Roles · Technical Writer · Senior
10 core skills, 45 in total. Expectations per skill, and what changes at the next level.
This page lists what a Senior } is expected to know and do, skill by skill. Core skills are the ones a manager and peers assess in a review cycle; the rest count only in self-assessment. Main areas: API & Integration, Version Control & Collaboration, Documentation.
Grouped by area. The label on the right is the expected depth: Awareness, Working, Advanced or Expert.
Designs documentation strategy for REST APIs: API style guide, linting rules (Spectral), design-first workflow. Documents complex patterns: HATEOAS, conditional requests, batch operations, webhooks. Ensures API governance through docs.
Designs scalable docs-as-code processes: multi-repo documentation, cross-references, automated content generation. Implements content reuse (snippets, includes, variables). Creates custom CI checks for documentation quality gates.
Creates advanced API documentation content: migration guides between versions, architecture overviews, best practices. Develops style guides for API descriptions. Conducts UX review of documentation from a developer experience perspective.
Designs the structure and process for maintaining architecture documentation for large systems. Implements diagrams-as-code approach (Mermaid, PlantUML, Structurizr DSL). Ensures coherence between ADRs, architecture diagrams, and API documentation.
Designs visual language and diagramming standards for the project. Implements diagrams-as-code approach: Mermaid/PlantUML in Git, auto-generation from code, CI validation. Creates interactive diagrams for the developer portal (clickable architecture maps).
Designs docs-as-code infrastructure for large projects: monorepo docs, cross-project navigation, custom plugins. Develops custom components (interactive API explorer, live code playground). Optimizes build performance and SEO.
Creates scalable knowledge management system: cross-team search, content federation, automated content lifecycle. Integrates knowledge base with developer portal, runbooks, API docs. Defines quality metrics and usage analytics.
Designs a runbook system for the organization: taxonomy, lifecycle, integration with alerting and incident management. Creates automated runbooks (runbook automation through scripts/playbooks). Ensures runbooks are tested regularly.
Builds engineering blog as a developer relations channel: thought leadership, open source contributions, hiring brand. Creates complex content: architecture deep-dives, postmortem analyses, technical strategy articles. Mentors authors.
Designs user documentation strategy: content model, localization, accessibility, multi-product navigation. Creates interactive documentation: embedded walkthroughs, contextual help, in-app tooltips. Implements analytics for measuring effectiveness.
Not assessed by the team, but part of the self-assessment and the development plan.
45 skills get a higher expectation or become core when moving from Senior to Lead. The biggest jumps first.
} in the open competency matrix: 45 skills across 5 levels. The matrix is free for individuals and stays free.