Technical Writer (Remote Eligible

About the role

The position focuses on the area labeled San Jose, CR and operates under remote eligibility rules for that location. You will research complex software features and translate intricate functionality into clear, structured documentation that supports diverse user workflows. This role owns the narrative of how Smartsheet solutions operate in the real world, ensuring that instructions align precisely with product behavior. You will collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and designers to maintain consistency between what is built and how it is explained. A significant portion of your responsibility involves planning editorial calendars and mapping content to user journeys across multiple touchpoints. You will iterate on drafts multiple times, refining voice, structure, and accuracy until the information is both usable and trustworthy. Success in this role is measured by how well your writing enables users to complete tasks without friction, thereby reducing support load and increasing product adoption.

Key facts

What you'll do

Plan and maintain an editorial calendar that aligns content releases with product launches and regional priorities for San Jose, CR.

Conduct research sessions with subject matter experts to extract requirements, workflows, and edge cases that are not immediately visible in the UI.

Draft step by step procedures, reference tables, and contextual help text that guide users through complex configurations in the Smartsheet environment.

Analyze existing documentation performance using traffic and engagement metrics, then restructure or rewrite content to improve clarity and completion rates.

Create modular, reusable content components that can be assembled dynamically for different audiences, channels, and localization needs.

Perform usability testing on documentation prototypes, observing how users interact with instructions and identifying points of confusion or friction.

Collaborate with designers and product teams to ensure screenshots, diagrams, and annotated examples accurately reflect current interface states.

Own the full lifecycle of a piece of content, from initial brief and outline through multiple rounds of revision, legal review, and final publication.

Establish and maintain a content taxonomy and style guide that supports consistent terminology and navigation across all Smartsheet help properties.

Monitor competitor and industry documentation trends, proposing improvements to Smartsheet help architecture and information design.

Champion accessibility standards in writing and structure, ensuring that documentation meets readability requirements and supports assistive technologies.

Support localization efforts by providing clear source text, identifying culturally specific references, and maintaining translation-friendly structures.

Track and report on key content metrics, such as task success rate, time to find information, and search exit rates, to inform continuous optimization.

Mentor junior writers by providing feedback on structure, clarity, and adherence to standards, helping elevate the overall quality of the content team.

Requirements

You must possess a bachelor's degree in Technical Communication, English, Journalism, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

You must have a minimum of three years of professional experience in technical writing, software documentation, or a closely related role.

You must demonstrate advanced proficiency with help authoring tools and content management systems commonly used in software documentation.

You must have a strong portfolio that showcases your ability to write complex software procedures, reference materials, and user guidance.

You must be comfortable working in an agile environment, taking direction from product managers and translating technical jargon into user friendly language.

You must have excellent command of written English, with a demonstrated ability to edit your work for clarity, conciseness, and grammatical precision.

You must be meticulous about detail, able to track version changes, links, and interface states across multiple documentation sets.

You must be able to pass a background check and meet any compliance requirements for handling product information.

Nice to have

Experience with analytics platforms and data visualization tools to inform content decisions based on user behavior.

Familiarity with localization workflows and translation management systems to streamline multilingual documentation.

Knowledge of software development life cycle methodologies such as Agile or DevOps and how documentation fits into those processes.

Experience contributing to developer portals, API documentation, and code level comments alongside user facing help.

Practical notes

Typical interview steps

Content hiring usually starts with a writing test or portfolio review. Candidates may be asked to rewrite a passage, outline an article, or draft a landing page. Editing skill is tested as often as original writing. Clear structure and attention to detail matter. Interviewers often assign a timed writing test. Following the brief exactly and editing ruthlessly are the two habits that score highest.