Senior Technical Writer, ILS Support
Victoria, B.C./ Ottawa, ON./ Halifax, N.S., (CAN.) - Hybrid
Position Summary
Thales is looking for a Senior Technical Writer to be responsible for the maintenance and revision of existing Canadian Forces Technical Orders (CFTOs), including the integration of OEM manuals, equipment specifications, and preventive maintenance routines. This position requires not only strong technical writing and configuration management skills, but also editorial expertise — including grammar, consistency, and formatting — to ensure all publications are clear, accurate, and compliant with National Defence standards.
In this position, you will also collaborate with LCMMs, engineers, and procurement teams to update, verify, and control technical data packages in support of naval platforms.
Regulatory Compliance Requirements
This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List and/or the US the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access.
Key Areas of Responsibility
- Maintain and revise existing CFTOs, incorporating updates from OEM manuals, specifications, and preventive maintenance routines.
- Author, edit, and format technical documentation with a high standard of grammar, clarity, consistency, and style.
- Perform editorial reviews of technical documentation to ensure accuracy, consistency of terminology, and compliance with editorial and formatting standards.
- Collaborate with LCMMs, engineers, procurement, and configuration management teams to ensure technical documentation reflects the latest approved system/equipment configuration.
- Support configuration control by analyzing Document Change Requests, preparing Change Packages, and ensuring revisions are properly tracked, reviewed, and implemented.
- Conduct thorough research and cross-referencing to confirm documentation accuracy and completeness.
- Coordinate verification and validation of CFTO updates and associated technical data packages.
- Ensure preventive maintenance routines in Logistics Support Analysis Records (LSARs) remain aligned with current technical publications.
- Manage indexing, cataloguing, and control of documentation in alignment with the National Defence Index of Documentation and Equipment Registration processes.
- Support translation processes and accuracy checks for CFTO updates when required.
Minimum Qualifications
- Canadian citizenship with a valid Secret Level II security clearance (or ability to obtain).
- Diploma or degree from a recognized college/university in a relevant technical field (mechanical, electrical, electronic, naval architecture, computer science, or equivalent).
- Minimum 4 years of demonstrated experience maintaining or revising technical documentation such as CFTOs, OEM manuals, equipment specifications, or preventive maintenance documentation.
- Direct experience with configuration management principles, tools, and processes, including change control, revision tracking, and version management.
- Proven editorial, grammar, proofreading, and editing skills, with the ability to produce polished, high-quality documentation.
- Proficiency in requirement gathering, analysis, and documentation procedures.
- Strong proficiency in word processing and documentation management tools.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly convey technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Language: English (Essential), French (Desirable).
If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community!
Preferred Qualifications
- Completion of a Technical Writer Ontario College Graduate Certificate program (or equivalent).
- Experience with configuration management software or PLM tools (e.g., Windchill, or equivalent).
- Working knowledge of S1000D specification, IETM formats, and AG-006 standards.
- Experience with Canadian Forces Technical Orders (CFTOs) and adaptation of OEM publications to government standards.
- Familiarity with the National Defence Index of Documentation and equipment registration processes.
- Experience in desktop publishing and graphics production tools (Adobe Suite or equivalent).
- Exposure to Logistics Support Analysis Record (LSAR) tools or raw XML data handling.
Special Position Requirements
- Schedule: Core business hours Monday – Friday.
- Physical Environment: Hybrid position – which is a mix of working from home and onsite (in office, at customer site or on-board ships alongside in harbour.
- Physical Demands: Predominantly office work but may be required to work in dockyards and onboard Naval ships.
- Travel: Occasional domestic travel maybe required in support of the ships.
What We Offer
The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) $74,146.88– $126,733.63 CAD Annual.
This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.
AI
We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools as part of our recruitment process to support activities such as candidate discovery, résumé matching, and interview scheduling. These tools may help screen and assess applications and recommend potential matches based on the requirements within the job description. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions on our behalf.
Why Join Us?
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Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:
• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.
• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.
• Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.
Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.
This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access including eligibility to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and able to obtain a Canadian NATO Secret clearance.
