Manager Technical Publications

Major Responsibilities

Leads, mentors, and develops a team of technical writers, editors, and content specialists.
Sets priorities, manages workloads, and ensures timely delivery of documentation projects.
Establishes best practices, standards, and processes for content creation and governance.
Defines and executes the technical publications strategy aligned with business goals.
Develops and maintains documentation standards, style guides, and templates.
Ensures consistency, accuracy, and clarity across all technical content.
Drives adoption of structured authoring, content reuse, and modular documentation practices.
Oversees creation of product manuals, service documentation, user guides, release notes, and knowledge base articles.
Collaborates with engineering, product management, service, and support teams to gather and validate content.
Coordinates the end-to-end translation and localization program with the external language services vendor, covering operator, installation, and service literature across all markets where Generac products are sold.
Utilizes and optimizes platforms such as PTC Windchill (PLM) and Arbortext (structured authoring and publishing)
Evaluates and implements new tools and technologies (e.g., AI-assisted authoring, content automation)
Manages documentation workflows and controls while ensuring adherence to regulatory, legal, and industry standards.
Oversees quality assurance and documentation effectiveness by implementing audits, feedback loops, and data-driven performance monitoring.

Minimum Job Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree in Technical Communication, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or related technical field (equivalent demonstrable experience documenting mechanical/electrical systems considered)
Work Experience: 7 years of progressive experience in technical documentation for engineered products, with 5+ years in a regulated or safety-critical industry (power generation, automotive, heavy equipment, industrial machinery, aerospace, or similar)
5 years of direct people-management experience leading writers, illustrators, or content teams
Demonstrated ownership of the full documentation lifecycle: authoring, illustration, review, translation, publishing, and revision control
Hands-on experience with structured authoring in XML (DITA and/or S1000D) and a component content management system (CCMS)
Proven track record managing cross-functional delivery with Engineering, Product Management, and Service organizations
Demonstrated experience coordinating external translation/localization vendors, including SOW management, SLA enforcement, and translation memory governance
Budget and vendor management experience, including translation/localization vendors

Preferred Job Requirements

Education: Master's degree in Technical Communication, Engineering, or related field
Work Experience: Hands-on experience with PTC Windchill (PLM) and PTC Arbortext Editor / Publishing Engine in a production environment
Experience with S1000D and/or DITA at scale, including module reuse strategy and BREX/specialization governance
Experience with CAD-to-illustration toolchains (PTC Creo Illustrate, Cortona3D, or IsoDraw) and 3D technical illustration
Platforms: Experience documenting internal-combustion engines, alternators, ATS/switchgear, energy storage systems, or grid-interactive equipment
Experience integrating documentation with field-service platforms (e.g., ServiceMax, Salesforce Service Cloud) and dealer portals
Experience managing translation/localization programs across 15+ languages, including TMS
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities: Working knowledge of ASD-STE100 (Simplified Technical English) and controlled-language authoring
Familiarity with EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 (effective January 2027), UL 2200, CSA, and EPA/CARB documentation requirements
Familiarity with Agile/DevOps delivery, Jira/Confluence, and Git-based docs-as-code workflows
Knowledge of UX writing, content strategy, intelligent content (CIDM), and AI-assisted authoring (LLM-based drafting, terminology management, automated QA)