Senior Technical Writer - DITA, XML

We are looking for an experienced Sr. Technical Writer with 7+ years of experience to join and lead projects within our dynamic Product Experience team. You will create high-quality API documentation and code samples while mentoring junior writers and contributing to strategic content development. You will collaborate across teams to ensure documentation and supporting code align with user needs and our goals, driving improvements in the developer experience. You will be reporting to Director, Technical writing.

• You will lead the development, evaluation, and modification of prototypes to support evolving hardware and software application development.
• Create user profiles with emphasis on human error control, display issues, visual interaction, physical manipulation, and task/objective analyses.
• Investigate complex technical challenges, applying usability and software design processes to provide user-focused solutions. Collaborate with teams to develop specifications describing user requirements and internal structures for products in development.
• Write, edit, and publish advanced documentation, including API reference guides, tutorials, FAQs, and comprehensive code samples. contribute to the codebase by creating and maintaining example projects and SDKs that showcase best practices for Avalara's APIs.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to other writers, ensuring the team delivers high-quality work. And Partner with design and engineering teams to provide strategic input on usability and documentation considerations during concept development and implementation.

Responsibilities:

• Be a subject matter expert for API documentation, setting standards and driving consistency across projects.
• Mentor junior technical writers and other team members, promoting a and collaboration. Advocate for documentation best practices and contribute to programs that improve Avalara's developer experience.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive API documentation, code samples, and user guides, ensuring clarity and technical accuracy.
• Write and publish complex example projects and SDKs that highlight API functionality, advanced integration techniques, and best practices.
• Ensure updates to documentation and code, maintaining clear version control and change logs. Work with engineers, product managers, and designers to understand technical requirements and translate them into relevant documentation and code.
• Help with user design and usability considerations, influencing product development to prioritize developer needs. Collaborate with team members to identify and address gaps in documentation, tooling, or developer resources.
• Review and refine existing content for consistency, accessibility, and usability, ensuring understanding of Avalara's voice, tone, and brand standards.
• Monitor content performance and provide strategic, data-driven recommendations for improvement.

Education & Skills:

• You have demonstrated expertise in creating technical documentation and code samples that empower developers and enhance usability. Be prepared to share examples of your work, including complex projects or leadership plans, during the interview process.
• 7+ years of experience in technical writing and API documentation for enterprise software or developer tools.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Python, Java, C#, or JavaScript, with experience in writing and debugging code.
• Experience leading documentation projects & mentoring team members and creating & evaluating prototypes to support software and hardware development.
• Knowledge of usability principles and experience with tactile methods, visual graphics, and interactive systems and proficiency in tools like Swagger/OpenAPI, Git, Markdown, and structured documentation frameworks such as DITA. Familiarity with content optimization tools like Acrolinx (or similar).