Are you driven to see your clients succeed?

We are seeking a smart, hardworking, talented and passionate project implementation professionals to join our Global Services team.

You are experienced in implementing and configuring content management systems (CMS).You remain focused during implementation projects and handle client requests with professionalism. You are confident when delivering product training to technical communication professionals. You are comfortable when advising clients in knowledge transfer workshops about Best Practices.

You are success-driven and work efficiently with others including Project Managers, Business Analysts, Developers and Support Analysts. You maintain confidence when approaching deadlines, including times when problems have been identified.

You have a history of gathering and understanding your client’s requirements and then using this information to deliver successful implementation/training projects. You’re not afraid of challenges, you are self-motivated and you go the extra mile for your clients. You gain satisfaction from pulling together a demanding project and seeing it through to a successful conclusion.

If this sounds like you, contact us now!

We need people ready to make a difference, so start today by sending us your CV along with a covering brief telling us how you can contribute to our team.

We offer

Author-it Software Corporation is on a mission and you can be a part of this by helping our clients succeed in implementing and using Author-it.

If successful, you will become an integral team member of the world leader in software for authoring, content management, multi-output publishing, and localization. Our client list reads like a who’s who of the global market and includes companies such as Microsoft, Philips, XEROX, Oracle, and HP.

We offer outstanding working conditions, a competitive salary and flexible working hours. This role will involve domestic and international travel.

We will train you on Author-it plus our implementation and project management methodologies. Most of the training will be on-the-job, directly working on “real” projects for our clients. A mentor will guide and support you over the first few months while you come up to speed.

Consultant Global services – Head Office, Albany, Auckland, NZ

Role Requirements

A full position description is available on request.

Soft Skills

• Comfortable in a fast-paced work and cross-functional team environment.
• Work smart attitude.
• Follow directions and established project methodologies as well as display talent for new ideas and continuous improvement.
• Multi-task and prioritise, organized, accurate and detail orientated.
• Dedicated to making a difference.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Self driven with exceptional time and task management ability.
• Dedicated to making a difference.

Experience and Knowledge

• A qualification in a technical field.
• 3+ years practical experience in providing professional services.
• 1+ years practical experience in using Author-it products preferred.
• Knowledge of the content management industry is preferred including familiarity with documentation processes from authoring to managing and publishing content.
• Proven record of delivering client service meeting or exceeding expectations.
• Ability to understand and communicate using “technical” language.
• Competence in delivery of training (remote via web-meeting and onsite).
• Competence in writing technical publications preferred, e.g. user manuals, help systems, or knowledgebases.
• Competence in Microsoft Word (2007, 2010 including word macros), web technologies (e.g. HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML).
• Competence in windows environment (e.g. AD groups, server environments, VM).
• Prior stable work experience.
• Authorization to work in New Zealand.

Preferable

• 1+ years’ experience using Author-it.
• Knowledge of the content management or technical publications industry.
• Familiarity with the documentation processes from authoring to managing and publishing.
• Authoring background with other technical communication products.
• Competence in Help systems (e.g., HLP, CHM, Web Help, Java Help).
• Knowledge about industry standards (e.g. SCORM, DITA, S1000D).

Client Care Consultant (US-based)

Role Requirements

A full Position Description is available on request.

Soft Skills

• Comfortable in a fast-paced work and cross-functional team environment.
• Work smart attitude.
• Follow directions and established process guidelines as well as display talent for new ideas and continuous improvement.
• Able to multi-task and prioritise, you are organized, accurate and detail orientated.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Self driven with exceptional time and task management ability.
• Must have the attitude of “How can I make things better” and “EXTREMELY satisfying Client service”.
• Ability to build and maintain good relationships with clients.
• Dedicated to making a difference.

Experience and Knowledge

• A tertiary qualification preferably in a technical field.
• 3+ years practical experience in delivering professional services and/or client support in the software industry.
• Proven record of delivering client service meeting or exceeding client expectations.
• Ability to understand and communicate using “technical” language.
• Expert in assisting clients on the phone.
• Ability to analyze requirements and find client focused solutions.
• Professional in complaint management, effective escalation management.
• Competence in all Microsoft products (Word, Office, Power Point), web technologies (e.g. HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML).
• Competence in windows environment (e.g. AD groups, server environments).
• Prior stable work experience.
• Available to work 40 hours per week and work a shift arrangement to accommodate all US time zones.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Preferable

• 1+ years’ experience using Author-it.
• Knowledge of the content management or technical publications industry.
• Familiarity with the documentation processes from authoring to managing and publishing.
• Authoring background with other technical communication products.
• Competence in Help systems (e.g., HLP, CHM, Web Help, Java Help).
• Knowledge about industry standards (e.g. SCORM, DITA, S1000D).

