Who Is a Documentation Engineer?

Since most companies and businesses today have a lot of documentation, keeping it organized is essential. That’s why companies hire documentation engineers. They’re responsible for writing and coordinating all of the documentation necessary for a specific project. In addition, a documentation engineer may help design and implement systems for keeping information available and up-to-date for internal users and external customers.

Documentation engineers not only write or organize documentation but may also prepare diagrams, flow charts, budgets, and other materials that detail all relevant aspects of a specific function or project. To provide readers with effective documentation, a documentation engineer may collaborate with clients.

Documentation Engineer Responsibilities

This work usually involves not only writing documentation but also the following responsibilities:

• Creating a knowledge management system. Doc engineers create, manage, configure, and maintain a knowledge system.
• Ensuring cooperation. A documentation engineer provides two-way ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ communication in the company. Vertical communication is about initiatives that should be exchanged from the top-management level to the line workers and vice versa. Horizontal communication is communication between co-workers.
• Educating the employees. Documentation engineers are also involved in training and educating their staff.
• Searching for and sharing new knowledge. Since everything changes fast, doc engineers should find new knowledge and share it with the company.

Required Education for a Documentation Engineer

A bachelor's degree in engineering is required to become a documentation engineer. Speaking of tools that you should learn, documentation engineers use computer-aided design software to produce some materials for documentation. That's why it’s better to be experienced using design software like AutoCAD.

Skills Required for a Documentation Engineer

Since documentation engineers create documentation, they need to have good oral communication skills and interpersonal skills to reach their audience. Written communication skills are required as well to produce high-quality written materials.

As it was mentioned above, documentation engineers not only write documentation but also create some visuals. For this reason, they should have design skills and be capable of using computer design software.

Documentation Engineer vs Technical Writer

Tech writers and documentation engineers differ in their responsibilities. A tech writer usually focuses on a specific task – it can be writing an installation guide, a manual, product specifications, a white paper, etc. But a documentation engineer’s responsibilities include the elements of coordinating, dispatching, management, strategic thinking, and cooperating. In other words, a doc engineer organizes how tech writers work and shows what content they should create/update.