Cynthia Sparks

*** ***** ****** *.*., Box ***, Watertown, Minnesota 55388

Office 952-***-**** Mobile 612-***-****

ad3s0g@r.postjobfree.com

Experience I have experience as a Copywriter, Senior Technical Writer, Editor, Project Manager, Information Architect for Instructional Design, Curriculum and Courseware Designer, Online Information Developer, Web Content Developer, Technical Publications Manager and Publisher, seeing projects from conception through final printing and shipping and/or Web publishing.

Technical Publications Manager

Sparks Communications, Minneapolis, MN

Sparks Communications provides technical writing, editing, and publishing services for small and large businesses. Customers include Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, iCAD, Medtronic, ODS Medical, Intelligent Software Systems, PenRad Technologies, MTS Systems Corporation, Ag-Chem Equipment Co., Minnetonka Audio, Datakey, Minnetonka Software, Allaire, TransView, Cycle Software, General Mills, Condre, US Design, Identix, Telex, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. I produce catalog product copywriting, user guides, classroom training materials, XHTML Web content pages, on-line help (WebHelp and HTML Help), marketing communications, and context-sensitive web-based reference information. Tools I use regularly include XHTML, Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Adobe Web and Print Publishing Suite, (InDesign Creative Suite, FrameMaker, Acrobat, RoboHelp, Captivate, etc.), and a variety of photo retouching utilities. I am familiar with XML constructs for single-source publishing. I am experienced with developing documents and/or online books and evaluating customer software on Windows XP, 2000, NT, 98 and various Unix systems.

Technical Publications/Global Labeling Manager

ACIST, Eden Prairie, MN

Managed the ACIST’s technical publications and global labeling department. We published IFUs for patient tubing, catheters, and accessories as wells as system software and system reference manuals, tutorial guides, training manuals, and marketing communications materials. I established InDesign style guides and publishing procedures, as well as global labeling strategies including terminology management, in-country review procedures, and in-context review of localized software.

Technical Publications Manager

MTS Systems Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN

I managed the corporate technical publications department of 17 including writers, editors, and illustrators. We published software and system reference manuals, tutorial guides, training manuals, and marketing communications materials. I established and maintained procedure guides and style guides for all MTS software and system manuals. I wrote software manuals for MTS computer-controlled testing systems. I worked closely with engineers and software developers. I consistently won awards through the Society for Technical Communications including Best of Show for the MTS 871 Component Test System User's Guide.

Technical Publications Editor

Sperry Computer Systems, Roseville, MN

I wrote and edited software manuals for Sperry's operating system software, programming languages, and other software development tools.

Managing Editor

The Minnetonka Sailor, Sailor Publications, Minnetonka, MN I wrote major feature articles, edited all copy including daily news releases and advertising copy, and managed all photographic services for advertising and editorial purposes. I managed staff writers, photographers and production staff including keyliners, typesetters, and artists. We produced seven distinct editions every week. Professional

Associations

American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), www.AMWA.org Society for Technical Communication (STC); www.stc.org Professional Association for Computer Training (PACT); www.pactweb.org Education B.A. English, Luther College, Decorah Iowa Professional Summary

Cynthia Sparks has more than 10 years of experience as a writer, editor, and publications manager. She has produced user manuals, tutorials, training guides, system overviews, on-line help, product specifications, reference manuals, marketing communications materials, feature articles, radio scripts and catalogs. Cynthia's experience and expertise makes her an ideal lead consultant for a challenging assignment in a medical software solutions context. Details of past assignments are outlined below. They include medical devices, data acquisition systems, digital audio systems, cryptography, and material testing and simulation systems.

Cynthia has demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with medical professionals, scientists, engineers, and executives. Her extensive experience with desktop and web publishing software provides a solid foundation for producing or maintaining documentation using any popular publishing system. Project Experience

As a medical writer for a medical device company, responsibilities included:

• Writing a System Manual that describes in detail an early detection mammogram image analysis system, used by mammogram lab technologists.

• Writing a Physician’s Manual for the mammogram image analysis system, used by radiologists.

• Editing and preparing for publication, internal documents for FDA approval, such as the Device Labeling document.

• Complying with the General Provisions of FDA CFR, Parts 11, 810, 812, and 820.

• Designing and implementing context-sensitive on-line help in HTML format for the system application software.

• Providing updates to all publications and on-line help systems as each version of the system software was released.

• Identifying system software and hardware “bugs” for the system engineers while developing first drafts of the user guides.

As a Medical Writer for a medical software company, responsibilities included:

• Writing instructions for the Programmer component of a defibrillation system, which is used by a doctor or nurse to monitor and change the instructions of the implanted defibrillator.