To apply

We work hard, but enjoy our work and there are some great perks to being part of the Author-it team! Join our global team with members in Europe, Middle East, Asia, Australasia and the US – take your first step today!

To apply, email: ralf.wittgen@author-it.com.

No 9-5vers please; we need consultants who are fully committed and want to make a difference!

No recruiters please!

If you’re interested in joining a really great group of people who actually work together as a team, then we have the place for you. We work hard, but have heaps of fun and there are some great perks to being part of the Author-it team!

Technical Writer – Immediate Start – Head Office, Albany, Auckland, NZ

Author-it is hiring a Technical Writer for their Albany office. This needs to be someone who can really hit the ground running.

Do you have 2+ years experience using Author-it and 4+ years practical experience in writing user documentation for a commercial software product? If this describes you and you can say ‘yes’ to the required skills, knowledge and experience requirements below then, send your CV along with a covering brief on how you think you can make a difference at Author-it.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Requires the ability to communicate effectively across different levels of understanding (strong interviewing, listening and documentation skills).
• Strong business and technical acumen with the ability to plan, multi-task and prioritize as well as work flexibly to a deadline.
• Must have strong user documentation, design and presentation skills.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced work and cross-functional team environment.
• Passionate, work smart attitude.
• Must be detail orientated, can follow directions and established documentation guidelines as well as show a talent for new ideas and continuous improvement.

Technical Requirements

Required:

• Degree or certification in IT, technical documentation or relevant experience.
• 2+ years experience using Author-it software products
• 4+ years practical experience in writing user documentation for a commercial software product.
  • 1+ years experience in writing user documentation for web-based software applications.
  • 1+ years experience using SQL and relational databases (e.g. SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle).
  • 1+ years experience in using Active Directory and working with Microsoft server software.
  • + years experience working with images and graphics, including design and manipulation.
  • 3+ years practical experience using Microsoft Word, Help systems (e.g., HLP, CHM, WebHelp, JavaHelp) and web technologies (e.g. HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML).
  • 1+ years practical experience in quality assurance.
  • Expert command of English spelling and grammar.
  • Experience with Agile development methodologies and SCRUM.
  • Full understanding of the SDLC.

Preferable:

• Familiarity with Ext JS or other rich web application frameworks.
• 1+ years’ experience in writing user documentation for content management software applications.

If you didn’t go to the Intelligent Content conference in Palm Springs last week, you really missed out.

I was holding down the booth and talking to people so I didn’t get to much of the sessions but the ones I did attend were great.

And they made me think about where our field is heading.

Content as a business asset

Content is starting to be thought of as the business asset it always has been. It has the potential to inform and educate our customers. This includes our technical content, such as product instructions and knowledge bases.

Additionally, our users are creating content. Think forums, blogs, etc. Some of this content is fantastically useful to our users and needs to be included somehow into the “official” content. How to do that for your specific organization is an interesting question.

The future

Now, if you’re a content development professional, you may be panicking at the thought of your users writing the content and you become a line editor. I think that’s an over-reaction.

I think we are poised to move into part content creator and part community manager. And I think this is a good move. We are not the keepers of all things worth knowing – our users are also very smart people who figure out stuff we didn’t think of. And we should be open to this input.

Additionally, think of all the content you’d love to create if only you had the time. Perhaps your user community can do that for you.

Don’t be afraid

And I admit, this idea can be scary. We’ve worked hard as a profession to be smart and create good content. Some of us still work in organizations where they believe anyone can write so tech comm isn’t anything special. This sounds like that but worse.

That’s why I think our role is going to shift. We still add value – potentially a lot of value – but it’s going to be different value. And it’s up to us to create that new role.

Your thoughts? Do you agree that our role is changing or do you think this is another fad?

