Park View, Queenhill, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs. WR8 0RE
Tel: (home) 01684 594728 (mobile) 07884 271051
email: guy@steelpillow.com
Highly experienced Technical Consultant, Author and Manager, with a proven track record of success in the IT/ICT, defence, electronics and commercial sectors.
Location: M5 (North) corridor only.
Availability: Part time (3 days/wk) from 5 Jan 2009.
Management: Strong all-round leadership, business, creative and technical project experience, covering all key business and management activities. PRINCE2 foundation.
Consultancy: Skills and experience include:
Analysis: Analyse requirements, recommend and help implement solutions.
IT Systems: Concept definition, specifications, security documentation.
User Interfaces: HCI analysis, use cases, specification and design.
Web Sites and Wikis: Specification, design and content.
Engineering: Product design, RFI/EMC/EMP troubleshooting.
Authoring: Extensive experience of software and systems documentation, UK MoD AESPs, training materials. Produced a wide range of handbooks, specifications, websites, online help, sales and marketing materials, etc. Able to work alongside specialists and capture information.
Skills/knowledge also include:
Telecomms: GSM, SS7/C7, radio, Internet protocols.
Databases: Oracle 8/8i RDBMS design & administration, SQL Server, SQL.
Electronics: Analogue and digital circuitry, RF, power systems.
Graphics: Corel Draw, PaintshopPro, etc.
Freelance technical consultant providing management, analysis, design, authoring and support services. Website http://www.steelpillow.com.
Consultancy:
Preliminary study into business benefits, risks and change needs for proposed government department contribution to free software used by the department.
System deployment and development work on a variety of IT/ICT systems for government clients, from single-box to global multi-site solutions. Scope ranged from business ConOps, information architecture, support planning and acceptance testing, through system architecture and user interface analysis/design, security analysis, system build & integration support, down to hand-coded websites (HTML, XHTML, CSS, MediaWiki).
Helped develop new approaches to collaborative working and corporate knowledge sharing, exploiting an in-house wiki. Analysed the development process for a major family of systems, produced RUP based description in the form of a click-through website, made recommendations for improvement.
Tender documentation for various marine, communications and defence systems, in association with the prime bidders.
E-commerce website analysis, design and development. Client urls include key concept and functionality for http://www.toastabags.com.
Designed house style and associated authoring resources for training materials.
QMS (Quality Management Systems) review for a specialised service provider.
Authoring:
IT/ICT hardware, software and system documentation for a government client: planned, designed and delivered online help, user guides, support and design documentation (ICDs, design specifications, project & security documentation, reports, etc), covering bespoke and COTS applications and equipment (using MS Word, StarOffice/OOo, CorelDraw, Paintshop Pro, Acrobat, etc.). Gained /deepened knowledge of GSM, CEPT bearers, SS7, etc. Mixed UNIX/Linux/WinXX.
Training course notes/updates for XML Programming, Cisco Networking and Introduction to GSM. Gained knowledge of XHTML, web services, TCP/IP, etc.
UK Army AESP equipment manuals: planning, operator and maintenance manuals for decontamination equipment, handheld sensors, generator sets, vehicle fits, etc.
Management:
Worked with many of these clients to analyse requirements, write ConOps, and to recommend and help implement solutions at both business and technical levels.
Handled project/document product planning, implementation & development to consistently deliver client satisfaction.
Lifecycle Support Planning (IM, CM, spares & repairs, etc.) and general Project/TTO support and documentation management for several of the above IT/ICT systems, some in PRINCE2 managed environments.
Carried out successful bid and quality management activities.
Joined as Technical Author, responsible for provision of high quality IT training course notes. Rapidly took on additional responsibilities.
Project managed and edited the full portfolio of course notes, working with executives, users, suppliers and colleagues in a time-critical business environment. Gained knowledge of PRINCE2. Supervised and trained-up junior staff, one of whom later took over my role.
Wrote Course Notes, and developed server builds (RedHat Linux and Windows 2000), for Oracle 7/8/8i RDBMS Introductory and DBA courses.
Helped develop IT Management courses, especially Supporting IT Users.
Planned and implemented a popular and effective staff helpdesk.
