Senior Technical Writer/Instructor/Editor

Thomas Albert, Ph.D.

talbert747NOSPAM@gmail.com (remove NOSPAM from this email address)
http://www.WORDesign.com

Objective
Challenging position in Software Developer Documentation for an Information Technology Leader

Qualifications
15 Years Experience in Technical Communication/Editing/Software Developer Documentation;  Web Help, online Help, User Guides in paper; Instructional Design; Usability Testing; User Interface Feedback

Work Experience
Advisory Technical Writer
Accelrys Software Inc. (MDL Information Systems of San Leandro became Elsevier MDL, then Symyx Technologies, San Ramon, CA, then Accelrys Software Inc.)
4/00 to Present

· Write Application Programming Interface (API) documentation and sample code for Java, C#, and a JavaScript-like language (Cheshire)
· Facilitate the revamping of information architecture and accessibility, including HTML jumps in sample code
· Participate in usability studies of online user assistance for a programmer audience
· Contribute to Agile Development Team efforts at daily scrums and by using tools such as JIRA and Rally
· Convert FrameMaker documentation sets to web help using Quadralay WebWorks Professional ePublisher
· Provide user feedback and quality assurance feedback for graphical user interfaces and application programming interfaces 
· Maintain documentation source control (ClearCase, Perforce)

· Create screen captures using HyperSnap, edit layers graphics in PaintShop Pro

Consultant
NexPrise, Santa Clara, CA
3/00 to 4/00

· Edited technical documentation and courseware for a web-based project management system

Consultant
LinuxOne, Mountain View, CA
3/00 to 4/00
· Edited a Linux manual
· Provided project management for localization/translation into German

Staff Technical Writer
Rational Software, Cupertino, CA
2/99 to 3/00

· Reorganized and updated Application Programming Interface (API) documentation
· Updated the Installation manual for a customizable database application (Windows 2000/Windows NT)
· Edited technical documentation and courseware
· Contributed to network-based administration documentation

· Edited and contributed to Windows Help for a Change Request Management module
· Researched and authored guidelines for Localization (translation-readiness)
· Contributed to information architecture planning
· Converted a documentation set from FrameMaker to HTML using Quadralay WebWorks Publisher 2000

Senior Technical Communicator
7/98 to 2/99
Digiray Corporation, San Ramon, CA
· Developed corporate web site on digital (filmless) radiography system
· Wrote technical marketing materials, system design documents, and grant proposals
· Demonstrated computerized systems and delivered scientific presentations
· Provided user interface feedback and project management for web-based Java applet: http://www.digiray.com/enhance

Senior Technical Writer
1/98 to 7/98
Hyperion Software, Foster City, CA
· Designed and authored context-sensitive Windows Help for a visual scripting tool for a budgeting application

· Mentored peers in the use of RoboHelp
· Provided user interface design input

Senior Technical Writer
11/97 to 1/98

Ericsson Fiber Access, Menlo Park, CA
· Telephony network management software

Senior Technical Writer
2/97 to 11/97
Cemax-Icon, a Kodak Medical Imaging Company, Fremont, CA
· Designed and authored Windows 95 Help for medical image viewing application
· Updated Archive Manager Service Manual for hospital-wide, RAID-to-tape hierarchical medical image database

  management system and authored sections on workflow and configuration
· Revised, expanded, and improved information accessibility for User Guides and Administrator Manuals about products

  for teleradiology (image transfer via dial-up networking)
· Provided editorial feedback for courseware

Technical Writer
6/94 to 2/97
Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA
· Designed and drafted Replication Manager online Help
· Updated Oracle7 Server Replication paper manual
· Managed documentation project for the  first Personal Oracle User's Guide for OS/2 and inaugurated the inclusion of

  Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
· Consolidated Oracle Network Products into a single manual
· Updated Oracle Precompiler Installation and User's guides for desktop platforms
· Provided user interface feedback for SQL*Net Easy Configure

· Provided editorial feedback for the first edition of Oracle Enterprise Manager User's Guide

Technical Communicator
7/91 to 6/94
Digiray Corporation, San Ramon, CA
· Authored and published technical articles
· Demonstrated products and delivered presentations to audiences of engineers
· Wrote grant proposals and won two Small Business Innovation Research Grants for $1 million

Assistant Professor of English and Written Composition
7/90 to 6/91
Erie County Community College, Buffalo, NY

· Taught the principles and practice of organizing written information
· Corrected and edited written documents

Education
Certificate in Computer Information Systems (awarded "with Distinction")
July 1999
University of California at Berkeley Extension

UCSC Extension Classes

Additional UC Berkeley Extension Class

Ph.D.    English
1989
State University of New York at Buffalo

B.A.    Political Science (with High Honors)
1978
University of California at Berkeley

Additional Achievements