Principal Technical Writer - Customer Onboarding

<div class="content-intro"><p>Elastic, the Search AI Company, enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale — unleashing the potential of businesses and people. The Elastic Search AI Platform, used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, brings together the precision of search and the intelligence of AI to enable everyone to accelerate the results that matter. By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s complete, cloud-based solutions for search, security, and observability help organizations deliver on the promise of AI.</p></div><h3><strong>What is The Role</strong></h3> <p><span data-offset-key="8n2rk-0-0"><span data-text="true">We are looking for a Principal Technical Writer to lead the strategy and execution of our customer onboarding and 'Getting Started' content. Your mission is to transform our onboarding materials into a cohesive, narrative-driven experience that guides users to their first 'aha!' moment. You will partner closely with the Self-Service (SSC) team, acting as a bridge between the field, product, and documentation to ensure our content is not just </span></span><span id="popover-trigger-:ru:" class="chakra-text css-8zk7oi"><span data-offset-key="8n2rk-1-0"><span data-text="true">accurate</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="8n2rk-2-0"><span data-text="true">, but effective at guiding trial-to-paid conversion. In this role, you will define the narrative architecture of our user journey, ensuring that every touchpoint, from first-time setup to advanced feature adoption, feels like a seamless, intentional story. You'll be the champion of the new-user experience, working in lockstep with others to turn technical capability into user success.</span></span></p> <h3><strong>What You Will Be Doing</strong></h3> <ul class="public-DraftStyleDefault-ul" data-offset-key="54q3n-0-0"> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-reset public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="54q3n-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="54q3n-0-0"><span data-offset-key="54q3n-0-0"><span data-text="true">Drive the onboarding content strategy.</span></span><span data-offset-key="54q3n-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Define and execute a cohesive narrative for how users learn to use our products, ensuring a seamless story from the first visit to successful deployment.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="33e6j-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="33e6j-0-0"><span data-offset-key="33e6j-0-0"><span data-text="true">Align Field, Product, and Docs.</span></span><span data-offset-key="33e6j-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Act as a central point of contact for stakeholders. Work with Product teams to understand </span></span><span id="popover-trigger-:r10:" class="chakra-text css-cua023"><span data-offset-key="33e6j-1-0"><span data-text="true">roadmap</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="33e6j-2-0"><span data-text="true"> changes, Field teams to identify friction points in real-world deployments, and Documentation teams to ensure high-quality content output.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="a1sie-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a1sie-0-0"><span data-offset-key="a1sie-0-0"><span data-text="true">Design user-focused flows.</span></span><span data-offset-key="a1sie-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Create organized onboarding experiences. These should highlight best practices, troubleshooting, and clear next steps. Avoid confusing 'choose-your-own-adventure' methods.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="2pfs5-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2pfs5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2pfs5-0-0"><span data-text="true">Measure and Iterate.</span></span><span data-offset-key="2pfs5-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Use user research, support feedback, and telemetry to identify where users stall and iterate on content to reduce churn and improve time-to-first-value.</span></span></div> </li> </ul> <h3>What You Bring&nbsp;</h3> <ul class="public-DraftStyleDefault-ul" data-offset-key="3tifg-0-0"> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-reset public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="3tifg-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3tifg-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3tifg-0-0"><span data-text="true">7+ years of relevant experience.</span></span><span data-offset-key="3tifg-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Experience in technical writing or developer-focused roles, with a proven track record in onboarding or user journey design.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="akqup-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="akqup-0-0"><span data-offset-key="akqup-0-0"><span data-text="true">Cross-functional </span></span><span id="popover-trigger-:r12:" class="chakra-text css-1j6t0d7"><span data-offset-key="akqup-1-0"><span data-text="true">leadership</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="akqup-2-0"><span data-text="true">.</span></span><span data-offset-key="akqup-2-1"><span data-text="true"> Proven ability to lead initiatives and influence stakeholders across product, engineering, and sales/field organizations.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="bqh52-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bqh52-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bqh52-0-0"><span data-text="true">Deep narrative skills.</span></span><span data-offset-key="bqh52-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Experience in creating compelling, cohesive stories for complex technical products.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="bocjc-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bocjc-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bocjc-0-0"><span data-text="true">Data-driven mindset.</span></span><span data-offset-key="bocjc-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Comfortable using analytics, UXR, and support data to inform documentation decisions and prioritize work.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="29b7o-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="29b7o-0-0"><span data-offset-key="29b7o-0-0"><span data-text="true">Collaborative spirit.</span></span><span data-offset-key="29b7o-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Experience working in large, distributed organizations where alignment across multiple teams is critical to success.