Team Manager Technical Documentation

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

SMITHS DETECTION MAKING THE WORLD A SAFER PLACE

Every minute of every day, in nearly every country across the globe, Smiths Detection people and technology make the world a safer place. We safeguard people, business and infrastructure with the latest innovations and screening technology for aviation, ports, borders, defense, and security across 55 countries around the globe

Life At Smiths -

• Global leader: We impact critical systems every day with sites in 17 countries and six centers of research excellence. From pioneering to powering life-changing innovation, we're delivering threat detection and screening solutions to safeguard the world from threat
• Digital growth: A key part of our capability is the integration of digital technology across our business and our operations in more than 55 countries, will be critical to our continued success
• Exciting opportunities: Our growth is creating exciting opportunities to work with experts in physics, chemistry, electronics, mechanics, production, computer science, and AIML
• International environment: With some projects, work requires global collaboration and the potential to travel and grow with the business

https://youtu.be/JiF8pOeYir4?si=VMbssozgqYp0qaUY

Job Description

This role is a key part of the Senior Management Team (SMT) of the Training & Development Department. The ideal candidate will be required to convey the vision, defining what is required to meet the Strategic Goals and assisting those team members to ensure that training meets customer's needs. The role holder will have delegated responsibility to take decisions on behalf of the Direct Training & Development.

This person will be responsible for leading the global Technical Documentation team and to develop all levels of technical product documentation and user manuals for products and programs. The team will be required to work closely with the Technology, Programs, Products and service teams to complete the required documentation to achieve the product gate milestones in support of the company's defined PLP process.

Duties and Responsibilities (Includes but not limited to)

• A critical customer facing leadership position, will collaborate with a complex breadth of global stakeholders both internal and external. They will need to support the delivery of the Department Strategy and incorporate this into innovative technical documentation recommendations which optimise technical documentation, enhancing the performance of our staff and customers
• Working with other members of the SMT to deliver the department strategy and lead on Workstream activity that enables the team to meet the Director's targets
• Manage and conduct research that looks to understand the customer's needs to ensure that the technical documentation exceeds their expectations
• Establish policy, monitor and maintain technical documentation skill standards and requirements
• Define training and development standards for the technical documentation team
• Accountable and Responsible for the terminology library ensuring consistency to defined standards
• Accountable and Responsible for labelling process for documentation
• Accountable and Responsible for the translation of documentation by external providers
• Accountable and Responsible for the delivery of all business technical documentation requirements, ensuring they are on time and of exceptional quality
• Review and approve procedures for technical documentation
• Establish and maintain a close relationship with Product Managers, Product Specialists, country service managers and regional service leads in order to support the needs of the customer and business while remaining aware of current technical trends
• Establish documentation delivery, performance and quality metrics and monitor performance toward those goals
• Review and support customised documentation delivery timelines prior to submission to the customer for projects, proposals, sales opportunities and extended programs
• Identify and independently manage any obstacle negatively effecting the delivery of technical documentation
• Lead in the management of multiple complex documentation programmes.
• Oversee and ensure high quality of documentation through internal and external customer audit activities
• Check technical documentation of other authors and create professional development plans for those not meeting the desired standard, this may require the implementation of formal performance improvement plans
• Recommend purchase of all test and/or capital equipment and software necessary for the documentation and training of all products
• Oversee the development of technical documents in accordance with global regional regulations and requirements
• Obtaining and analysing feedback from the service and training departments on the quality of documentation produced
• Able to review documentation and certify it based on international CE certification process
• Recruit, onboard, supervise and orchestrate training and development of new tech doc staff
• Guide others in the creation of process flows within their respective teams
• Develop and build upon relationships with other functional disciplines within the company
• Work across functions to ensure business is transacted accurately and within guidelines to the highest ethical standards
• Comply with and ensure department compliance with Company health, safety and environmental policies
• Comply with all applicable [Germany/US/Canadian/UK/other] export control and security regulations

The Individual

• Relevant qualification in Technical Documentation writing
• Good knowledge of statistical analysis and data interpretation
• Expert in the creation of technical documentation that delivers a competitive edge by incorporating emerging global strategic themes
• Computer literacy is essential, proficient in use of all programs within MS Office Suite
• Extensive management experience within a technical documentation department is essential
• Strong personnel management and interpersonal skills with significant evidence of Annual Report Writing and implementing Development Plans for staff
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills evidence by an ability to write research papers, detailed briefs, Chair large meetings and deliver exceptional presentations
• Leadership of international team is highly desired but not essential
• Demonstrate initiative to solve operational challenges and the ability to maintain good working relations with people of diverse skills and cultural backgrounds
• Evidence of exceptional customer relationship skills
• The ability to thrive in stressful situations and lead a large team in multiple time zones

Competencies and Abilities:
• The ability and motivation to persistently pursue and achieve effective results which drive the business forward
• The ability to effectively lead and manage the performance of people by being a role model to others, monitoring progress on objectives and behaviours and coaching others for success
• The ability to make effective, timely decisions in a complex, global market by sourcing and analysing critical information
• The understanding and recognition of the organisations commercial environment and positioning themselves, their role and their actions in order to support the organisations commercial success
• The ability to engage, challenge and work effectively with others
• The ability to build an effective network of relationships both internally and externally, understanding their customers' needs
• Willing and able to identify and support change and continuous improvement in own and wider business environment

Planning and Decision Making:
• Demonstrates leadership and can ably manage other experienced professionals who exercise latitude and independence in their assignments
• When problem solving, solutions are imaginative, thorough, practicable and consistent with SD objectives
• Works on problems of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors
• Independently determines and develops approach to solutions using their understanding of research principles and human behaviour

Diversity & Inclusion

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity. We have several employee-led Employee Resources Groups (women@work, Black Employees Network, Veterans, Pride Network) providing support, enhancing career development, and contributing to personal development in the work environment and beyond.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Detection, Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation - including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career's website ( www.smithsdetection.com/careers )or LinkedIn.

#Smiths