Areas of Expertise

Skills

10+ yrs Project Lead

10+ yrs Publications Manager

8 yrs On-line Help Developer

7 yrs Corporate Trainer

7 yrs Web Communicator

Industries

10+ yrs Medical Device

10+ yrs Software Development

5 yrs. Agri-Business

3 yrs Cryptography

5 yrs Digital Audio

4 yrs Journalism

Software

Environments/Operating

Systems

Apple macOS

Microsoft Windows

Unix and Linux

Publishing Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Acrobat

RoboHelp

HTML Help

WebHelp

WinHelp

Jasc PaintShopPro

Education

B.A. English

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

As a Medical Writer for a medical information system company, responsibilities included:

• Writing a system overview for the user interface, which incorporates interactive graphical screens that use a tap-not- type method to obtain patient information and produce interpretive reports, thus eliminating the need for transcription.

• Directing photo shoots of systems for product literature. As a Medical Writer for a medical device company, responsibilities included:

• Developing documentation plans for all phases of the product development cycle and identifying how the documents will be used for the FDA approval process.

• Developing product documentation plans for medical device-based solutions for major markets in heart disease. As a Technical Publications Manager for a Mechanical Testing and Simulation company, responsibilities included:

• Developing writers for specific market niches within the corporation.

• Developing documentation plans.

• Specifying scope, budget, and schedule for all writing assignments.

• Interviewing and hiring.

• Managing a training program.

• Developing and maintaining a corporate style guide.

• Conducting performance reviews.

• Overseeing the publication and distribution of software and system reference manuals, tutorial guides, training manuals, and marketing communications materials.

As a Technical Writer for cryptographic smart card manufacturing company, responsibilities included:

• Writing system overviews, installation, user, and administrator’s guides that described how to use cryptographic smart cards to secure sensitive data stored on computers.

• Designing and writing computer-based training programs to educate users of cryptographic products. As a Technical Writer for web-tools software company, responsibilities included:

• Writing an on-line manual for users of a web-conferencing tool.

• Designing and writing user guides to educate administrators of web-based forums and conferences. As a Technical Writer for web-based truck-tracking software company, responsibilities included:

• Writing an on-line manual for users of a web-based shipping scheduler.

• Designing and writing user guides to educate administrators of web-based shipping/scheduling software tools. As a Technical Writer for sound management company, responsibilities included:

• Writing a User’s Guide for a custom-designed digital recording computer system that is used by actors when recording books-on-tape.

• Complying with requirements as specified by the Library of Congress (Z39 Specifications). As a Technical Writer for audio software company, responsibilities included:

• Designing and writing the user guide for a digital recording studio software product, which features a drag-and-drop mixer architecture on the Windows platform. Provided detailed instructions on how to connect mixer channels to disk tracks, external i/o, and to internal busses.

• Designing the packaging.

• Creating marketing brochures.

• Managing the printing of all product literature.

• Managing the manufacturing of the packaging materials. As a Technical Writer for an audio duplication company, responsibilities included:

• Writing User Guides for two new products.

• Designing and developing on-line manuals and context-sensitive on-line help systems for the audio duplication products and associated software and hardware systems. As a Courseware Developer for an agri-business company, responsibilities included:

• Designing and developing computer-based training programs for agronomists, soil analysts, fertilizer dealers and other agri-business professionals that use an integrated system of tools and technology devoted to agriculture.

• Writing user guides and on-line help systems for each component of the system software. As a Technical Writer for a food processing company, responsibilities included:

• Updating and producing an on-line manual for plant managers. As a Technical Writer for a systems engineering company, responsibilities included:

• Writing software reference manuals for a software engineering group.

• Designing and developing on-line manuals and context-sensitive on-line help systems for software engineers using a select set of software tools and utilities.

• Interviewing software engineers and extracting information necessary to produce a software reference manual.

• Updating the software reference manuals on an annual basis. As a Newsletter Editor for a software distribution company, responsibilities included:

• Producing (interviewing, researching, writing, editing, layout and design, pre-press production and printing) a quarterly newsletter for the company.

• Reporting to the CEO to discuss publication schedules, budget estimates, scope, and content. As a Technical Writer for a Vehicle Dynamics Testing and Simulation organization, responsibilities included:

• Writing software manuals for computer-controlled testing systems.

• Entering and receiving awards in contests sponsored by the Society for Technical Communication.

• Adhering to the scope, budget, and schedule for all writing assignments. As a Technical Editor for a manufacturer of mainframe computers and software systems, responsibilities included:

• Editing reference manuals that described operating systems, computer programming languages, and other software development tools.

• Managing the print production and distribution process. As a Copywriter for an outdoor sports equipment catalog, wrote all product descriptions for catalog production. As an Editor and Reporter for a newspaper publisher, responsibilities included:

• Producing seven editions each week.

• Planning feature stories and cover stories.

• Interviewing, researching, and writing articles.

• Editing all copy for advertising and editorial sections.

• Designing and supervising pre-press layout.

• Managing the photo bureau services.

• Managing staff writers, photographers, key liners, typesetters, and artists. As a Script Writer for a radio station, responsibilities included:

• Writing two 60-minute radio scripts; one featuring classical music, and the other featuring contemporary folk music.

Contact this candidate