Lead Technical Writer

Summary

A lead technical writer is an expert practitioner who directs a team of technical writers, and assures the quality of technical writing across teams and the alignment to strategy. At this role level, you will:

standardise tools and ways of communicating, along with processes

work closely with service managers, technology leaders and senior stakeholders to resource teams and resolve problems

promote the discipline of technical writing

engage with the cross-government community

keep up to date with industry changes

Work Activity Components

Title	Details
Risk management (Level 5) (Content Authoring)	Ensures the implications of publishing content are understood by content creators and designers. Ensures potential risks are identified and mitigated.
Content production (Level 5)	Provides overall editorial control across the team or teams of content designers and authors, to ensure appropriate content, tone, brevity, consistency and re-use. Manages the overall editorial process adhering to deadlines and quotas laid out in the editorial calendar.
Content development (Level 5)	Develops and maintains content plans showing how the identified audience needs will be met.

Behavioural Skills

Title	Details
Initiative	Being proactive, anticipating opportunities for systems, service or product improvement or development and taking appropriate action(s).
Creativity	Taking innovative approaches to problem solving and/or devising inventive and creative solutions.
Interacting with People	Establishing relationships, contributing to an open culture and maintaining contacts with people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Effective, approachable and sensitive communicator in different communities and cultures. Ability to adapt style and approach to meet the needs of different audiences.
Teamwork	Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.

Training

Title	Details
Advanced Documentation Tools and Techniques	Specialist techniques and tools used in the production of technical publications.
Security Awareness	Tools and techniques to help users and employees understand the role they play in helping to combat information security breaches and for IT and security professionals to prevent and mitigate risk.
Graphic Design and Web Development	Tools and techniques for graphic design, user interface design (UI design), content authoring using standardised code and proprietary software, user experience design (UX design), web development and search engine optimisation.

Professional Development Activity (PDA)

Title	Details	PDA Group
Deputising	Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence.	Broadening Activities
Mentoring	Acting as a mentor, advising those for whom there is no direct responsibility, on matters to do with their job role, career and professional development.	Broadening Activities
Research Assignments	Exploring a topic which is not part of own normal responsibilities and presenting findings to colleagues and/or management	Increasing Knowledge
Gaining Knowledge of Broader IT Issues	Increasing and maintaining currency of knowledge of broader IT issues through reading, attending and participating in seminars or conferences, special studies, temporary assignments etc.	Increasing Knowledge
Gaining Strategic Knowledge of Employing Organisation	Developing a comprehensive understanding of the business environment in which the employing organisation operates and its position, policies and direction in relation to health and care, country and global issues.	Increasing Knowledge
Participation in Professional Body Affairs	Taking an active part in professional body affairs at branch, specialist group, committee or board level.	Participation in Professional Activities
Negotiating and Influencing	Undertaking learning and practice of negotiating with and influencing others.	Developing Professional Skills
Team Leadership	Undertaking learning and practice of the skills required to lead teams, including motivation, direction, coaching, delegation, appraisal, counselling and developing others.	Developing Professional Skills

Organisational Skill Name and Description

Framework	Skill	Level
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Agile working Agile delivery involves encouraging teams to build incrementally, test and iterate their work based on regular feedback and other useful data.	Practitioner Agile working You can: identify and compare the best processes or delivery methods to use, including measuring and evaluating outcomes help the team to decide the best approach help teams to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work and adhere to agreed minimum viable product (MVP), priorities and scope
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Prototyping Prototyping a service or product involves exploring, testing and sharing different concepts before committing to the final design.	Working Prototyping You can: understand when to use a specific prototyping technique or method show the value of prototyping to your team
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Stakeholder relationship management Stakeholder relationship management involves managing stakeholder requirements and communications throughout a project, while remaining focused on the user needs.	Expert Stakeholder relationship management You can: direct the strategy towards stakeholder relationships set stakeholder objectives and recommend that they’re met influence important senior stakeholders and provide mediation
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Strategic thinking Strategy involves creating a plan to achieve a team or organisation's objectives.	Expert Strategic thinking You can: lead the design and implementation of strategy, directing the evaluation of strategies and policies to ensure business requirements are being met
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Technical understanding (user-centred design) Performance measurement involves collecting and interpreting data to identify how a team, product or service is performing.	Practitioner Technical understanding (user-centred design) You can: demonstrate knowledge of the technologies used to build and operate digital services collaborate closely with colleagues in different digital disciplines
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	User focus User focus involves understanding the user needs to develop a detailed understanding of the problems that need to be solved.	Expert User focus You can: give direction on which tools or methods to use demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	User-centred content design	Expert User-centred content design You can: direct the approach to content life cycle management to ensure content is regularly reviewed and evaluated by teams oversee teams’ work to ensure the right content is being produced to meet the needs of users demonstrate extensive experience in creating, iterating, managing and overseeing content across multiple channels encourage teams to review and evaluate the effectiveness of processes and systems, and support them to iterate for improvements be accountable for the production of high quality, user-focused content identify gaps in content design skills and capability, and can help teams to grow and develop

Framework

Skill

Level