Ascension LLC is seeking a detail-oriented, user-focused Training and Documentation Specialist to support a website redesign and Drupal CMS implementation for Maryland Sea Grant. This role is responsible for developing clear, practical, and accessible user guides, job aids, FAQs, workflow documentation, training materials, and post-launch support tracking tools that help Maryland Sea Grant staff confidently manage content within the new website.

The ideal candidate will understand how non-technical users learn new systems, how to translate CMS workflows into plain-language instructions, and how to support a successful transition from an outdated website environment to a modern, accessible, responsive Drupal platform. Maryland Sea Grant’s redesigned website must support improved content management, back-end content moderation workflows, review options prior to publication, and organized page creation that aligns with brand and style expectations. The Training and Documentation Specialist will help make those capabilities usable, repeatable, and sustainable for content contributors, content managers, editors, and administrators.

This position is especially important because the success of the redesigned website will depend not only on the technical build, but also on Maryland Sea Grant’s ability to maintain the site after launch. The selected candidate should bring strong instructional design instincts, excellent writing and organization skills, familiarity with Drupal or comparable CMS environments, and the ability to develop practical documentation that supports real staff workflows.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Training and Documentation Specialist will support CMS adoption by creating training and documentation that explains how Maryland Sea Grant staff will create, update, publish, review, archive, and maintain website content. The role will work closely with the Project Manager, Drupal Developer, UX/UI Designer, Content Strategist, and client stakeholders to document the final website structure, content types, editorial roles, moderation workflows, templates, and publishing processes.

The RFP requires the contractor to provide written instructional documentation before content migration, deliver training to the website team and content managers, provide training on the entire system for up to 10 additional MDSG employees, and create a User Guide with clear instructions on how to create, update, publish, and delete content for each user role. The Training and Documentation Specialist will be accountable for turning those requirements into usable materials, including user guides, quick-reference job aids, FAQs, workflow diagrams, training slide decks, recorded or live training support materials, issue logs, and post-launch support trackers.

This individual should be self-driven, organized, patient, and comfortable working in an iterative environment where website templates, user roles, permissions, and workflows may evolve during discovery, build-out, testing, migration, and launch. The candidate should be able to anticipate user confusion, identify documentation gaps, simplify complex CMS steps, and ensure materials are written in an accessible, plain-language format.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Develop CMS user guides that explain how to create, update, publish, unpublish, archive, and delete content within the Drupal CMS.
• Create role-based job aids for content contributors, content managers, editors, approvers, and site administrators.
• Document editorial workflows, including draft, review, approval, publishing, and revision states.
• Translate technical CMS functionality into plain-language instructions for non-technical users.
• Coordinate with the Drupal Developer and UX/UI team to understand content types, templates, permissions, menus, media libraries, and moderation workflows.
• Prepare training slide decks, quick-reference guides, checklists, and FAQs for Maryland Sea Grant staff.
• Support the required training session before content migration by preparing materials, exercises, sample scenarios, and step-by-step instructions.
• Support training for up to 10 additional MDSG employees prior to launch, including role-specific instruction and practical demonstrations.
• Create documentation for uploading and managing media, including images, files, videos, captions, alt text, and reuse of media across the website.
• Document procedures for managing website sections such as publications, blogs, Chesapeake Quarterly, newsroom/media content, research databases, student/funded PI archives, and online store content, as applicable.
• Develop FAQs based on anticipated staff questions and actual questions received during training, migration, testing, and post-launch support.
• Capture training feedback and recommend improvements to user documentation.
• Track post-launch support questions, issues, recurring user errors, and documentation updates.
• Update documentation during testing, launch readiness, and the six-month maintenance and support period.
• Support accessibility awareness by explaining content practices that help maintain Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 compliance, including headings, alt text, link text, document uploads, and readable formatting. The RFP requires compliance with Section 508 and WCAG 2.1.
• Maintain version control for all training and documentation materials.
• Collaborate with Ascension project leadership to ensure training artifacts align with the approved website design, templates, content moderation model, and client expectations.