Naval Systems Engineering Technical Author

Job Description SummaryWe are seeking an Engineering Technical Author to join our Naval business. The successful candidate will be responsible for collating, structuring, and producing customer contract deliverable documents that demonstrate compliance with technical requirements and program obligations.
This role involves working with data drawn from databases, structured authoring environments, and publishing tools, and requires proficiency in modern collaborative authoring and publishing methods. The Technical Author will partner closely with system and equipment engineering teams, engineering data management, and project management teams to ensure customer deliverables are accurate, consistent, traceable, and aligned with contractual standards.
The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to continuous improvement activities and and help to refine the processes around technical authoring to improve teams’ and customers’ experiences.

Job Description

Roles and Responsibilities

Ready for a new, exciting career opportunity, you will report directly to the Naval Engineering Leader, collaborating with a diverse engineering and business community.

Working in a class-leading, multi-disciplinary team of engineers you will bring your extensive expertise in technical authoring, ideally with knowledge of relevant military standards, class rules and regulatory requirements. 

You will have responsibility for the following activities:

• Plan, compile, and deliver customer-facing technical documents in accordance with contract requirements, schedules, and quality standards.
• Collate and interpret data from multiple sources, including engineering databases, requirements management tools, and structured publishing environments.
• Apply structured authoring techniques to ensure documents are modular, reusable, and consistent across deliverables.
• Use modern collaborative authoring platforms to work with distributed engineering teams and ensure version control.

• Ensure documentation demonstrates traceability to customer requirements, integrating evidence from design outputs, analyses, and verification activities.
• Develop and maintain document templates, standards, and style guides for consistent delivery.
• Work with configuration and document control teams to manage revisions, approvals, and secure submission to the customer.
• Support responses to customer reviews, comments, and queries.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of document production processes, toolsets, and workflows.
• Work to deadlines and plan in advance with contributors to ensure on time delivery

Qualifications/Requirements

• Proven experience as a Technical Author, Technical Writer, or Documentation Specialist in an engineering or defence-related environment.
• Competence with structured authoring and content management systems (e.g., XML-based publishing, DITA, S1000D, or equivalent).
• Experience working with databases and specialist publishing tools to generate technical deliverables.
• Proficiency in modern collaborative authoring methods (e.g., shared repositories, concurrent editing, version control, and review workflows).
• Strong ability to interpret and communicate complex technical information clearly and concisely.
• Excellent command of written English with high standards of accuracy and clarity.
• Is a sole UK National and holds, or be eligible to obtain, UK security clearance to SC level.

Desired characteristics

• Experience producing contract deliverables in naval, defence, aerospace, or power & propulsion industries.
• Familiarity with IBM ELM (DOORS Next, Publishing Engine) for requirements-driven documentation.
• Understanding of systems engineering practices, engineering data traceability, and verification.
• Awareness of relevant industry standards for technical publications and customer deliverables.
• Ability to multi-task on a variety of projects to strict timescales, excellent communication skills, good report writing skills, well organised.
• Hold a UK Driving Licence and be willing to travel within base country and overseas for short-term working.

You can expect from us

• Flexible working arrangements
• Attractive compensation package
• Flexible benefits you can personalise
• Company pension contribution; income protection; private health insurance; life assurance, healthy lifestyle account
• 34 days’ vacation including national holidays.

Additional Information