Sample Job Description: DITA-OT Developer
To successfully design and implement an information architecture and its supporting technology, your team needs resources to perform some key roles. Role is not a synonym of person - it is a function assumed by a person in a particular situation. One person may perform more than one role and any given role may be performed by one or more people - it really depends upon the skills of the individual(s), scope of the project, and availability of the resources.
These are the key roles you need to have for a successful DITA implementation:
The following role descriptions are general descriptions. Your team may have more specific descriptions that can be used or adapted for your project.
Delivery Information Architect
The DITA-OT Developer is responsible for developing and maintaining DITA Open Toolkit (DITA-OT)-based output plugins using XSLT and Java. This includes XSL-FO-based PDF deliverables, online HTML deliverables, and XML conversion utilities.
This role designs and develops DITA-OT solutions for integration into authoring and additional rendition environments. They develop code, analyze, and review solutions from other developers. They also create deliverable builds for clients.
As a member of a cross-functional development team, DITA-OT Developers collaborate with business operations groups, IT groups, and structured authoring groups.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Maintaining and developing the XSLT stylesheets
Developing HTML, PDF, and XML output, requiring XSLT, XSL-FO, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS
Maintaining and developing DITA DTDs or schemas
Maintaining, developing, customizing, and integrating plug-ins into DITA-OT
Testing, coding, and reviewing solutions created by other developers
Documenting the system and application for all the above
Qualifications and Skills
The skills necessary to successfully perform this role include, but are not limited to the following:
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., technical writing, engineering, computer science) or equivalent work experience
Technical aptitude to customize and maintain a variety of content-related tools
Organization skills to develop and execute test cases
Understanding of content sources and how they structurally relate to DITA
Strong communication skills to work with all stakeholders
Project management skills to define requirements for tools and transforms
Technical aptitude to write automation scripts
Technical skill to develop and/or maintain transforms in XSLT, XSL-FO, or transform-specific tools
Familiarize yourself with other roles in our DITA Implementation Team series.
If you want to learn more about hiring or training for your DITA implementation, consider booking a coaching package with Amber Swope.
