Technical writer h1.location_city

Why DOWL?

DOWL is a top-ranked, multi-disciplined consulting firm with over 60 years of experience in civil engineering and related services. Our in-house expertise spans Civil and Land Development, Construction-Related Services, Transportation and Structures, and Water and Environmental Services. At DOWL, you’re valued. We support your growth, offer great benefits, and foster a culture of integrity, professionalism, and teamwork.

Transportation Planning and Design

Join our dynamic team of transportation planners and designers dedicated to creating innovative, practical solutions that improve safety, connectivity, and accessibility. Collaborating closely with our traffic engineers, you'll help develop and implement roadway improvements that solve immediate traffic challenges while supporting long-term community goals. If you're passionate about shaping smarter, safer transportation systems, we’d love you to be a part of our team!

Summary

The Specification Writer 2 is responsible for creating and maintaining technical documents that outline the requirements and standards for a variety of civil and environmental projects. The specification writer works in close collaboration with engineers, project managers, and other stakeholders to ensure that all specifications are clear, accurate, and aligned with both client and company expectations. Duties may include ensuring specifications are compliant with client standards, revising existing specifications to meet current project needs, interpreting technical drawings to incorporate relevant details, performing quality control within DOWL’s quality program and the project contract, facilitating meetings with engineers, project managers, clients, and other stakeholders, creating and managing client‑specific templates, calculating construction quantities, estimating construction costs, and preparing project correspondence. The person in this position is expected to exercise a strong work ethic, a desire to learn new design and documentation concepts, and strong organizational and communication skills. A successful Specification Writer 2 should demonstrate developing proficiency with editing special provisions for at least one Pacific Northwest DOT and be able to quickly learn DOWL’s other client specification requirements. A successful employee is expected to work well with others, absorb and apply constructive criticism, and seek guidance from more experienced members of the team as necessary. This position will work under the guidance of a licensed professional engineer.

Job Responsibilities and Duties

To be successful in this position, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Software

• Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel) - Developing
• Market Sector Software (AutoCAD C3D) - Developing
• Market Sector Software (Microstation Connect and OpenRoads) - Developing (if applicable)
• Task Specific (e.g., AutoTurn, GuideSign) - Basic

Technical Expertise

• Previous experience in specification writing, technical writing, or a related field
• Solid understanding of technical fundamentals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other documentation tools
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines
• Performs basic technical tasks with market sector with limited oversight
• Performs quality control of basic deliverables
• Eager to learn and expand skill set, advanced understanding of technical writing skills
• Reviews, interprets, and employs appropriate design guidance from technical memos and reports
• Understands how specifications influence construction methods, bid items, quantities, and cost estimates

Teamwork

Team player who follows the direction of others, ask goods questions, retains information provided, and shares information with those less experienced.

Project Delivery

Produces the following under limited direction/oversight from others:

• Technical reports and memos
• Specifications
• Construction quantity calculations and cost estimates
• Design documents and construction plans
• Exhibits

Understanding Budget and Schedule

Moderate understanding of scopes, schedules, and budgets. With guidance, predicts the level of effort for individual tasks and successfully deliver tasks within that level of effort. Monitors results on moderately complex projects.

Industry Standards and Regulations

Understands and employs the following design codes:

• AASHTO and FHWA - Moderate
• Local Client - Moderate

Client Interaction

Limited direct interaction, commonly in group settings. Responds to emails, attends meetings, and answers questions/comments with limited autonomy.

Other

Other duties as assigned.

Level of Work/Accountability

Performs moderately complex technical work on projects for the assigned market sector. Operates with limited autonomy – work is supervised and reviewed by more senior staff.

Supervisory Duties

No

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's Degree required
• Years of experience required: 2 years
• Years of experience required with advanced degree: 1 year

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• EIT/EI required
• Driving is an essential job function or a valid driver’s license is required to support legitimate business purposes

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and use hands. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.