Development Director (acting)

• Feb 2022 - Present

Software Development Manager

• Mar 2021 - Present

Back to a sensible job title, and the line-management is back too.Responsible for all processes and internal delivery of software across Radiology, Maternity and E-health Records.

Agile / Release Train Manager

• Apr 2017 - Mar 2021

Effectively the same job, but with a slightly confusing different job title and a wider remit but less line-management.Company also changed it name from "Healthcare Software Solutions" to "Wellbeing" around this time.

Software Development Manager

• Sep 2013 - Apr 2017

Initially came on board to bring Agile methodologies, techniques and attitudes to the development team and to the organisation. Introduced Agile & Scrum to the team and shaped the processes that have led us to deliver a mobile, web-based solution to radiology workflows.Subsequently I have taken responsibility for heading up the whole development team. I'm now responsible for our processes and methodologies across the whole product suite, bringing up-to-date development and testing technologies into play, and providing structure and governance to our working practices.Continually strive to improve the levels of cooperation and team-working between developers, testers and other roles within the organisation

Consultant / designer / web developer

• Nov 2012 - Sep 2013

Key contributor to this start-up; developing the technology roadmap and a functional prototype for a proposed application which would enable police officers to record various data at a road traffic accident. This is proposed as a device-agnostic solution for mobile platforms, which may be implemented as a web-solution or a stand-alone application. This prototype has been completed using JQuery, JQuery mobile and phoneGap technologies.Developing mobile solutions for various customers. Key contributor to this start-up; developing the technology roadmap and a functional prototype for a proposed application which would enable police officers to record various data at a road traffic accident. This is proposed as a device-agnostic solution for mobile platforms, which may be implemented as a web-solution or a stand-alone application. This prototype has been completed using JQuery, JQuery mobile and phoneGap technologies.Developing mobile solutions for various customers.

Career break

• Nov 2011 - Oct 2012

Successfully petitioned for voluntary redundancy.Travelled. Went scuba diving a lot. Successfully petitioned for voluntary redundancy.Travelled. Went scuba diving a lot.

Software Delivery/Development Manager

• Nov 2006 - Nov 2011

I was responsible for the quality and delivery of all learner-facing systems. I managed all aspects of software delivery for teams consisting of Java, web and Oracle developers, testers, software architects/designers and UI designers; and drove the software development process from requirements through to implementation and live-support.I worked with business owners, project management, project board members, UAT, release management and technical implementation staff to ensure that software was delivered on time, under budget and fit for purpose.I had line-management responsibility for ten or more permanent and contract employees including recruitment, mentoring and career progression.I led the incremental replacement of a legacy system with new Java software; working around the legacy database structure and running Java/JSP functionality in parallel with original ASP/COM+ systems.I successfully delivered large-scale redesigns and rebuilds to existing systems due to significant changes in customer domain model.I delivered multiple software applications to fit into a developing and complicated architecture.I delivered key components of a single sign-on solution, including new systems designed to support Learndirect’s emerging business model targeting self-supporting learning.I introduced Agile working practices to the development team; choosing appropriate tools for the job, negotiating with other teams (planning, change management, tech ops, testing, business) and managing expectations of senior management. Applied these practices to monthly maintenance release cycles, allowing rapid turnaround on priority issues raised by a range of customers.

Employee Consultation Group chairperson

• Oct 2010 - Sep 2011

I represented team members for three years, including one year as chair. During this time, I dealt with a wide variety of individual and group issues, often liaising with the HR director and Executive Team to find resolutions. I arranged and ran the consultation group meetings; shaping the agenda and keeping discussions balanced, fair, focussed and proportional.I coordinated the consultation for a cost-saving exercise in which £4.5m needed to be cut from budget; including redundancies. I then spearheaded the subsequent consultation for the company-wide redundancy exercise; working closely with HR and senior company directors to achieve all required cost-savings without any compulsory redundancies and with minimum disruption to on-going business operations.

Software Development Team Leader

• Jan 2001 - Nov 2006

I led a team of up to seven developers, developing software for learndirect. I was responsible for delivering changes as requested by the customer, allocation of work to team-members and monitoring of progress against agreed timescales, management of development and testing servers, management of development and testing Oracle databases and management of source control, development procedures and project documentation. I was also responsible for liaison with the testing team and coordination of issue-fixing by the development team, chairing implementation reviews of product with the customer, and the management of fully-documented software releases to customer.The role involved extensive liaison with the customer about details of system configuration, support issues and functionality and also required frequent on-site support for the customer during and after commissioning.

Senior Technologist

• Sep 1989 - Dec 2000

I worked in a variety of teams, providing technology solutions and innovation to Corus’s ironmaking and steelmaking business. I specialised in the design, development and implementation of computer models and real-time process-control / process-monitoring systems. These applications were running on PC and VAX-Alpha platforms. I worked in a variety of teams, providing technology solutions and innovation to Corus’s ironmaking and steelmaking business. I specialised in the design, development and implementation of computer models and real-time process-control / process-monitoring systems. These applications were running on PC and VAX-Alpha platforms.