Ed Owen

e-mail eowen@data-time.com

Summary

  • Proven leader and manager in a range of technology domains, from software and web development to technical communications.
    • 7 years of experience managing technical communications in a global environment.
    • 5 years of experience developing high quality multimedia software for the consumer market, under tight deadlines and within budget.
    • 3+ years of web site development and management experience with robust, interactive, dynamic web sites.
  • Unique combination of technical, creative, and management skills. Able to understand operations at all levels and to lead both technical and creative team members.
  • Process- and detail-oriented. Able to improve existing systems and create innovative new ones in response to changing circumstances.

Experience

2011-Present — Wind River, Alameda, CA

Manager of Technical Publications Infrastructure, 2011-Present

A world leader in embedded and mobile software.

  • Manage a geographically distributed team that provides infrastructure and services for the online publication of technical content.
  • Collaborate with teams of content engineers and technical writers to provide customers highly technical product documentation, delivered online and as Eclipsed-based help.
  • Plan and execute documentation usability studies to help improve content design.

2003-2011 — Sony Computer Entertainment, Information Design and Development, Foster City, CA

Department Manager, 2008-2011 (Details...)
Technical Information Design and Development Manager, 2006-2008 (Details...)
Project Manager, 2004-2006 (Details...)
Consultant, 2003 (Details...)

Headquarters group providing information design, technical communications, translation, and software localization services and consultancy for the global PlayStation business and other parts of Sony.

  • Acted in a general operations management role across all departmental functions, after holding a series of increasingly responsible positions in technical communications management.
  • Oversaw project management, editorial, and production staff responsible for creating technical documentation for the Software Development Kits (SDKs) for various PlayStation consoles in English and Japanese.
  • Created standard workflows, processes, and project management systems for department functions, often where none existed before.
  • Managed, improved, and created from scratch the technology platform to support these standards, from enterprise content management systems to customized project management databases and database publishing systems.
  • Designed, authored, and maintained custom documentation automation tools to increase the efficiency of technical documentation production, specializing in XML- and XSLT-based tools.

2003-2004 — Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Palo Alto, CA

Database Programmer/Consultant, 2003-2004 (Details...)

Pharmaceutical start-up investigating organic compounds with potential drug applications.

  • Re-designed and re-implemented a relational FileMaker Pro 7 database containing research and clinical data on the studied compounds.
  • Added new database features and reporting to support evolving client needs, including advanced chemical structure search capabilities.

2000-2003 — Team Sheeper MultiSport, Atherton, CA

Employee #4, Director of Technology, 2000-2003 (Details...)

Self-funded start-up providing coaching and other services to swimmers, runners, and triathletes.

  • Helped launch company, increase membership 150%, and grow revenues to a quarter-million dollars in 2002.
  • Built technology infrastructure from scratch, including billing and e-commerce.
  • Designed, implemented, and managed web site, including Internet-based remote coaching service.

1994-1999 — The Learning Company / Broderbund / Mattel, Fremont, CA and Carlsbad, CA

Development Director, 1998-1999 (Details...)
Executive Producer, 1996-1998 (Details...)
Producer, 1995-1996 (Details...)
Assistant Producer, 1994-1995 (Details...)

Publisher of educational, reference, and lifestyle consumer software.

  • Held series of increasingly responsible positions in product development for a line of multimedia reference, home productivity, and lifestyle software on CD-ROM. (List of product credits...)
  • Advanced rapidly over five years from assistant producer on a single title to lead producer on company's flagship encyclopedia product to executive producer/development director overseeing technical production of entire product lines and their staff.
  • Oversaw the development and release of more than 15 software products, on time and within budgets ranging from $50,000 to $1.2 million.
  • Directly managed team of up to 8 software engineers working in C++ for Windows; managed other cross-disciplinary groups as large as 15.

1991-1993 — Let's Go, Inc., Cambridge, MA and Northeast Spain

Production Manager, 1993 (Details...)
Assistant Editor, 1992 (Details...)
Researcher/Writer, 1991 (Details...)

Publisher of best-selling series of budget travel guidebooks.

  • Oversaw production of 20 titles, from text entry to layout to offset press.
  • Edited copy from researcher/writers in the field for Let's Go: Mexico.
  • Traveled alone for six weeks in northeast Spain, researching, writing, and revising Let's Go: Spain & Portugal.

Education

1989-1993 — Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Bachelor of Arts
Phi Beta Kappa in Hispanic Studies, Cum Laude General Studies

  • Majority of coursework in Spanish and Spanish American literature and Latin American history. Harvard GPA of 14.34 (A-, 3.84).
  • Four-year member of varsity swim team, elected captain.

Skills

Extensive web, multimedia, and publishing skills

  • Extensive experience using XML and XSLT to perform database publishing and automated documentation conversion.
  • 3+ years experience developing web sites using MediaWiki, Perl/CGI, PHP, JavaScript, MySQL, and other web technologies.
  • Extensive experience with web and multimedia hardware platforms, software tools (including project management tools), and file format issues. (List of specific software packages...)
  • Extensive experience with Windows and OS X environments, as well as familiarity with UNIX (Linux, Solaris).
  • Proficient in several computer languages and scripting tools, including Perl, PHP, JavaScript, C, C++, Pascal, and BASIC. (View University of California Extension coursework in programming...)

Strong enterprise and database application experience

  • Advanced administrative experience with Stellent Content Management System (CMS) and Oracle Universal Content Management (UCM), including managing an upgrade and content migration from one version to another.
  • Extensive experience designing and building FileMaker Pro database solutions.
  • Experience with MySQL databases and light-weight web services (REST APIs).

Strong writing and editorial background

  • Strong grasp of the editorial requirements for technical communications from lengthy experience managing and recruiting technical editors and writers for this function.
  • Strong research and writing skills from Let's Go research as well as work on campus journalistic publications in both college and secondary school.
  • Experienced editor of journalistic, literary, and travel prose.

Spanish and other language abilities

  • Fading fluency in Spanish; solid oral and verbal skills in Italian.
  • Have lived abroad in Europe for extended periods.

Other Background


Prepared September 2011