THECB - Technical Writer II (Student Financial Aid Programs)

General Description:
The Technical Writer II position is a Journey-Level role on the Resource Development team in the Student Financial Aid Programs division. The position involves moderately complex work with limited latitude for initiative and independent judgment under general supervision. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, content development, website maintenance, training program development and delivery, document compliance, and quality review. This position reports to the Director II for Resource Development.

General Duties and Responsibilities:
General duties and responsibilities encompass two main categories of focus: Functional and Administrative.
Functional
•    Develops student financial aid program content.
•    Creates and maintains technical documentation for assigned projects.
•    Ensures documentation complies with organizational standards and regulatory requirements.
•    Coordinates document review cycles and manages feedback integration.
•    Contributes to improvements in documentation processes, templates, and tools.
•    May collaborate with stakeholders to support evolving web content needs using content management system (CMS) platforms.
•    Develops training materials and delivers training to internal or external audiences.
•    Collaborates with subject matter experts to gather and validate content.
Administrative
•    Exhibits professional behavior including appropriate workplace conduct, clear communication, ethical decision-making, and effective collaboration in all work interactions.
•    Consistently adheres to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) standards in all interactions.
•    Performs related work as assigned.    

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
•    Compliance Knowledge: Demonstrates sound understanding of requirements, explains regulatory implications, and identifies compliance risks in modified processes.
•    Quality Assurance Methods Knowledge: Applies established quality methodologies to complex systems, conducts root cause analysis, and implements appropriate metrics.
•    Computer Skills: Customizes application settings and templates for increased efficiency, creates professional content using appropriate software capabilities, and integrates multiple software tools to accomplish complex tasks.
•    Technical Writing Skills: Develops content for complex subjects using proven techniques, demonstrates strong editing capabilities, implements content management strategies, and conducts usability testing while bridging technical complexity and accessibility.
•    Training and Development Skills: Designs comprehensive programs for complex topics, creates varied materials, facilitates diverse groups, conducts needs assessments, and evaluates effectiveness while applying instructional design principles.
•    Work Product Development Skills: Develops complex, high-quality work products that meet standards while managing multiple priorities and adapting content for diverse audiences.
•    Communication: Ability to adapt communication style and tone (written or verbal) to different audiences and situations. This includes giving and receiving constructive feedback, asking relevant questions, and summarizing and paraphrasing key points.
•    Critical and Analytical Thinking: Ability to break down complex information into component parts, identify relationships between these parts, evaluate the quality and relevance of evidence, and construct logical arguments.
•    Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to analyze and prioritize stakeholders, implementing stakeholder strategies to meet needs and expectations, and evaluating the outcomes.

Military Crosswalk: https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_InformationandCommunication.pdf

Required Minimum Education and Experience:
•    Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
•    2+ years of experience in training, website maintenance, and creating communication artifacts utilizing various modes of distribution and presentation.
•    Six additional months of full-time work experience in creating, disseminating, communicating and training on materials in a heavily regulated environment may substitute for 15 semester hours of required education, up to four years. 

Preferred:
•    Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Higher Education Management, Communications, Public Policy/Affairs, Business Administration, or a related field.
•    Full-time work experience in training, website maintenance, and creating communication artifacts in a financial aid or loan servicing environment utilizing various modes of distribution and presentation.
•    Knowledge and understanding of state and federal laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures affecting student financial assistance, particularly the student financial aid programs administered by the Agency, and the ability to appropriately interpret and apply that knowledge.

• Physical Requirements and/or Working Conditions:
• Work is performed in a standard office environment and requires:
• •    Regular, reliable, and punctual attendance at work.
• •    Frequent use of personal computers, copiers, printers, and telephones.
• •    Frequent sitting; and
• •    Frequently works under deadlines, as a team member, and in direct contact with others.
• Workforce: 
• Must be able to: 
• •    Demonstrate knowledge of customer service deliverables.
• •    Show flexibility and adaptability toward changes in assignments and work schedules working extended hours as necessary.
• •    Adhere to the organization's internal management policies and procedures.
• •    Contribute to the agency's performance measures and mission; and 
• •    Travel periodically for work assignments and training.

Application Requirements:
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is an Equal Opportunity Employer. A State of Texas application is required to apply. For more information on how to apply for this position, go to the Coordinating Board’s employment opportunities website at https://www.highered.texas.gov/careers/.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board participates in E-Verify for each new employees’ Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. For questions, please call the HR Department at 512-427-6190. For vocal and/or hearing assistance call 7-1-1.

Notes to Applicant:
If you require any reasonable accommodation for the interview process, please inform the hiring representative who calls to schedule your interview. This position has been designated as a security sensitive position. A criminal background investigation will be conducted on the final candidate for this position.

Your job application must be completely filled out. Your application must contain dates of employment, job titles, name of employer and a description of duties performed in a way that demonstrates you meet the minimum qualifications for the position for which you are applying. Resumes do not take the place of the requirement to include this information on the application. If this information is not submitted, your application may be rejected because it is incomplete.

Veterans Information: THECB is committed to hiring Veterans. To receive Veteran’s Preference, a copy of the FORM DD214 -member #4, must be attached when submitting your application.

AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: THECB does not discriminate on the basis, of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services.

Job offer and continuation of employment with THECB is contingent upon:
•    Proof of education and experience listed on the application.
•    Eligibility/authorization to work in the U.S.
•    Satisfactory results from a pre-employment criminal history background check.
•    Compliance with the Selective Service Law for males ages 18-25. Please be advised that under Texas law, names and other information concerning applicants or nominees may be subject to disclosure upon request.

THECB does not allow dual employment with other state of Texas agencies or institutions.

Skills assessment may be conducted at time of interview

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.