Development, design and editorial input to company intranet (HTML, CSS) and sales/marketing literature.
Conducted extensive business analysis in support of these activities.
Experience of UNIX/Linux, Windows NT/2000, MS Project, TCP/IP, XML, SQL, SQL Server, etc.
Technical Author, Technical Consultant, Programme/Project Manager, Webmaster.
Joined as Senior Technical Author. Planned/edited/wrote many handbooks and other technical documentation, for a wide range of engineered products and systems, including:
Distributed networked IT/ICT systems - user and administration guides, technical specifications, test reports, etc. Mostly in mixed UNIX/WindowsNT environments, with basic exposure to: Oracle 7 RDBMS, and telecommunications.
Web-based systems - design, development and user documentation. Co-implemented a cross-platform, web-based online help system.
Engineered systems and equipment - planning, operator and maintenance manuals (mainly UK Army AESPs). Equipments ranged from battlefield radio/comms and electrical power systems to air conditioning, bomb disposal equipment and so on.
Radio comms system test equipment (UK Army) - Technical specifications (design, test plan, test procedures).
Gained knowledge of digital radio communications, including frequency-hopping, encryption and GPS. Experience of CLANSMAN interfaces (UK Army).
Worked to DEF STAN, JSP, AESP, NES, Air Pubs, AECMA, N13002, etc.
Advertising copywriting/editorial experience.
Webmaster and co-designer for the corporate website.
Technical consultancy work included:
Provision of EMC/RFI consultancy service to successfully turn around a failing high profile client project, in a time-critical and sensitive environment.
Design analysis and technical recommendations, to dramatically improve serviceability and safety of client’s electromechanical product.
Design and co-development of user interfaces for websites, software and CBT.
Training Needs Analyses (TNA).
E-commerce business analyses.
Preparation of tender bids and costings on behalf of major clients.
Experience of all aspects of Project Management, including planning, cost and risk analysis, resource management, documentation, change control.
Quality Management to ISO 9001. Developed Quality Standards for CBT materials.
Supervised project teams and interviewed junior staff applicants as required.
Helped develop the business programme for multimedia technical manuals and Computer Based Training (CBT) authoring services.
Self-employed businessman - Holdfast Computing. Designed, manufactured, marketed and sold computer peripherals and user interfaces for Early Learning and Special Needs.
Experience of business accounting, budgeting, marketing, sales promotions, etc.
Electronics engineer - various positions. 8 years managing, researching, designing, manufacturing, testing, commissioning and supporting a range of electronic and electromechanical products.
Managed a corporate EMC/RFI test and certification programme, working with product managers and teams across multiple manufacturing centres. Commissioned and ran an outdoor EMC test site. Carried out extensive testing and design troubleshooting.
Digital techniques for EMP testing - carried out original research and wrote technical reports.
Significant experience of RF power control systems, transmission lines and impedance matching, vacuum/waferfab system instrumentation, general analogue and digital circuitry, enclosure and packaging design.
Architectural assistant and freelance graphics designer - various positions and commissions.
Course |
Establishment |
MA Architecture and Philosophy |
Cambridge - Churchill |
BSc Environmental Studies |
UCL (Bartlett) |
BA Electronics and Industrial Design |
Open University |
French, Business Intermediate (FLIC II) |
Filton College |
Effective communication, presentation and sales skills |
Various |
Practical EMI Fixes |
DWCI |
PLAN, FORTRAN, BASIC programming languages |
Various |
|
Webmaster, HTML, XML, Oracle DBA, SQL, UNIX |
Various |
PRINCE2 Foundation, Supporting IT Users |
Quanta Training Ltd |
Clean driving license. British passport.
Languages: French fair, some German, less Italian.
Parish Councillor, Liberal Democrat and FRSA - Fellow of the Royal Society for the advancement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Member of Amnesty International.
Compete 2001 regional heat winner, as part of the Quanta team.
Runs a small home network for Windows, Linux and RISC OS systems. Helps out with the Linux Format online forums and wiki http:/linuxformat.co.uk.
Other current interests include the free software movement, polyhedra, philosophy and contributing to Wikipedia.
Details of published Articles, Essays and peer-reviewed Papers are available on request.