If you are from the US, this week kicks off the US holiday season. We have our national day of thanks this week, where we gather with friends and family to eat large quantities of food. Because we eat so much food, the US shuts down Thursday and Friday to recover. And go shopping.

My husband and I will go to his mother’s house Thursday to eat and see his family. He comes from a large family and all the siblings live in So Cal. Many of them will gather, with their adult kids.

My mother-in-law will have children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren at her table. There will be lots of noise and commotion as the next group arrives, and lots of good food to eat. Everyone is welcome.

Because I come from a smaller family, now spread all over the US, gathering with my family is hard. Both my parents and one brother are no longer here to celebrate with. For my next birthday, I hope to get everyone together to celebrate but it won’t be for another 7 months. We’ll see.

Family

I like to think of the people who are interested in the Author-it products as family too. If you got us all in one room, there would probably be lots of noise and commotion as the next group arrives, and lots of good food to eat. Everyone would be welcome.

Towards that end, I’ve created a LinkedIn group for people who are interested in Author-it products. Most of our staff has joined and a lot of other people. I think of it as a large table where you can meet new people, talk about things that interest you even if it’s not directly related to Author-it and our products. You can post jobs, contact others, and just get to know more people.

To find the group, go to LinkedIn and search for Author-it Friends. Or click here.

Pull up a chair, have some food. I look forward to seeing you there.

One of the things that we tech comm people do is function in a business environment. That means we have a different audience internally with specific needs. We need to meet those needs if we want to function well.

If you have ever asked for a new tool or other “thing” from your boss and it didn’t happen, one of the ways around that is to make a business case. I asked a friend and business associate this week to write about this topic, as he has co-authored several articles about building a business case and has run several workshops on the topic.

Making the business case shows your company that there is a financial reason why you need a new tool, for example.

Here’s Jack.

How to Build a Business Case

The amount of money that is anticipated to be saved or generated as the direct result of an expenditure is known as Return on Investment (ROI).  ROI is usually measured in time and money: how long it will take to recoup the money spent, and how much money will be saved or generated.

When speaking of ROI on a new investment, one states how long it will take to recoup the initial investment via new sales—and then some (profit).

When speaking of ROI on a cost avoidance expenditure, one states how long it will take to recoup the initial expenditure via the money saved.

While it may take years to recoup a large investment, a client of mine in Alameda, CA localized their documentation into so many languages that they reported recouping the cost of purchasing Author-it (through reduced translation costs) in just one product release!

When you build your business case:

• State the problem
• Offer a solution
• State how much it will cost to implement the solution
• State the ROI that could be realized when the solution is implemented

Be sure to state what the problem is for the company, not just for you. The problem is not, “We need a content management system,” the problem is, “We are spending $XX per month more than we need to on translation costs!”

By finding ways to decrease costs and increase profits, you are also showing how you add to the company’s bottom line.

Which, BTW, is a business case for you getting bigger raise come review time, right?

As both a practictioner and teacher of Technical Communication, I fell in love with this blog post: http://www.billalbing.com/2010/08/31/heart-of-technical-communication/

And for a great discussion of some of the issues Bill Albing brings up, see http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/10/19/why-tech-comm-is-a-career-path-of-last-resort-for-students

It’s true, we are. If you want to work at a company where everyone is really good at what they do, this is the company for you.

We’re hiring in the US and New Zealand.

United States of America

Senior Sales Executives x 2

1. California – Bay Area
2. U.S. East Coast (virtual)

As a Senior Sales Executive, you will assume a leadership role within assigned Fortune 1000 organizations within your territory.

Head Office, Albany, Auckland, NZ

Senior Web Developers x 2

Author-it are hiring two Senior Web Developers in their Albany office who can really hit the ground running. Are you a smart and hard worker, talented and passionate about cutting edge web development that makes a difference? Are you the kind of person who comes to work every day ready to “make it happen”?

Find out more at

http://www.author-it.com/index.php?page=careers

- Customer Service Extraordinaire?
- Passionate about problem solving in technology?

We’re looking for a proactive and enthusiastic person with an enquiring mind to
join the Author-it software helpdesk team, providing first and
second level support to customers and resellers.

Full job description on our website under About Us/Careers http://author-it.com/0kb6de