Emergence Software - Technical Writer
Requirements
• Must-haves • 5+ years of technical writing experience for developer-facing software like databases, application servers, or infrastructure software. • Proven ability to understand complex technical systems by reading code and collaborating with engineers; portfolio demonstrating clear, well-structured documentation. • Experience documenting APIs, command-line tools, configuration files, system administration procedures, and release notes. • Proficiency with documentation tools like Adobe FrameMaker, DITA, Docusaurus, AsciiDoc, LaTeX, or similar. • Proficiency creating and editing graphics files (PNG, SVG). • Comfort working in Linux/Unix environments, running commands, and reading code in C, C++, Smalltalk, Java, and Python to verify accuracy. • Strong organizational and time management skills to manage multiple simultaneous documentation projects across release schedules. • Nice-to-haves • Familiarity with object-oriented programming concepts and languages like Smalltalk, Python, or Java. • Experience documenting database systems, transaction processing platforms, or enterprise middleware. • Background working in small, highly technical teams where self-direction and broad ownership are expected. • Exposure to financial services, insurance, or telecommunications software environments. • Experience with single-sourcing documentation for multiple product versions or configurations. • You've spent five or more years documenting complex technical systems for developer audiences. You read code to understand how systems actually work, not just what engineers tell you. You've identified documentation gaps in past roles and proposed concrete solutions with scope and effort estimates before being asked. You expand your charter to solve adjacent problems like knowledge base architecture or single-sourcing strategies, then drive adoption. You measure whether your documentation actually reduces support tickets or improves onboarding time rather than assuming completion means success. You mentor junior writers and actively solicit feedback from engineers, support teams, and customers. When data contradicts your initial approach, you change your position publicly. You've refactored inherited documentation systems to improve clarity and maintainability. You work well in small, technical teams where you direct your own work and collaborate deeply across functions.
Responsibilities
• Plan and deliver production-ready documentation for each GemTalk product release aligned with software timelines. • Produce installation guides, administration manuals, API references, programming guides, migration guides, and release notes. • Translate engineering specifications, code, and interviews into clear, precise prose for developer audiences. • Audit existing documentation libraries for gaps, inconsistencies, and outdated content; execute remediation with measurable improvements. • Establish and enforce documentation standards, style guides, and templates across all GemTalk publications. • Partner with software engineers and SVP/CTO to capture new features and breaking changes during product planning cycles. • Create and maintain customer-facing knowledge base articles, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and technical notes based on support feedback. • Gather feedback from customers and support engineers to continuously improve documentation usability. • Own the documentation toolchain, publishing pipeline, and source control for all documentation assets. • Produce print-ready PDF, HTML, and web-based searchable documentation formats. • Create and maintain graphics and diagrams (PNG, SVG) to illustrate system architecture and workflows.
Benefits
• Location: Beaverton, Oregon, with remote-friendly flexibility. • A role with significant ownership and direct impact on a product trusted by major global enterprises. • Collaborative, deeply experienced engineering team with decades of domain expertise. • Stable, mission-critical work: We have powered enterprise systems continuously for over 40 years. • The opportunity to grow with a company at an exciting inflection point following its acquisition by Emergence.
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