</span></span></div> </li> <li class="public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="fjtq6" data-offset-key="9alsg-0-0"> <div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9alsg-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9alsg-0-0"><span data-text="true">Customer knowledge.</span></span><span data-offset-key="9alsg-0-1"><span data-text="true"> Experience with self-service cloud products as a user or practitioner, with an </span></span><span id="popover-trigger-:r14:" class="chakra-text css-8zk7oi"><span data-offset-key="9alsg-1-0"><span data-text="true">understanding</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="9alsg-2-0"><span data-text="true"> of how customers onboard, evaluate, and adopt technical tools.</span></span></div> </li> </ul> <p><span data-offset-key="9alsg-2-0"><span data-text="true">Our docs team helps shape the evolution of our products and services. We care deeply about giving you ownership of what you’re working on. We believe Elastic achieves greatness when you are free to pursue your ideas and are surrounded and challenged by your peers.</span></span></p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br>Compensation for this role is in the form of base salary.&nbsp; This role does not have a variable compensation component.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is listed below.&nbsp; In select locations (including Seattle WA, Los Angeles CA, the San Francisco Bay Area CA, and the New York City Metro Area), an alternate range may apply as specified below.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These ranges represent </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting.&nbsp; We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the ranges may be modified in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elastic believes that employees should have the opportunity to share in the value that we create together for our shareholders. Therefore, in addition to cash compensation, this role is currently eligible to participate in Elastic's stock program.&nbsp; Our total rewards package also includes a company-matched 401k with dollar-for-dollar matching up to 6% of eligible earnings, along with a range of other benefits offered with a holistic emphasis on employee well-being.</span></p></div><div class="title">The typical starting salary range for this role is:</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$128,200</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$202,900 USD</span></div></div><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">The typical starting salary range for this role in the select locations listed above is:</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$153,800</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$243,300 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><h2><strong>Additional Information - We Take Care of Our People</strong></h2> <p>As a distributed company, diversity drives our identity. Whether you’re looking to launch a new career or grow an existing one, Elastic is the type of company where you can balance great work with great life. Your age is only a number. It doesn’t matter if you’re just out of college or your children are; we need you for what you can do.</p> <p>We strive to have parity of benefits across regions and while regulations differ from place to place, we believe taking care of our people is the right thing to do.</p> <ul> <li>Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary</li> <li>Health coverage for you and your family in many locations</li> <li>Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles</li> <li>Generous number of vacation days each year</li> <li>Increase your impact - We match up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service</li> <li>Up to 40 hours each year to use toward volunteer projects you love</li> <li>Embracing parenthood with minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave</li> </ul> <p>Different people approach problems differently. We need that. Elastic is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation.</p> <p>We welcome individuals with disabilities and strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all individuals. To request an accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email <a href="mailto:candidate_accessibility@elastic.co" target="_blank">candidate_accessibility@elastic.co</a><span class="gmail_default">.</span>&nbsp;We will reply to your request within 24 business hours of submission.</p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws, view posters linked below:</span> <a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/fmlaen.pdf" target="_blank">Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)</a> <span style="color: #000000;">Poster;</span><span style="color: #000000;">&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf" target="_blank">Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision</a> Poster; </span><a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/eppabw.pdf" target="_blank">Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)</a> <span style="color: #000000;">Poster and <a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OFCCP/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights.pdf" target="_blank">Know Your Rights</a> (Poster)</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">Elasticsearch develops and distributes technology and information that is subject to U.S. and other countries’ export controls and licensing requirements for individuals who are located in or are nationals of the following sanctioned countries and regions: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or Russia, including the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia (The Crimea region of Ukraine, The Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), The Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), Kherson or Zaporizhzhia). If you are located in or are a national of one of the listed countries or regions, an export license may be required as a condition of your employment in this role. Please note that national origin and/or nationality do not affect eligibility for employment with Elastic.</span></p> <p>Please see&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elastic.co/legal/applicant-privacy-statement" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.elastic.co/legal/applicant-privacy-statement&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611068262479000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG3orAPk5sJIr9WVm0ZDxYw82c5DA">here</a>&nbsp;for our Privacy Statement.</p></div>