QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY
Passionate about what I do, my goal is to deliver exceptional quality documentation that contributes directly to customers\' satisfaction and success, while decreasing the time to create and distribute any type of documentation, whether online, in print, or a combination of both. If you have content, I have fresh compelling solutions that get better results for your business!
As a versatile, full-service documentation resource, I have experience writing and editing many different types of documents, for a variety of audiences, delivering on many types of media, using a wide array of tools. My services span the entire life cycle of document production, from planning to publication.
Whatever your documentation needs, from software and product manuals to online help and web content, I write with razor-sharp clarity, consistency, accuracy, and polish. My documentation services have been used by companies in a wide range of industries, including: mobile communications; finance; software; web services; e-commerce; security; network; data processing; and, more.

CORE STRENGTHS

• Solutions and results-oriented professional with over 10 years of experience analyzing, managing, writing, editing, and publishing complex technical, support, business, and marketing communications in both online and print media for consumer and enterprise audiences.
• Dedicated to organizing and writing clear, concise, accurate, and usable documentation for a wide variety of audiences.
• Adept at quickly grasping information and translating it into coherent, well-structured, well-written, professional-looking, user-friendly documentation that is appropriate for the target audience and the intended purpose.
• Skilled as a liaison among stakeholders to elicit, analyze, communicate, and validate requirements for changes to business processes, policies, and information systems.
• Frequent experience working in new product and service development environments.
• Creative thinker with the ability to identify problems and solutions, and implement projects on time and within budget.
• Able to effectively interact with all levels within an organization in a down-to-earth, friendly manner.
• Accomplished at working closely with internal and external stakeholders, including onshore and offshore engineers and developers to meet and exceed client expectations.
• Demonstrate a strong, positive work ethic as shown by my innate self-motivation, lively sense of humor, flexibility, accountability, and the desire to do what is needed to produce a quality product.
• High-energy team player, able to work independently and lead or collaborate with teams in diverse and dynamic organizational cultures.
• Familiar with usability and accessibility Best Practices.
• Familiar with single-sourcing methodologies.
  
  DOCUMENTATION EXPERTISE (Consumer and Enterprise – partial list)
• Online Help
• End-User Guides
• Use Cases
• Online Documentation
• Implementation Guides
• Marketing Collateral
• Software Documentation
• Security Administration Guides
• Customer Support Guides
• Product Documentation
• Troubleshooting Guides
• Wikis/Knowledge Bases
• Operations Guides
• Deployment Guides
• Templates/FAQs
• Installation Guides
• Web Services Guides
• UI Design/Content
• Administration Guides
• Test Plans
• Tutorials
• Service Guides
• Requirements Specifications
• Developer Doc (API)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Key Contributions: To generate more sales, writing vibrant copy that puts a fresh spin on the jewelry available from this site. Collaborating with artist to enhance overall site design and usability.

Senior Technical Writer
July 2008 – April 2009 (Consultant)
Confidential,Foster City, California

Key Contributions: Developed original content with minimal or no specifications through hands-on interaction, in-person meetings or demos, and independent research. (SDLC: RUP (iterative development) & Waterfall)
Lead online help developer, writer, and editor:

• Created and wrote a robust, XML-based online help system, integrated with a new web application that allows financial institutions greater flexibility in managing their account level processing.
• Authored substantial revisions to an out-of-date implementation guide related to Visa Information Management/Visa Commercial Solutions, a suite of global online tools for managing, organizing, and analyzing all Visa Commercial card data for financial institutions and their clients via one Web portal, with a single user ID and password (SaaS).

Senior Technical Writer/
Documentation Project Manager
December 2007 – July 2008 (Staff)
Confidential,Santa Clara, California

Key Contributions: Set the strategic direction for documentation delivery and evolution, allowing the company to stay nimble, doing more with fewer resources, and delivering high-quality content at a cost-savings. (SDLC: Agile & Waterfall)
Developed, wrote, and edited a variety of administration guides, Web help systems, tutorials, and customer support materials for mobile platform software that provides contactless, Near Field Communications (NFC) mobile phone payments, and over-the-air (OTA) provisioning of promotions, payment cards, and smart poster applications on mobile devices (SaaS).

• Collaborated with product management, engineers, QA, and customer support to research and write new guides and help systems.
• Streamlined documentation delivery process.
• Designed and implemented collaborative Wiki spaces.
• Refined Web UIs to ensure clarity, consistency, and usability.

Senior Technical Writer
September – October 2007 (Consultant)
Confidential,San Francisco, California

Key Achievement: Designed and implemented new HTML (.CHM) help system format that exceeded expectations under a very tight release schedule.
Wrote and edited various security administration and user guides/online help for a security system that gives enterprises policy-based control of user access to the ports on PCs and the devices connected to them.

Technical Writer
User Experience Content Design
February – March 2007 (Consultant)
Confidential,San Jose, California

Key Contributions: Frequently elicited positive reviews from both internal and external customers concerning the quality, breadth, and depth of the information delivered.
Analyzed, wrote, and edited multiple types of outbound customer service documentation used by various communication channels to enhance usability and customer satisfaction in accordance with established style, tone, and brand guidelines:

• Developed Customer Support content.
• Designed and authored Customer Support email templates.
• Designed and authored auto-responders.

