Beth Roodman

Seasoned documentation specialist with proven expertise in creating, updating, and maintaining technical documentation and PowerPoint presentations for both the Government of Canada and private industry Extensive experience editing technical documents and PowerPoint presentations intended for end users, technical experts, and C and ministerial level staff Strong interpersonal skills that ensure successful outcomes at meetings and when collaborating with subject matter experts and stakeholders at all levels Adept at quickly acquiring new technologies and adhering to deadlines Familiar with Treasury Board Secretariat and industry standards, procedures and terminology Advocate of plain language and passionate linguist Experienced in preparing accessible documentation in accordance with WCAG Security Clearance: Secret (valid to 2031)

Editor/Technical Writer - Employment and Social Development Canada - Gatineau

(2022-10 - 2024-09)

Provided editing and technical writing support for the Innovation, Information and Technology Branch of the Department.

• Edited, rewrote and synthesized PowerPoint presentations to ensure clear, concise, visually appealing, well-structured and effective messaging for the intended management audiences
• Edited documentation packages prepared for the Chief Information Officer defining security-related projects requiring an Authority to Operate; packages included a High Level Assessment, Security Assessment and Authorization, Risk Management Plan, Statement of Authorization and Executive Summary
• Edited or rewrote wording to create boilerplate text for consistency in the documentation packages
• Provided advice regarding departmental and Government of Canada style guide recommendations for terminology and plain language

Technical Writer - Centre for Advanced Computing, Queen’s University - Kingston

(2021-12 - 2022-08)

Provided technical writing expertise on documentation (Transfer Payment Agreements, Threat and Risk Assessments, quarterly and annual progress reports, briefing notes, RACI matrices, backup networking requirements) for the Ontario Health Data Platform (OHDP), a secure, high performance computing environment that supported advanced research analytics used by researchers to gain insights into understanding and combatting Covid‑19. The project involved interaction between Queen’s, the Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario, external corporate resources and hospital laboratories.

• Acted as a major contributor editing time-dependent, legally-binding, ministerial-level documentation based on the phased rollout of the OHDP project
• Gained and applied an in-depth understanding of the following areas to ensure secure, effective delivery of the relevant documents:
• the importance of preserving the anonymity of the personal health data of OHIP card holders and preventing data breaches
• the need to limit access to this data to authorized researchers only
• the development and maintenance of a risk registry related to deliverables, including privacy and security, and mitigation strategies in the event of a cybersecurity incursion

Technical Writer - Department of Fisheries and Oceans - Ottawa

(2020-07 - 2021-03)

Provided technical documentation expertise in a fast-paced environment for new Agile-based projects that automated the gear tag registration process for fisheries industry suppliers and provided DFO fisheries officers with online data entry and reporting capabilities.

• Effectively used project-related proprietary software to write and test the documentation and ensure accessibility
• Provided guidance on wording and terminology to ensure ease of use of the software and clarity of information and error messages

Technical Writer - Global Affairs Canada (GAC) - Gatineau

(2019-06 - 2020-05)

Provided technical documentation expertise for the Real Property division supporting Canadian embassy heads of mission and mission control officers worldwide and Ottawa-based portfolio managers, directors and strategic planners by writing or extensively rewriting user guides for GAC’s international property, staffing, space inventory and project tools.

• Became proficient with the unique software tools related to real property, space allocation and projects
• Created PowerPoint ,s focusing on clear, effective messaging, for use by the subject matter experts to demonstrate the software for senior management

Technical Writer - National Research Council (NRC) - Ottawa

(2016-06 - 2019-03)

Provided technical writing support on a wide variety of projects for systems developers, technical architects, senior management, researchers to meet Council-wide Information Technology documentation requirements.

• Documented multi-factor authentication VPN access procedures for Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems for Canada-wide National Research Council staff
• Edited briefing notes and IT-related documentation
• Created templates for Terms of Reference, test plans, installation and configuration processes, system requirements, administration guides, user guides and related documentation for use by IT staff responsible for NRC-wide applications and front-line technical support
• Wrote software recommendation documents for C-level management
• Performed quality control and user testing of the NRC’s Client Service Centre self-service help system
• Tested the design and usability of detailed hardware and software order forms and made major revisions to the explanatory text to enhance usability
• Prepared an implementation plan for new and upgraded software, including budgeting, quantities and project deadlines

Technical Writer - Various government departments (Transport Canada, Global Affairs, Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Border Services Agency)

(2012-10 - 2016-03)

Provided technical writing support for several government departments (Transport Canada, Global Affairs, Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Border Services Agency), including technical reference guides in accordance with Treasury Board Secretariat and departmental standards, PowerPoint presentations, encryption-related documents, accessibility-related documentation and FAQs.

Technical Writer - IBM (Cognos) - Ottawa

(1996-05 - 2012-02)

Working out of the Ottawa-based facility of this international company, was responsible for designing, researching, writing, and testing technical documentation for administrators, installers and end users, localized into over 20 languages.

• Collaborated with subject matter experts, including software developers, quality control specialists, product managers, marketing managers, and other stakeholders to define requirements for multiple products
• Worked in an aggressive Agile development environment creating guides and manuals for Web, PDF and mobile distribution using audience-appropriate language to communicate complex, technical concepts effectively
• Identified risks to accurate and timely documentation development, planned mitigation and implemented workarounds
• Adhered to strict corporate standards and guidelines regarding usage, conciseness and clarity
• Worked simultaneously on different projects and different versions of projects
• Enhanced documentation usability by creating detailed indexes for multiple documentation pieces related to Cognos Business Intelligence software
• Performed peer edits of technical documentation
• Designed, wrote and tested a first-ever Web-accessible tutorial to promote new business analysis software. This tutorial generated several thousand hits by prospective clients
• Designed and wrote Marketing Communications collateral promoting Cognos Business Intelligence software
• Won three industry awards for excellence in documentation

B.A. - French Literature - Carleton University

Certificate - Teaching English as a Second Language - Algonquin College

Certificate - Indexing - Middlesex College