Technical Writer Business Analyst

BRUCE MERENBLOOM

**** ********* ******* ***** ***********@*****.*********:***********@*****.***

Raleigh, NC 27612-6454 linkedin.com/in/bmerenbloom/http://www.linkedin.com/in/bmerenbloom

919-***-**** (cell)

TECHNICAL WRITER, Information Architect, and Business Analyst

15+ years leading the development of both customer-facing and internal business documents.

Broad experience with software and hardware products in R&D, marketing, and support environments.

Bachelor’s degree with majors in computer science and journalism.

Always a champion for the customer, whether by optimizing user experience, writing a better spec, negotiating and recording a business process, whipping out an explanatory video, or filling a gap.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Created information of many types, like manuals, knowledge base articles, white papers, online help, videos, policies, and procedures, and for many departments, like engineering, marketing, and support.

Pushed information in many media, like web pages, content management systems, and collaboration sites (such as SharePoint, Wiki, Confluence, and IBM Community tools).

Maximized quality by gaining hands-on experience with products, being aware of the competition, devising style guides, and conducting careful review.

Authored complex technical documents (in Global English) that were acknowledged by a Support Manager to reduce the load on telephone support staff and by a Service Manager to avoid travel costs. Received award from Society for Technical Communication.

Managed numerous projects to on-time completion, in part by selecting and utilizing the right tools.

Recognized as a tool geek.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

AT&T Technology Services, in cyberspace, or Dallas, TX Nov. 2020 – May 2022

Technical Writer (Contract)

Content strategist for Enterprise Architecture department; promoted next-generation enterprise-wide software integration tools (including API gateways and an event-driven message bus). Yikes! (Just ask.)

Served in a fast-paced technical communications group as the go-to guy for building and administering SharePoint Online and MS Teams sites. Used JIRA in Agile environment.

Hillrom, Inc., Cary, NC Feb. 2019 – Aug. 2020

Technical Writer and UX Team member (Contract)

Delivered documents ranging from software installation instructions to job aids for medical caregivers.

Conducted review sessions to assure that documents satisfy customers and simplify the work of Support.

Solved problems with bash scripts; used Linux, Jira in Agile env., Confluence, DITA, Word, and Excel.

Local Government Federal Credit Union, Raleigh, NC Nov. 2018 – Feb. 2019

Information Architect, Toolmaker, and Technical Writer (Contract)

In the IT department, documented network monitoring procedures and disaster recovery plans,

Created detailed network maps using Visio; also used Word and SharePoint.

MetLife, Cary, NC Aug. 2018 – Oct. 2018

Technical Writer (Contract)

Technical writing for development and operation of a big-data call-center application.

Created the plan for an Application Monitoring ‘runbook’ to be utilized by the DevOps team.

Allscripts, Raleigh, NC Aug. 2017 – Jun. 2018

Technical Writer, BA, and Tool Maker (Contract)

Bullet-proofed “terms of service” in customer contract docs (known as Sales Service Orders) to smooth the deployment of healthcare solutions in the field.

Used advanced MS Word features and complex VBA macros to simplify the customization of Word docs.

Used SharePoint, MS Excel, Visio, and JIRA in Agile environment, plus Skype and WebEx for meeting with far-flung coworkers.

Truven Health Analytics / IBM Watson Health, Durham, NC Nov. 2016 – May 2017

Writer and Information Architect (Contract)

Created the content of online help for Truven’s Population Health Analytics tool.

Devised a departmental Wiki “to prove the integrity of development processes and satisfy any internal or external auditor” and co-owned the technical content with engineers; used IBM collaboration tools.

Contributed to the UX design of Tableau-based health information dashboards.

Power Generation Services, Inc., Raleigh, NC Aug. 2016 – Nov. 2016

Technical Writer (Contract)

Revamped (and created examples in) the Help for DesignBase 6.0, a power distribution software tool.

Used XML-based MadCap Flare and GIT repository.

NC Department of Health and Human Services, RTP, NC Jan. 2016 – Jul. 2016

Writer and Information Architect (Contract)

Reorganized engineering specs using JIRA and SharePoint, and more accurately mapped specs to reqs,

Collected requirements to inform the design of technical documents

Documented Agile and JIRA methodologies, and recommended tools including MS Excel with VBA scripts.

Xylem, Inc. (previously Sensus USA, Inc.) Oct. 2015 – Jan. 2016

Technical Writer (Contract)

Developed policies, white papers, and user guides for the Technology Security Group (which works to mitigate cyber security threats to the smart-grid product). Used advanced MS Word and SharePoint.

Responded to customer RFQs by polishing outgoing Proposals.

Riverbed Technology, Cary, NC Jun. 2014 – Jul. 2015

Technical Writer (Contract)

Fast-paced technical writing with an end-user, QA, and technical support focus for Riverbed’s line of network and application performance monitoring tools, with on-time delivery made easy with Agile methodology.

Created worry-free product installation instructions for Windows and Linux, knowledge base articles, and a product troubleshooting guide that had been attempted more than once.

Used FrameMaker 12, Windows 7, Linux, Trello, a content management system, and MS Office tools.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Research Triangle Park, NC Mar. 2013 – Jun. 2014

Technical Writer and Information Architect (Contract)

Documented the schema and business rules for tables in the enterprise data warehouse; polished business procedures; created a massive Wiki site to document the life and times of the IT department.

Applied principles of information architecture and user-centered design to SharePoint sites.

Timely Text, Inc., Raleigh, NC assigned to RBCBank.com Oct. 2012 – Nov. 2012

Business Procedure Management writer (Contract)

Polished complex banking policies and procedures and managed them on a SharePoint site.

NetApp, Inc., Raleigh, NC Jan. 2012 – Apr. 2012

Information Engineer (Contract)

Devised a detailed technical plan on how and where to update 21 Data ONTAP manuals to reflect the addition of Storage Area Network (SAN) protocols to the product line.

Managed that content in DITA, using SDL TRISOFT content mgmt. system and XMetaL for XML editing.

Itron, Inc., Raleigh, NC Mar. 2011 – Dec. 2011

Business Analyst / Project Manager (Contract)

Gathered technical requirements and published policies and procedures for the deployment of solutions.

Supported solution delivery teams by fixing customer-deliverable business documents just in time – over the phone, through the internet, and in the field, using complex Word templates and SharePoint.

EDUCATION: BA, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Majors: computer science (software) and journalism (news writing)

Something interesting: graduate-level Human-Computer Interaction at NC State, 2014, earned an “A”

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