Job Description
Job Title: Documentation Manager
Location: Elgin, IL
Employment Type: Permanent/Direct hire
Industry: Industrial Equipment / Engineering
Pay: $90,000-$100,000
Location: Elgin, IL
Employment Type: Permanent/Direct hire
Industry: Industrial Equipment / Engineering
Pay: $90,000-$100,000
Overview
We are seeking a Documentation Manager to lead the development, standardization, and management of technical documentation for complex equipment and machinery. This individual will be responsible for translating engineering information into accurate, user-friendly documentation that supports equipment installation, operation, maintenance, and customer acceptance.
The ideal candidate will have a strong technical writing background, the ability to interpret engineering drawings and specifications, and experience coordinating documentation deliverables across multiple departments. This role will also establish documentation standards, improve document control processes, and ensure consistency throughout the equipment lifecycle.
Responsibilities
- Develop, write, and maintain technical documentation for industrial equipment, including operating manuals, maintenance instructions, technical specifications, and testing documentation.
- Translate complex engineering concepts into clear, organized, and easy-to-understand content for customers and end users.
- Gather technical information from engineering teams, equipment drawings, supplier documentation, and equipment inspections.
- Review technical information for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and usability.
- Interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical requirements to develop documentation independently.
- Establish standardized documentation formats, terminology, templates, and content structures.
- Manage documentation deliverables, timelines, review cycles, and customer-specific requirements.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for customer documentation discussions, including clarifying requirements and addressing feedback.
- Collaborate with Project Management, Engineering, Automation, Manufacturing, and Service teams to coordinate documentation activities.
- Establish document ownership, approval workflows, revision control, and release procedures.
- Maintain document traceability and ensure released materials accurately reflect approved equipment configurations and engineering changes.
- Lead the implementation and ongoing improvement of document management systems and processes.
- Develop internal procedures and provide training to employees involved in technical documentation.
- Coordinate system administration, user access, and technical support with internal IT and international corporate resources.
- Identify opportunities to improve documentation quality, efficiency, consistency, and content reuse.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Technical Communications, or a related field; equivalent practical experience will also be considered.
- 5+ years of experience developing technical documentation for industrial machinery, capital equipment, manufacturing systems, or similar products.
- Strong technical writing, editing, and communication skills.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, equipment specifications, and technical requirements.
- Experience managing document control processes, revision tracking, approvals, and document releases.
- Familiarity with document management systems and standardized documentation practices.
- Ability to coordinate cross-functional projects and manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and technical document authoring tools.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Background working with custom-engineered equipment, automated machinery, or capital equipment.
- Experience implementing or improving document management systems.
- Familiarity with equipment testing, validation documentation, traceability, and customer acceptance requirements.
- Experience developing standardized templates, procedures, and documentation workflows.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a technically minded documentation professional who can independently develop high-quality equipment documentation while coordinating input from engineering and other technical departments. They should be comfortable communicating directly with customers, managing documentation projects from initial development through final release, and establishing standardized processes that improve accuracy and efficiency across the organization. Experience supporting complex industrial equipment or regulated manufacturing environments is highly desirable.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.
Numbers & Facts
| Location | Elgin, IL |
| Industry | Staffing/Employment Agencies |
| Salary | $90,000–$100,000 Per Year |
| Company Size | 500 to 999 employees |
| Year Founded | 1969 |
| Website | http://www.sterling-engineering.com |
About Company
Sterling Engineering has been a trusted partner for engineering, project management, and staffing solutions for over five decades. We provide exceptional engineering/technical recruitment and engineering project services to clients nationwide:
- Engineering & Technical Recruitment - With our focus on engineering, technical, and IT, Sterling has the in-depth knowledge, industry expertise, and robust employee pipeline it takes to rapidly find talent for even the most difficult to fill positions. Sterling’s extensive recruitment methodology allows us to engage the most talented employees in the marketplace. We offer exciting work and career-building opportunities for our candidates, along with expert support at every step of the process.
- Engineering Project Services – Our experienced, multi-disciplined team of project managers, engineers, and designers, led by licensed Professional Engineers (PE), provide project management, engineering, design, and Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) to manufacturing, OEM, and R&D customers. We work on complex, highly technical projects across a number of industry sectors, and our ability to scale and seamlessly integrate at multiple levels of your organization is what differentiates us.
Sterling offers a unique combination of engineering solutions and Best of Staffing level service to help our clients and talent achieve their goals.
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