Job Title: Technical Writer – Manufacturing / Pilot Plant
Location: Hershey, PA 17033 – 100% Onsite
Interview Process: Initial phone screening followed by preferred in-person, onsite interview
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Technical Writer to develop comprehensive training documentation and work instructions for Pilot Plant equipment. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, R&D pilot plants, or other regulated manufacturing environments, along with strong technical writing and training-content development skills.
The Technical Writer will collaborate closely with R&D, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) teams to create accurate, easy-to-follow documentation that supports safe equipment operation and operator competency.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop training materials, process procedures, work instructions, step-up cards, one-point lessons, and related technical documentation.
- Create operator-focused training content for Pilot Plant equipment and manufacturing processes.
- Work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and Safety SMEs to gather and validate technical information.
- Observe equipment and operational procedures on the production floor to document process flow and verify accuracy.
- Capture photographs and videos of equipment during operation, breakdown, reassembly, setup, and other relevant activities.
- Support development of learning content within LMS platforms and Adobe Creative Cloud.
- Assist with the creation and review of Job Safety Analysis (JSA) documentation as required.
- Standardize documentation structure, instructional formats, and operator competency requirements.
- Conduct periodic follow-up evaluations to assess operator skill retention and identify re-training needs.
- Simplify complex technical information and ensure content focuses on what operators need to know.
- Identify procedural gaps and work with SMEs to address documentation and training requirements.
- Prioritize documentation projects to meet established training-development milestones.
- Support additional Tech Center training and operational initiatives as assigned.
Typical Day
- Participate in daily project/status huddles with leadership.
- Review and respond to emails and project communications.
- Develop and update technical documentation in an office environment.
- Research and validate manufacturing equipment and processes.
- Shadow SMEs and operators on the production floor.
- Document equipment operation, process flow, setup, cleaning, troubleshooting, breakdown, and reassembly activities.
- Capture photographs and videos to support operator training and learning materials.
Required Skills & Experience
- 10+ consecutive years of food manufacturing experience, preferably within the same facility.
- Demonstrated experience creating training content and technical documentation.
- Strong technical writing and procedure-development skills.
- Experience documenting manufacturing equipment and processes.
- Strong understanding of equipment operation and manufacturing workflows.
- Mechanical aptitude and awareness of equipment troubleshooting.
- Ability to work effectively with SMEs and cross-functional teams.
- Strong attention to detail with the ability to simplify complex technical information.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred Industry Experience
Candidates with experience in the following environments are highly preferred:
- Food manufacturing
- Consumer packaged goods (CPG)
- R&D / Pilot Plant
- Regulated manufacturing
- Production operations
- Equipment training
- Manufacturing quality and safety
- Sanitation and process documentation
Technical / Software Skills
Required:
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Office Suite
Preferred:
- Snagit
- Adobe Creative Cloud / Adobe content creation tools
- Microsoft Copilot
- LMS platforms
- iPad operation
Top 3 Technical Skills
- Technical writing and procedure development
- Manufacturing equipment and process documentation
- Mechanical aptitude and equipment troubleshooting awareness
Candidate Profile
Ideal candidates may currently or previously have worked with organizations such as:
- The Hershey Company
- Mondelēz International
- Mars
- Frito-Lay / PepsiCo
- Bell & Evans
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