Senior Manager Technical Publications

About the role

The Senior Manager Technical Publications leads the corporate-wide strategy for the development, and delivery of technical documentation supporting Generac's residential, commercial, and industrial power-generation products across global markets. This role owns the end-to-end documentation lifecycle, from authoring and illustration through translation, publishing, and post-release maintenance, for operator manuals, installation guides, service literature, illustrated parts catalogs (IPCs), service bulletins, and digital content.

The senior manager directs an in-house team of technical writers, illustrators, and content specialists who author and illustrate within PTC Windchill and Arbortext; coordinates the external translation/localization vendor that delivers multi-language versions; and partners with Engineering, Product Management, Service, Compliance, and Legal to ensure documentation is accurate, safe, compliant with global regulatory standards, and optimized for dealer, installer, and end-user audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of technical writers, editors, and content specialists
• Establish departmental budgets. Own corporate wide technical documentation technology roadmap.
• Drive organizational transformation related to digital content strategies
• Set priorities, manage workloads, and ensure timely delivery of documentation projects
• Establish best practices, standards, and processes for content creation and governance
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration
• Define and execute the technical publications strategy aligned with business goals
• Develop and maintain documentation standards, style guides, and templates
• Ensure consistency, accuracy, and clarity across all technical content
• Drive adoption of structured authoring, content reuse, and modular documentation practices
• Oversee creation of product manuals, service documentation, user guides, release notes, and knowledge base articles
• Collaborate with engineering, product management, service, and support teams to gather and validate content
• Coordinate 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
• Utilize and optimize platforms such as PTC Windchill (PLM) and Arbortext (structured authoring and publishing)
• Evaluate and implement new tools and technologies (e.g., AI-assisted authoring, content automation)
• Implement a strategy to improve KPIs for documentation workflows, version control, and publishing processes
• Ensure documentation complies with regulatory, legal, and industry standards
• Drive quality assurance processes including reviews, audits, and feedback loops
• Monitor documentation effectiveness through metrics and user feedback

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Technical Communication, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or related technical field (equivalent demonstrable experience documenting mechanical/electrical systems considered)
• 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 strategic 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

Skills

• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 82079-1 (preparation of instructions for use) and ISO 20607 (machinery instruction handbooks)
• Leadership and team development
• Strategic thinking and planning
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Content architecture and information design
• Project management and prioritization
• Attention to detail and quality focus
• Data-driven decision making

Preferred qualifications

• Master's degree in Technical Communication, Engineering, or related field
• 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
• 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)