Sr. Technical Writing Specialist
Technical Writing Specialist
Sr. Program Support Analyst
Documentation Project Manager
January 2002 – March 2007 (Staff)
Confidential,Foster City, California

Key Contributions: Consistently evolved documentation sets through multiple releases with a determined eye for continuous improvement in the information provided to customers. (SDLC: RUP, Agile, & Waterfall)
Managed, organized, researched, analyzed, wrote, and edited more than thirty service and product implementation, activation, deployment, installation, development, network, security, operations, server, and Web services guides for several new, and very complex, networked financial payments processing systems and services (Enterprise and SaaS) in support of Visa products.

• Managed scheduling, estimating, and forecasting for documentation teams.
• Collaborated with engineering, operations, deployment, and product management to translate business needs into comprehensive requirements, helping to produce a range of publications tailored for each service or product deployment.
• Designed new templates to match updated Visa brand requirements.
• Mentored less experienced writers.

Principal Technical Writer/Editor/Online Help Developer/Documentation Project Manager
August 2000 – January 2002 (Staff)
Confidential,Redwood City, California

Key Contributions: Designed and developed the team’s templates, style guidelines, process flow, and set the model for interaction with other teams.
Principal writer, editor, help system developer, and documentation project manager for this company\'s @Home Service.

• Managed multiple projects simultaneously.
• Designed and wrote help system for the @Home Startup CD, which was then distributed to over 200,000 subscribers.
• Managed, designed, and wrote online and print documentation for a broadband email application, a Web mail application, an online installation program, and specialized installation tools for the @Home service using RoboHelp, HTML, JavaScript, and FrameMaker.
• Managed and wrote Web content for online knowledge base, while training customer support staff.
• Designed UI text for various applications to enhance usability.
• Prepared documentation for translation/localization.

Technical Writer/Editor/Online Help Developer
May 1999 – August 2000 (Staff)
Confidential,San Mateo, California

Key Contributions: Streamlined UI design, established style guidelines, defined online documentation templates.
As a lead writer, I wrote, edited, and developed manuals and online help systems for this company\'s enterprise-scale CRM e-business applications that provided comprehensive packaged solutions for e-merchandising, e-marketing, and e-service.

• Wrote and edited 4 end-user manuals (Print doc, WinHelp, HTML).
• Wrote and edited a systems administration guide, an installation and configuration guide, and complex release notes (Print, WinHelp, HTML).
• Maintained Customer Documentation intranet site.
• Developed content for Blue Martini Software Website and store help system.
• Mentored less experienced writers.
• Prepared documentation for localization.

Copywriter/ Web Design Consultant
June 1998 – January 2000
(Consultant)
Confidential,Napa, California

Key Contributions: Involved in UI design, while interfacing closely with clients to ensure their Web sites met or exceeded their expectations and requirements.
Website copywriter and design consultant who assisted clients develop content for their Web sites.

• Wrote original copy.
• Edited copy submitted by clients.

Senior Technical Writer/Editor
Project Manager
Online Help Developer
QA Tester
May 1995 – July 1999 (Consultant)

Confidential,Foster City, California

Key Contributions: Managed dynamic team that developed and implemented the online help system (WinHelp and HTML) and end-user documentation for the initial releases of a system-wide, network monitoring and tracking application. Developed and produced Y2K documentation.

• Wrote, edited, and produced user and reference manuals, installation and procedural guides, and proprietary online help—writing for end users, system administrators, and program developers.
• Wrote technical documentation covering client application, online content, server configuration, and transaction processing.
• Developed test strategy and documentation for YR2K compliance.
• Wrote test plan and procedures for QA testing of product.
• Tested product UI and functionality.
• Suggested changes to UI that enhanced usability.
• Designed internal QA database to manage testing effort.

ADDITIONAL HIGH-TECH EMPLOYMENT:

Confidential,Technical Writer/Editor/Online Help Developer (May 1996 – April 1997 (Staff))
Confidential,Technical Writer/Online Help Developer (July 1995 – January 1996 (Contract))
Confidential,QA Lead Test Engineer/Editor (January 1995 – March 1996 (Contract))
Confidential,Technical Writer/Online Help Developer (July 1993 – December 1994 (Staff))

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Fine Arts


TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES

• Desktop Publishing Software: FrameMaker (Windows), PageMaker (Windows and Macintosh), Ventura (Windows), Interleaf (Windows, UNIX); InDesign; QuarkXPress, MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Word Processing Software: Microsoft Word (Windows and Macintosh)
• Authoring Tools: RoboHelp, MadCap Flare (XML), WinHelp (Windows), HTML, Dreamweaver, ArborText Epic Editor; WebWorks
• Languages: HTML, CSS, XML, some Java, PHP, JavaScript, Python, C#/C++
• Illustration Software: Adobe Illustrator (Windows and Macintosh), Adobe Photoshop (Windows and Macintosh), AutoSketch (Windows), AutoCAD LT (Windows), VISIO, Flash, Snagit, Paint Shop Pro
• Version Control Systems/Content Management/Wikis: CVS, PVCS, SourceSafe, Perforce, ClearCase, Sharepoint, Documentum, Confluence, JIRA
• Development Environments: Agile; RUP; Waterfall