NPI Scientific Writer II (Product Line Generalist) (Lafayette, CO) | ThorLabs, Inc.

Photonics is the foremost technology driving innovation in science and engineering. As the number of technological innovations has grown, Thorlabs has extended its core competencies in an effort to play an ever increasing role serving the Photonics Industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments.

Headquartered in Newton, NJ, Thorlabs has grown to approximately 2300 employees with manufacturing and sales offices in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Japan, China, and Brazil. As light-based technologies push into new markets, Thorlabs plans to enter early with the products and services required to ensure the ultimate success of our customers.  

The primary responsibility of all NPI (New Product Introduction) Science Writer is to strengthen Thorlabs’ position as a leading manufacturer of Photonics products through the creation of effective presentations and application images that inform and educate the photonics community about Thorlabs’ products and their applications.

Those within the Product Line Generalist role will demonstrate a firm understanding of Thorlabs’ extensive product portfolio via exemplary web presentations for new products. Those holding this role will be able to draw on their existing technical experience and photonics knowledge to engage in meaningful conversations with engineering teams to gain an understanding of new product additions and how they fit into our existing portfolio; propose and plan changes to Thorlabs’ website to support the new additions; and successfully execute their plans to produce high-quality web presentations requiring minimal feedback.

NPI Science Writers work closely with graphic artists to create presentations. Original content is based on basic information provided by Thorlabs’ engineers, as well as prior knowledge gained from using similar products in the field.

Although the location of the position is in Lafayette,Colorado, from time to time it may be required to undertake duties at other Thorlabs locations.

Essential Job Functions include the following, but are not limited to:

• Draw on existing technical experience to engage effectively with engineering teams to gain an understanding of new product additions in order to plan and execute updates to the website that support customer efficiency when making buying decisions.
• Utilize gained knowledge of the organizational ERP platform (Axapta), content editing tools, and Thorlabs’ processes and standards to ensure comprehensive updates requiring minimal feedback when it comes to technical accuracy, completeness, and adherence to Thorlabs standards for layout.
• Successfully plan, complete, and/or oversee complex updates affecting large families of products.
• May be asked to review, critique, comment on, and partially or fully approve content for publication to the website.
• Develop high quality, technically informative web presentations, including application images and cross linkage, for new products being released by any of the Thorlabs business units/entities, all while meeting company standards and tight timeline constraints.
• Update Visual Navigation structure as necessary to support new families/product extensions and improve website usability
• Handles supersessions and associated content updates associated with NPI
• Structures and organizes the job in close cooperation with business units in the United States and globally
• Build application images that help customers understand how products are utilized within a lab environment
• Guide graphics staff, clearly and effectively communicating desired outcomes so as to obtain the necessary images, videos, and animations for a successful new product launch
• As the “gatekeeper” for product releases, ensures all documentation meets organizational standards (i.e., support documents, drawings adhere to internal guidelines, etc.)
• Collaborate with the web team as necessary to develop tools (e.g., configurators) that are necessary for new product introduction
• Learn and implement best practices for building website content, incorporating search engine optimization tactics as appropriate.
• Partners with Business Intelligence Team to create any necessary Google Ad Campaigns for new product families
• Additional responsibilities may include participating in and leading marketing projects and attending tradeshows

The Company retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Qualifications

Experience:

• Prior photonics lab experience is desirable.

Education:

• Advanced degree in Physics, Optics, Lasers, Engineering, or a closely related field or equivalent work experience

Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills for working in a team environment.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills in English.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills.
• Willing to constantly learn new technologies/products and their applications
• Ability to multitask, be detail oriented, and solve problems, all while under tight time constraints
• Strong bias for action

Thorlabs values its diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.