Bess Dwyer
Portland,OR
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr. Technical Project Manager
RM Design Studio
10.2020 - Current
- Oversee and manage multiple projects from concept to completion–including contracts, scoping, scheduling, billing, wireframes, design review, asset coordination, technical explanation, pre-release testing
- Work with client on Drupal website to manage, upload, archive, and redirect content as needed
- Work with outside vendors on website localization & train clients on translating their sites
- Determine clients wants & needs; translate into tasks for design & dev teams
- Work with design & dev teams to develop menus and taxonomy systems
- Manage UX/UI team and create tickets for developers
- Coordinate with clients and vendors on large website consolidation project
- Hybrid event (online & in-person) coordination for annual fundraising campaigns
- Work on-call to produce live streaming events
- Reduced project delivery time by optimizing resource allocation and prioritizing critical tasks
Senior Producer
TNG
01.2017 - 06.2017
- Manage multiple projects from concept to completion
- Managed cross-functional teams for successful project completion within tight deadlines and budgets
- Determine clients wants & needs; translate into tasks for design & dev teams
- Setting & managing expectations of clients while building relationships to foster growth and future business opportunities
Project & Client Account Manager
Saturno Design
01.2016 - 07.2016
- Manage multiple web & software projects in a blended agile environment from concept to completion
- Work directly with clients to determine wants & needs; translate into tasks for software developers & testing
- On-the-fly creative problem solving to accommodate client needs
- Setting & managing expectations of non-technical clients
- Accurately & efficiently supervise workflow of designers & developers
- Boosted client satisfaction by addressing concerns, providing solutions, and maintaining strong relationships
Project Manager & Website Coordinator
Blue Nile
01.2012 - 01.2014
- Manage multiple sales-driven & editorial projects from start to finish in a blended agile environment–involvement from concept to launch
- Manage ongoing production, maintenance & updates for all websites, including coordination and planning for foreign language sites & localization
- Supervise traffic in and out of design and development groups
- Content production coordinator; drive dev requirements; manage weekly & daily releases; ensure design team specs; handle digital asset hand-off to dev & production teams; provide feedback on design and development/implementation
- Translate business needs into realistic actions for developers
- Inform UX/UI design features and technical capabilities
- Triage bugs & issues from all departments to appropriate teams; prioritize bugs & feature requests based on a combination of business needs, the bandwidth of required teams and current projects
- Coordinate between departments to fulfill web-based needs; meet regularly with Directors & Executives; technology planning based on the requests of Managers, Directors & Executives
- General problem solver and website doctor
- Established effective communication among team members for enhanced collaboration and successful project completion
Content Programmer/Producer/Editor
Xbox LIVE, Microsoft
01.2011 - 01.2012
- Plan, program & produce content for Video & Music on Xbox LIVE dashboard
- Manage multiple weekly & daily updates; gather & coordinate assets for promotions; communicate with internal & external partners
- Coordinate large-scale promotional projects for video and related content
- Assisted launch of new dashboard while direct supervisor was on leave
- Organize & run weekly meetings for Marketing programming
- Work with Design to ensure high-quality graphics for the user
- Troubleshoot catalog issues and general front-end/back-end interactions
- Develop best practices & streamline processes between Marketing & producers
- Boosted audience engagement with high-quality content through close collaboration with creative teams
Content Producer/Editor
MSN Music, Microsoft
01.2007 - 01.2010
- Produce & publish content daily; manage ongoing monthly, weekly & special features/columns; pitch stories to MSN.com; source photos & create photo galleries
- Enhanced user engagement by producing compelling and relevant content for digital platforms
- Produce, manage high-profile concert event series; develop topical feature concepts; write headlines & page copy; coordinate & track promotions; program custom Flash & XML-based video player
- Ingest music video files; editorially select featured videos; coordinate with Label Relations Manager; coordinate cross-promotions
- Seed editorial ideas; develop and produce features; write headlines
- Manage freelance writers; top-edit articles & interviews; hand off to editors
- Receive & track media assets (physical & digital media) from record labels
- Work on-call to produce live events/awards shows: Emmy's, Grammy's, etc
- Contribute to social media accounts
Writer & Producer & Project Manager & Other Assorted Jobs
Self-employed
01.2008 - Current
- Various freelance work
Education
Bachelor of Arts - French Language & Literature; Linguistics; Journalism; Integrated Social Sciences
University of Washington
Seattle, WA06.2026
Skills
- Quick to learn new software
- Expert knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Extended experience with many content management systems (CMS)
- Intermediate skills using Adobe Suite & Figma
- Intermediate Drupal backend skills
- Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more
- Experience with Agile, Waterfall, and Blended PM practices
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Intermediate user of JIRA, Confluence, Trello, Airtable, Workamajig
- 7 Hills Studio, Seattle: Event coordinator & planner
- Real Change, Seattle: News Reporter Intern
- Media Bistro, Seattle: Freelance copywriting
- UW Experimental College, Seattle: Copywriting; Editing
- School of Visual Concepts, Seattle: Copywriting
- Code School, Seattle: JavaScript basics
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Timeline
Sr. Technical Project Manager
RM Design Studio
10.2020 - Current
Senior Producer
TNG
01.2017 - 06.2017
Project & Client Account Manager
Saturno Design
01.2016 - 07.2016
Project Manager & Website Coordinator
Blue Nile
01.2012 - 01.2014
Content Programmer/Producer/Editor
Xbox LIVE, Microsoft
01.2011 - 01.2012
Writer & Producer & Project Manager & Other Assorted Jobs
Self-employed
01.2008 - Current
Content Producer/Editor
MSN Music, Microsoft
01.2007 - 01.2010
Bachelor of Arts - French Language & Literature; Linguistics; Journalism; Integrated Social Sciences
University of Washington
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