Digital Product Technical Lead
Pearson Education December 2012 - Present
- Provide technical and user experience guidance to non-technical product teams wanting to deliver their content digitally.
- Review business cases for new digital products.
- Determine and document workflow and best practice methods for delivering digital projects.
- Maintain the platforms and components available for digital projects using technical skills and by engaging external development resources via vendor relationship management.
- Create wireframes and statements of work consisting of user stories and technical acceptance criteria for development tasks.
- Ownership of digital product testing strategy, communicating this strategy to external testing companies and internal QA team for execution.
- Created and now maintain a website demonstrating the available digital platforms and associated components.
- Assisted in bringing three external development teams online which are now used by Pearson product teams in the US, Poland and UK to build digital products. Improved team efficiency by writing documentation, providing training and introducing technical standards.
- Train regional teams in the delivery of their digital products, inlcuding teams in Brazil, Mexico, Spain, China, Italy and Poland
- Worked with two external vendors to develop an iOS and Android eReader platform using an agile contract, based on incremental delivery milestones.
- Created and implemented training plans for internal technicians.
- Worked with multiple teams during development and delivery of front of class platform and ELT World online framework. Documented and provided key input on workflows. Communicated clear and focused routes for the teams to action in resolving project blockers.
Senior Multimedia Developer
Pearson Education April 2008 - December 2012
- Worked with a Senior Software Engineer to develop the ActivePlatform, a platform for delivering ELT Digital product. Determined workflow and best practice methods for delivering digital content on the platform.
- Led development team creating Our Discovery Island ActiveTeach, a series of six digital products for one of Pearson Education's top selling primary brands. All levels were completed within budget, on time and to scope, using agile methodology to manage the project.
- Mentor and responsible for technician training.
- Produced reports highlighting training requirements, product quality issues and solutions.
- Coordinated the upgrade of the Multimedia team's computer hardware and software.
- Provided creative and quick solutions to software bugs with market released products, supporting the Digital Technical Analyst responding to customers.
Multimedia Developer
Pearson Education November 2006 - April 2008
- Implemented graphical design and product briefs, developing the graphical and functional components of new online and offline digital products, assisted by an Interactive Media Designer.
- Advised stakeholders on time-scales and feasibility of technical tasks required to build digital products.
- Fixed bugs with legacy digital products.
- Developed the GUI for Footprints, the first primary school level digital product created in-house.
- Developed English Adventure Digital, a series of six digital products for one of Pearson Education's top selling brands. Incorporating Disney artwork, this required collaboration with Disney via review milestones during development, adhering to stringent approval criteria.
CD-ROM and Systems Administrator
Pearson Education May 2006 - November 2006
- Provided first line technical support to customers who purchased digital products.
- Provided technical support and training for the Multimedia and Dictionaries teams computer systems and hardware.
- Resourced and managed temporary testing staff.
- Managed assets used in creation of digital products including image, audio and video asset preparation.
- Assisted the setup and database administration of new dictionary projects and managed user access to the dictionaries authoring system.
- Assisted in scheduling and identification of resource requirements for digital projects. Updated this information in Microsoft Project.
- Primary contact for external company responsible for QA and testing of digital product.
- Assisted in development of digital products, modifying html and xml code.
Sales Executive
Fonebitz Ltd December 2005 - May 2006
- Work was commission based with targets and I was part of the top performing region (South East).
- Responsible for shop management, providing customer advice, product demonstrations, processing orders and managing stock levels.
Customer Service Representative
Intermediates Ltd August 2001 - November 2005
- Provided advice to customers via telephone and email; placing orders, dealing with complaints and cancellations.
- Administration including updating databases using File Maker Pro and mySQL.
- Trained new employees.