Michael Brown

Experience

• 

  Burroughs Wellcome via Manpower Technical

  Nov 1988 - Mar 1992

  Technical writer
• 

  GlaxoSmithKline

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2003

  Technical Communications Coordinator

  * Created and ran a one-man help desk to support MedTrack, Glaxo’s Windows-based clinical trials tracking software. * Recorded and interpreted user support requests for the developers and relayed/interpreted developers’ responses for the users, employing an intranet-based web site, factsheets, and the online help to inform the user community. * Served as the “front man” for rollout of a Business Objects data reporting project, by developing custom training that I delivered one-on-one to key users throughout the company to encourage system uptake by the clinical trial teams. Delivered presentations on the service, its intent and design, to groups at Glaxo sites in Toronto and London. Encouraged and supported a grassroots effort to create a user group by writing a biweekly newsletter that shared tips and tricky procedures for creating reports of clinical trial data. * Guided communications to users during the implementation phase of a £10 million data-archiving project via “flash” email updates and an intranet web site that became a central information resource for broadcasting project activities. Interviewed developers and staff supporting IT infrastructure to write an SOP for a tape-transfer process, executed test plans for pre-release software, and wrote and managed a library of change-controlled documents.* Coordinated communications on an Oracle database infrastructure upgrade project across R&D sites worldwide (approximately 20,000 desktops and 600 databases set for upgrading to 8-bit character set). Worked with 10-12 development leads in RTP, Philadelphia, and London to devise a communications plan that included targeted mailings, a white paper on date-format issue for developers, and quality-assurance documents per GSK’s iQMS quality management system. I called three development leads at random daily to gauge local concerns that were oftentimes not raised on the group calls, enabling us to address issues when they were still small and manageable. Show less

• 

  Bioinformatics Research Center, NC State University

  Apr 2004 - Jul 2004

  User Research, UX/UI Consulting, Software Technical Writer

  * Initiated overhaul of the Windows QTL Cartographer application UI by interviewing users in the field (focusing on occasional and frequent users). Incorporated user feedback into codified requirements and recommendations to drive numerous changes and critiques of the software, including improving menu command names, writing complete and understandable error messages, designing dialog boxes that conformed to the Microsoft UI Guidelines, and consulting on developer workflow to ensure consistency in development and design. * Produced a complete online help and hardcopy manual thoroughly documenting all procedures, dialogs, and errors to specifically help occasional users of the program. * Presented the manual and help file at the Center’s Summer Institute in Genetics to approximately 50 attendees from around the world. Show less

• 

  Advacon

  Dec 2004 - May 2005

  Sr Consultant

  A technical-writing consortium offering a full range of tech-writing services (manuals, online help, web site development, white papers, and so on).Updated and created new online help for GSK’s Bioinformatics Division; updated online help for a banking client; optimized graphics used in hardcopy documentation and PowerPoint presentations; drafted from scratch a procedural manual for a real-time video compression product.

• 

  General Dynamics IT (2018-present), CSRA (2017-2018), Leidos (2016-17), Lockheed Martin (2005-2016)

  Jun 2005 - now

  Senior Technical Writer, Process Consultant, Communications

  *Created and maintained extensive reference and procedural documentation in Windows CHM and PDF formats for Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS), EPA’s software for hazardous pollutant risk assessments that is actively used by thousands of researchers worldwide. Created and implemented Web-based, self-paced tutorials with click-and-show Q&A, including significant amounts of background material. * Planned and implemented cutover of eight project Web sites from HTML to EPA’s customized Drupal CMS, including the entire BMDS site. Coordinated reviewer comments from stakeholders and became the de facto team resource on Drupal issues. Reviewed all HESC, EMVL, and BMDS pages to ensure links and content were regularly updated and relevant. Ensured all PDFs and Web pages adhered to 508 Compliance accessibility guidelines.* Wrote, captured, and edited “kiosk” videos of EMVL software to demonstrate application features for use by the PI or developers presenting at conferences or summits. Wrote instructional scripts, used Camtasia Studio to record and edit audio narration, captured and edited video for pace and transitions, created closed captioning, and rendered video to a format suitable for uploading to YouTube. * UI/UX Consulting. Critiqued application interfaces to ensure they conformed to standard usage guidelines, provided wireframes and supporting documentation to justify changes or decisions to UI design, provided testing services to ensure reliable user experience.* Promoted EMVL’s work to EPA and the public by writing white papers, annual reports of EMVL activities and accomplishments, monthly status reports shared with EPA and contractor management, slide decks, security plans, quality assurance plans, factsheets, and poster text, and by editing scientific papers written by staff. Show less

• 

  EditingByBrown

  Apr 2012 - Apr 2014

  Academic Editing & Writing Coach

  I help graduate students hone their written products (papers, dissertations, grants, etc.) so their research is communicated as cleanly and clearly as possible. In addition to editing, I can also serve as an accountability partner when you need that l-i-t-t-l-e extra help to stay on track with important writing projects.