Technical Writer Job at The Pennsylvania State University in State College

Application Instructions

• Current Penn State employee (faculty, staff, technical service, or student) – please log in to Workday to complete the internal application process. Do not apply here; use Workday.
• Current Penn State student (not employed previously at the university) – please log in to Workday to complete the student application process. Do not apply here; use Workday.
• If you are not a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.

Position Specs

We are seeking a self‑motivated, customer‑service oriented, and quality conscious technical writing professional to join the Spectrum and Signatures Solutions Division (S3) in the All‑Domain Analytics and Signatures Office at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. S3 specializes in research, development, and application of technical solutions aimed at understanding, shaping, and exploiting the electromagnetic environment to maintain advantage. This role reports directly to the Deputy Division Head for S3 and is responsible for managing and providing assistance in defining the division's documentation and outward official correspondence across all department programs in support of sponsors' needs.

ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

You Will

• Collaborate with Research and Development Engineers to determine needs and formalize documentation and visualizations in support of requirements.
• Work directly with program leadership and customers to create, edit, formalize, and validate documentation according to set standards.
• Maintain continuous communication with key personnel throughout project development to accurately document information, minimize errors, and enhance efficiency.
• Engage in discussions regarding sponsor modernization processes, and assist in documenting relevant details in accordance with sponsor requirements and directives.
• Create and maintain a standardized repository to house all shared resources.
• Develop and maintain high‑quality, standardized programmatic and research deliverables and documentation.

Additional Responsibilities for Higher‑Level Position

• Design or refine system architecture designs, including the discovery and validation of technical artifacts.

Required Skills/Experience

• Comfortable in a customer‑facing role, collaborating in a multi‑disciplinary, team‑oriented environment.
• Proven success in technical writing for clear comprehension by diverse audiences.
• Mastery of documentation publishing software such as PowerPoint, LaTeX, Visio, MS Project, Confluence, and/or Adobe Suite.
• Understanding of multiple engineering disciplines and complex technical concepts.
• Ability to thrive in a detail‑oriented environment, ensuring accuracy while managing multiple projects and tight deadlines.
• Previous experience creating and maintaining an organized documentation repository.
• Willingness to obtain and maintain a government security clearance at the Top Secret/SCI level.

Preferred Skills/Experience

• Experience in research, military, or government environments.
• Knowledge of RenderMan (or similar) animation software suites.
• Strong internal and external research and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability in documenting application‑based operations and secure process automation.
• Active security clearance at the secret level or higher with Top Secret/SCI eligibility.

Your working location will be fully on‑site, located in State College, PA.

Minimum Education, Work Experience & Required Certifications

Technical Writer – Senior Professional: Bachelor's Degree + 6+ years relevant experience (or equivalent combination). No required certifications.

Technical Writer – Advanced Professional: Bachelor's Degree + 3+ years relevant experience (or equivalent combination). No required certifications.

ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC).

Background Checks / Clearances

Employment requires successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. All ARL positions require the ability to obtain a government security clearance; a U.S. citizen must apply. Pre‑employment drug screen is required.

Salary & Benefits

Salary range: $68,200.00 – $115,100.00 (may vary by grade and geographic differential). Penn State offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, retirement plans, paid time off, and a 75% tuition discount for employees and eligible family members.

EEO Is the Law

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814‑865‑1473.