Technical Writer

FUNCTION

The Technical Writer is an integral member of Legal Services. This position works with cross-divisional teams throughout the organization and works closely with Legal Services.  This position will draft and develop high-quality, well-written contracts, grants, and related documents.  Many of these documents will include detailed project descriptions and scopes of work.  Drafting these well will require a deep understanding of Heifer’s work, along with research of various elements of Heifer’s programs, projects, and activities.  Common topics in these documents include multi-regional agriculture and farming, water access and supply, internet access and supply, solar power and supply, value-chain enhancement, trainings in various areas, and legal and procurement processes. This position will perform drafting and technical editing, and will train other drafters and contract specialists on best practices. Familiarity with legal concepts and contract construction is preferred but not required, as the primary duty of this position is to prepare the documents for attorney review by ensuring the writing, structure, formatting, and clarity of the documents are sound.

We are open to candidates who are located in Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal and Netherlands (Amsterdam).

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS

Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills; exceptional English writing skills and attention to detail; patience and the ability to communicate professional writing concepts and best practices as well as organizational best practices to contract drafters across cultures and geographic locations; ability to adapt to organization and market shifts; desire and ability to learn and utilize innovative and established practices and tools; ability to train others to write well and use best practices; ability to be proactive, manage multiple priorities, and meet tight deadlines; ability to collaborate and integrate others’ ideas; interest and commitment to learn Heifer’s approaches and methodologies; and a passion to support Heifer’s mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES

A. Work with drafters and contract specialists throughout the organization to draft, and review and edit drafts, of the documents described above. (65%)

• Apply technical writing skills to improve documents (including proofreading, structuring, applying grammatical rules, applying preferred formatting, and editing for clarity)
• Learn and apply organizational best practices to documents

B. Train other drafters and contracts specialists to write well and use best practices. (20%)

• Contribute to and/or conduct formal trainings (in-person and digital/online) in a “workshop” setting
• Contribute to and/or conduct informal trainings (in-person and digital/online) with individual drafters and contracts specialists

C. Participate in Legal Services trainings, communications, and team meetings. (10%)

• Contribute to continuous improvement and efficiency within Legal Services through participation in team meetings and trainings
• Represent Legal Services at various trainings
• Contribute to internal blog maintained by Legal Services

D. Other duties as appropriate. (5%)

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, or related field, plus four to five (4~5) years of work experience in writing and reviewing documents in the business, nonprofit, and/or international development fields. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Fluency in English (oral and written).

Preferred Requirements

1. Master’s degree or equivalent experience in technical or professional writing
2. Language skills in Spanish or French
3. Excellent writing and editing skills, and demonstrated success in these areas
4. Commitment to mission- and values-driven and culturally diverse work environment

Most Critical Proficiencies

1. Knowledge of the non-profit sector with awareness of the context in which non-profit organizations operate
2. Excellent analytical and writing skills
3. Computer proficient in word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail, and Internet (Microsoft preferred)

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands

1. Ability to establish priorities in a time sensitive environment and meet deadlines
2. Committed to learn Heifer’s values-based holistic community development model, Theory of Change, Cornerstones, and other Heifer established systems
3. Demonstrate a high degree of honesty and integrity
4. Ability to cooperate effectively and harmoniously with all stakeholders, including different departments/leadership within Heifer, project “partners”, and other organizations
5. Effectively employ face-to-face, telephone, Zoom, email and other electronic communication with internal and external colleagues
6. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cooperatively, tactfully, and diplomatically with a culturally diverse group of people
7. Willingness to work with flexible schedule and outside of normal business hours
8. Ability and willingness to travel extensively, both domestically and internationally
9. Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality always