Technical Writer - California, United States - Odoo

Description

Technical Content Writer

This is a hybrid (40% remote and 60% onsite) role in San Francisco, CA.

About Odoo

Odoo is an open-source, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software used by 12+ million users worldwide, tailored specifically to small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Even though our product scope is tailored for SMBs, some of our enterprise customers include Toyota, Driscoll's, NASA, AMD, and many more popular products and services that are recognized in over 120 countries.

The key value Odoo provides is through its suite of integrated business applications that all connect and work seamlessly together. Instead of a business being forced to use 10-14 standalone applications that don't talk to each other to run their business, Odoo offers a vertically integrated software solution that enables businesses to streamline, automate, and scale all of their core processes across various departments, including sales/CRM, supply chain and inventory, manufacturing, procurement, website and eCommerce, HR, and more.

To date, we continue growing with 2,000+ daily downloads and have sustained 50%+ YoY growth as a company.

About the role

As a Technical Content Writer, you will be responsible for developing in-depth, accurate, and consumable technical content across Odoo's content marketing pipelines, which include: Technical Documentation, Product Tours, eLearning, Microcontent, and Whitepapers. Together, these pipelines educate customers and partners worldwide on how to use Odoo's integrated suite of business applications.

The emphasis for this role is technical. Only writers who possess the technical aptitude and can communicate complex technical information will be considered since most of the role depends on the writer's ability to understand our customers' environments and the value of Odoo products.

Technical writers at Odoo will learn all of the ins and outs of the software and are expected to become product experts for their given business scope. Writers learn and become proficient in pushing/pulling documentation markup on GitHub, write scripts for large audiences across eLearning and product tour pipelines, and work hand-in-hand with other writers, team leads, content producers, and motion designers to bring their work to life.

The position is a full-time hybrid role based out of our San Francisco Office, with 3 days in the office, and 2 days remote.

About the team

New hires would join a talented group of smart and capable individuals who all bring various talents to the Content Marketing team.

Day-to-day, we spend most of our time independently researching, learning, and collaboratively discussing the product. Our constant challenge (because Odoo is always evolving) is seeing how to communicate our found knowledge to others in the most effective, fun, and useful way possible.

Some projects require more of a creative and human touch, while others cover only essential technical information to help customers get up and running quickly and not waste their time. Figuring out where those limitations are and how to communicate in the right style/voice for that particular subject matter is a major variable we're always playing with and learning how to improve.

In general, we dislike "marketing copy" and anything that comes off as vague, salesy, or corporate, simply because superficial/weak language gets in the way of learning the product and being able to connect with/train our customers (most of whom are do-it-yourself entrepreneurs).

Chit-chat across our team usually involves geeking out over hardware, like studio/audio equipment or tech toys/gadgets like custom keyboards (a bunch of us build our own), or new things we learned that week in Odoo. Generally speaking, if you're a curious person, enjoy technology, and like to learn how things work, you'll probably fit right in here.

About you

Ideal candidates for this role value the pursuit of knowledge, can operate independently, are collaborative and helpful, and have an entrepreneurial/growth mindset.

Writers on our team are expected to approach their projects using various tools in their writer toolkit, and we would expect the same from you too. We expect an understanding of theoretical concepts concerning style and voice and strong writing fundamentals around tense, grammar, vocabulary, narrative, and wording.

If you use a lot of filler language in your writing, this is probably not the job for you. However, if this is you, and you want to learn how to become a better writer, you should definitely apply.

We find the best candidates tend to be looking for a "home" among other ambitious, creative, and technical people. We value individuals who are motivated to produce good work, be proud of that work, and want to grow individually and help others grow too.

Responsibilities:

• Work cross-functionally with the R&D, product, technical, and content marketing staff to stay up-to-date on the latest Odoo features and capabilities. Ensure that that knowledge is accurately provided to customers across Odoo's various communication channels, including technical documentation, website product pages, video tutorials, and more.
• Review the content, adopt best practices from Odoo's marketing team in Belgium, and adapt for US audiences.
• Write quality long-form technical guides, whitepapers, eLearning scripts, and product tour videos. Write scripts for short video tutorials to educate new users and demonstrate business flows.
• Independently author technical support and documentation articles and revise content written by multiple contributors over different versions.
• Read and write in RST markup and submit new/revised documentation content using Git. Perform content and technical reviews using GitHub.
• Manage projects independently using Odoo Project, and follow yearly content calendar while adhering to team/brand content guidelines.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or similar experience in Writing, Communications, or Computer Science.
• Portfolio of writing samples for review.

Valuable Traits:

• You value the precision of language and technical expertise.
• You can quickly scan an article and rewrite it in your own words.
• You love the art and craft of writing and have some examples to prove it.
• You are able to work in a fast-paced start-up environment with a hands-on attitude.
• You are open-minded and can react to change with agility.
• You have an intrapreneur mindset and are not afraid to take appropriate initiatives.
• You are a quick and autonomous learner.
• You have a passion for technology and/or software.
• You are approachable, honest, and a fun team player.
• Flexibility to take on projects that adapt to changing needs.

Nice to Have:

• Proficiency in multiple languages.
• Experience with ERP or in a SaaS company.
• Experience writing technical documentation.
• Experience with Git/Github or a computer terminal (or eagerness to learn).
• A/V experience.
• Available immediately.

Compensation and Perks:

• Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, FSA, HSA Matching, 401K Matching, and Commuter Benefits
• PTO (Paid-time-off), paid sick days, and paid holidays
• Employee Assistance Program; 3 X 1-hour telehealth calls with certified mental health professionals
• $100 towards a work-from-home office setup
• Free books relevant to your role
• Evolve in a nice working atmosphere with a passionate, growing team
• Chef-prepared lunches - snacks, fruit, and coffee/drinks on tap
• Company-sponsored events for groups of 6+ employees

The salary range for this role is $70,000-$85,000. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location.

Ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace where we learn from each other is core to Odoo's values. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. We are an equal-opportunity employer and a pleasant and supportive place to work. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.