Samantha Black

Experience

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  SECTOR SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED

  Jun 2004 - Aug 2005

  Information Technology Assistant

  As part of my Sandwich placement, I performed routine desktop and network maintenance and upgrades, while designing and producing databases and collaborating with software designers to troubleshoot and implement bespoke software.

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  The Technology Works (aquired by TradeDoubler 2007)

  May 2006 - Nov 2007

  Client Services Support Anaylst

  In this role, I provided first and second-line support to a multinational client-base spanning UK, Europe and Asia. I was responsible for developing strong working relationships with client organisations and providing tailored business solutions to increase client retention and growth rates while educating clients in the use of BidBuddy and other technologies to improve and enhance their systems. I also maintained strong lines of communication within the team and shared know-how to drive team performance. Show less

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  Tradedoubler

  Nov 2007 - Apr 2010

  Change and Release Management, 2nd Line Support Analyst

  In this role, I managed and led a team of developers to produce high-quality results while training and mentoring new developers to quickly become valuable assets to the company. I created and controlled release schedules which involved communicating and negotiating with key stakeholders to coordinate and implement planned changes, software release and configuration schedules.

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  TNT

  May 2010 - Nov 2010

  Change Analyst

  In this role, I was responsible for facilitating the change management process including assuring Requests for Change (RFC) were communicated to appropriate teams within SLAs. I efficiently managed HP Service Desk change management enquiries to support the seamless adoption of new technology and IT infrastructure. I also minimised the negative impact of changes through proactive identification, mitigation and escalation of risks.I maintained Forward Schedules of Change (FSC) including creating and circulating FSC reports as well as conducted Post Implementation Reviews (PIR) for failed changes. My other responsibilities included scheduling and attending meetings with the body responsible for reviewing changes (Change Advisory Board) as well as preparing, attending and chairing Daily Service Review and monthly review meetings with Senior Management. Show less

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  EPX Technical Services

  Nov 2010 - Dec 2010

  IT Administrator and Office Manager

  IIn this position I performed a variety of office and business support functions including process development and implementation, report and tender creation, contract reviews as well as customer support and I.T asset logging. I successfully managed the smooth and effective administration and operation of both I.T and office procedures and developed expertise in the administration of HR policies/procedures through personnel management responsibilities.

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  Engineered Timber Solutions

  Apr 2011 - Apr 2021

  Office Manager/Administrator

  I was responsible for the smooth and efficient day to day running of the office. I acted as the first point of contact for customer queries for all new and existing projects and designs which involves attending to customers on the telephone as well as proactively monitoring and responding to emails. I regularly liaised with suppliers and manage logistics to ensure the timely delivery of goods while diligently monitoring and maintaining office stock levels. I played a crucial role in supporting business finance administration through the maintenance of Sales and Purchase Ledgers, for which I perform all aspects of order processing including raising invoices, placing and managing purchase orders and reconciliations. Additionally, I facilitated credit control and debt recovery through proactively chasing payments and resolving issues to maximise debt collection. I also supported management with financial monitoring and statistical analysis including collating monthly sales information and producing accurate management and financial reports.I negotiated, arrange and manage office insurance contracts and new and existing office supplier accounts with a view to securing the most competitive rates to drive cost-efficiencies and savings. I owned and developed internal policies and procedures for Health and Safety while managing compliance with ISO 90001, CE marking and PEFC programmes to ensure company standards and frameworks were adhered to for regular audits, which I helped perform. I also managed and logged employee holiday requests and sickness cover to ensure staffing levels were maintained on a daily basis. In this role I regularly operated advanced Microsoft Excel features including VLOOKUP, SUMIF, IFERROR, Pivot Tables and Table Arrays. Show less

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  Central Co-op

  Apr 2021 - now

  I manage and chair the Change Advisory Board (CAB) and emergency CAB (eCAB) covering the reviewand approval of IT changes including risk, impacts, and implementation. I lead Post ImplementationReviews (PIRs) to ensure that changes are delivered in line with approved scope, functionalrequirements and technical standards. I also oversee the day-to-day management of IT changes in linewith the internal Change Management Process including all documentation, compliance, andcommunication.This includes conducting risk reviews and assessments of proposed changes including evaluating theimpact on business processes and functions to inform the approval or rejection of change requests. Iplan, schedule and coordinate change management activities through pro-active management andreview of business and IT events which could conflict negatively with change implementation. Ifacilitate change management processes including assuring Requests for Change (RFC) arecommunicated to appropriate teams within SLAs while conducting Post Implementation Reviews (PIR)for failed changes.I also prepare change reports including Forward Schedules of Change (FSC) in line with governance,reporting, and change management. I implemented protective measures for service disruption such asManaging Change Freeze periods based on identified business risks and agreed change procedures. Thisensures ongoing compliance with asset management policies and procedures including monitoringregulatory requirements and obligations and reporting any findings to the Service Management team. Show less In this role I was responsible for maintaining an auditable access rights and privileges register for the Society, ensuring that requests were dealt with according to agreed procedures. I ensured the knowledge asset lifecycle was maintained which included updating the knowledge management system and content. I accurately maintained privileged access records for internal and external parties ensuring access was necessary, appropriate, and revoked where applicable. I also provided guidance in defining access rights and privileges and works with IT Plan Team and IT Security to ensure these are embedded.I made sure to ensure that knowledge was documented and shared to create value by capturing sharing, developing and exploiting collective knowledge to improve performance, support decision making and mitigating risks. Show less In this role I was responsible for managing the service levels including IT services standards and KPIscovering hardware and software performance objectives. I managed the day-to-day allocation andcontrol of IT assets in line with internal policies, processes and procedures including maintainingcompliance with licences. I ensured all documentation for assets was up to date as well as owning theITIL service delivery across a number of incidents and BAU activities.I also liaised with third party suppliers and service providers covering the management of servicestandards in line with service agreements. I maintained hardware and software asset records coveringnetwork nodes, mobile device management, and network service assets as well as the ongoing masterconfiguration of assets. I monitored software and hardware performance compared to SLA targets andKPIs including preparing reports covering service outages, asset and licence compliance, and generalregulatory compliance. I utilised ITIL standards to manage software and hardware services and assetswhile also identifying opportunities to drive performance standards through process improvements. Show less

  • Change and Release Analyst

    Dec 2022 - now

  • Access & Knowledge Analyst

    Jan 2022 - Dec 2022

  • IT Asset and Configuration Analyst

    Apr 2021 - Dec 2021