Sr. Technical Writer

About the Role

The Maru Program is seeking a Senior Technical Writer who thrives at the intersection of technology, mission, and impact. Join a high-performing team supporting an Intelligence Community customer and help transform complex systems, capabilities, and technical concepts into clear, authoritative documentation that enables mission success. If you're energized by challenging technical problems, enjoy working directly with engineers and mission experts, and take pride in making complicated information understandable, we'd love to meet you.

The Opportunity

As a Senior Technical Writer, you will own and drive documentation efforts for sophisticated technical programs supporting national-security missions. You'll work closely with software engineers, systems engineers, program leadership, subject-matter experts, and customer stakeholders to gather information, understand complex technologies, and produce polished, mission-ready documentation. This is an opportunity to do more than document products, you'll help shape how critical technical information is communicated, understood, maintained, and ultimately used.

Work Location: Gaithersburg, MD is the program's primary work location. The Tech Writer can work remotely 2 days a week, but must be local to Gaithersburg, MD.

Clearance Level Required: Active Top Secret/SCI with the ability to successfully pass a Polygraph examination.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop, write, edit, and maintain high-quality technical documentation for complex GEOINT systems, software, and mission capabilities.
• Translate highly technical concepts into clear, concise, audience-appropriate content.
• Collaborate directly with engineers, developers, architects, analysts, and subject-matter experts to gather and validate information.
• Create and maintain system documentation, user guides, technical manuals, standard operating procedures, release documentation, architecture descriptions, and other program deliverables.
• Establish and maintain documentation standards, templates, style guides, and content-development processes.
• Review existing documentation for accuracy, consistency, clarity, and completeness.
• Manage multiple documentation efforts and priorities while meeting demanding deadlines.
• Interview technical and mission personnel and synthesize complex information into accessible written content.
• Work within controlled and potentially classified environments while adhering to program security and documentation requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the organization's technical communication practices.

Basic Qualifications

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor's degree in English, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Technical Communication or 8-12 years of prior relevant experience or Master's with 6-10 years of prior relevant experience, or 8-12+ years of prior relevant experience in lieu of degree.
• 7+ years of professional technical writing experience, preferably supporting complex technology, software, systems engineering, defense, or intelligence programs.
• Experience documenting complex software, systems, cloud, or DevSecOps environments.
• Experience creating system documentation, architecture documents, SOPs, user guides, and release documentation.
• Hands-on experience with Confluence and Jira or similar tools.
• Ability to work directly with engineers and independently understand complex technical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and document complex technical systems and concepts.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and information-organization skills.
• Ability to independently research unfamiliar technologies and quickly develop subject-matter proficiency.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to technical accuracy.
• Experience managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with documentation tools and content-development workflows.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the confidence to interview technical experts and ask thoughtful questions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting an Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, or other federal customers.
• Experience working in a classified environment.
• Certified Professional Technical Communicator.
• Familiarity with software development, cloud technologies, DevSecOps, cybersecurity, data systems, or systems engineering.
• Experience with Markdown, XML, DITA, Git or similar documentation/content-management tools.
• Experience in creating documentation for Agile or DevSecOps development teams.

Pay

Pay Range $82,550.00 - $149,225.00. The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.