Scientific Writer jobs in Scranton, PA

Position Summary

MAG Aerospace is currently hiring for a Technical Writer to work in a fast-paced and highly technical satellite communication development laboratory located at Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD), PA. The Technical Writer will be involved in the interpretation of engineering data and translation of said data into cleanly-organized and effective technical documents. This Technical Writer position will encompass a broad range of documents (periodic reports, plans, Technical Data Packages (TDPs), software manuals, installation guides etc.) and the candidate will be expected to work closely with the appropriate Engineering Team Lead, and/or other teams as necessary for proper and accurate development of a document.This position is in-person and on-site at TYAD. There is no possibility of remote work, hybrid, or telework except during extreme winter weather. Candidates without a secret clearance will be considered, but an existing clearance is preferred and will be prioritized.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Technical Writing: The task of technical writing requires research, interviewing, writing original content, and, in some cases, a working knowledge of the subject. 

• The candidate will work in a lab environment supporting network engineers and other subject matter experts (SME) in the performance of their duties. The candidate will be expected to assist the lab SMEs with the consistency, correctness, completeness, and aesthetics of test documents and other various technical documents.
• The candidate will work on complex projects which require original thinking and new approaches. The candidate will plan and conduct assignments, review progress and evaluate results, work with other technical and administrative disciplines, and perform top-level analysis/research and plans.

Technical Editing: The technical editing process is an in‑depth editorial effort, which requires reviewing a document for all the following:

• Technical Content – verifies Technical Document (TD) for technical accuracy and renders information into words that the intended or targeted audience will understand.  Rewrites text as necessary to condense, consolidate, and clarify verbiage. 
• Language Style – reviews the quality of language in a document, checking fluency, parallelism, and level of writing.
• Substance – checks for rational paragraphing, format, content coherence, and comprehensiveness of tables and figures to eliminate contradictions and inconsistencies. 

Format Editing: Format editing requires reviewing a document for all the following:

• Conformance – ensures adherence to applicable specifications or style/format guidelines (e.g., cited Government procuring agency style guide, standard, or specification).  Normally, higher‑quality documents are required to conform to AAI identity and Best Commercial Standards.
• Integrity – ensures proper agreement among all parts of the document.  Thus, all tables and figures that are referenced in text are verified to exist, follow in proper order, and have unique and meaningful titles; a consistent numbering system (where applicable) is used for all pages, paragraphs, tables, and illustrations.  Ensures that all internal references are correct.
• Layout – ensures that all pages are of uniform dimension and margins.  Ensures that text, tables, and illustrations are legible and presented in a logical format that enhances understanding and comprehension.

Proofreading: Responsible for the proofreading of all text, tabular, and illustration pages, checking for errors and making the necessary corrections.  All documents produced by the Team comply with the following proofreading guidelines:

• The initial typing of a new document requires 100-percent proofreading.
• In subsequent review cycles, changes or updates from contributors require 100‑percent proofreading of altered areas and scanning each affected page to ensure that no other areas have been inadvertently changed or misprinted.
• In cases where computer malfunction is suspected, a 100-percent proofreading of all pages is necessary to guarantee that content and/or format throughout the TD has not been changed or lost.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge and Skills 

• Ability to grasp complex technical concepts and translate into easily understandable documents.
• Candidate must be capable of juggling multiple complex documentation tasks with little or no oversight, while also working effectively within a documentation team to support varying workloads.
• Must be comfortable with frequent interaction with site government and contractor personnel as it pertains to the development of technical documentation including user manuals, test plans and procedures, specifications, white papers, and equipment and/or systems training materials and technology description documents.
• Strong knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite and other technologies, specifically: MS Word, Power Point, Visio Adobe Professional
• Some knowledge of Photo Shop (or equivalent photo SW). 

Education 

• Bachelor’s Degree with concentration in English or other related field. 
• 2-5 years of Technical Writing experience. 

Desired Requirements 

• Candidate will ideally be familiar with DoD technical writing requirements and have knowledge of applicable military standards, specifications, and test practices, particularly MIL-STD-40051.
• Candidate will ideally be familiar with Adobe FrameMaker and PTC Arbor Text.

Other Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be eligible for or possess an active Secret Clearance.

Special Note

The position is contingent upon candidate’s ability to meet physical and medical requirements as needed by the position; thereby, in accordance with Federal Requirements, medical requirements include but are not limited to full COVID-19 vaccination status except in limited circumstances where a candidate is legally entitled to an accommodation – proof of vaccination required.

Company Policy