.
• Support production and quality teams by clarifying documentation and incorporating feedback.

Health, Safety, Environmental & Quality (HSEQ)

• Ensure all relevant documentation complies with internal Quality Management System requirements (e.g. ISO 9001).
• Adhere to document control, version control, and traceability requirements.
• Support internal and external audits by providing accurate and up-to-date documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve clarity, usability, and effectiveness of technical documentation.
• Contribute to reducing assembly errors, rework, and production inefficiencies through improved documentation.

Administration andReporting

• General correspondence and administration completed accurately and timeously.
• Email, inbox and data managed timeously and effectively.
• Professional image maintained in all communication.
• All reporting and feedback requirements met, and reports completed
• accurately and timeously, according to company requirements.
• Adhere to departmental processes and standard operating procedures.
• Supply statistics and information as requested.

Values and Conduct

• The Poynting brand: we value the promotion of the brand by maximising exposure of brand symbols and colours on products in marketing. We ensure our behaviour and products embody the brand with the promises outlined here.
• Innovation, use of MVPs and agile development methodologies are core values to create user-relevant products. We value similar methodologies to streamline internal functions and to galvanise and empower sales partners and provide creative marketing support.
• Fearless Initiative and Risk-Taking: We cherish bold and assertive employees and teams who dare to take initiative and embrace calculated risks. We celebrate failures as stepping stones to progress and forgive mistakes that result from genuine efforts to advance our business.
• Teamwork and Synergy:Vulnerability, honesty, mutual trust and integrity are nurtured and demanded as these are key drivers of team excellence.
• Diversity and Inclusion: We embrace diversity and strive to provide equal opportunities to all, recognizing the substantial commercial and internal benefits it unlocks. We actively eliminate biases that hinder company diversity.
• Global citizens: We value and take care of our environment, employees, other stakeholders and want to enrich societies around us. We welcome and immerse ourselves in different world cultures since this is key to achieving our Vision.

Qualifications & Experience

• Technical Diploma or Degree, Engineering, Industrial Design, or a related field (advantageous)
• 2–5 years’ experience in a technical writing role within manufacturing, engineering, or industrial environments
• Experience with assembly instructions, work instructions, or production documentation preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.