Douglas Danaher
Fremont,CA
Summary
Skilled and detail-oriented senior technical writer with extensive experience developing and delivering clear, concise, and topic-based product documentation tailored for end-users. Brings a hands-on, startup-minded approach, strong critical thinking skills, and a passion for making complex technology accessible to diverse audiences. Demonstrated ability to manage documentation projects from start through completion with a strong record of ontime delivery of user-friendly, accurate, and complete documentation. Strong working knowledge of technical documentation best practices with a focus on content reuse strategy and implementation. Advocate and practitioner of continuous improvement. Able to extract product usage information from technical and functional specifications. Highly skilled in interviewing technical and non-technical SMEs. Advanced user of industry-leading structured (XML, DITA) publishing tools and content management systems as well as desktop publishing tools.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr Technical Writer
Cepheid
10.2024 - 06.2025
- Developed and maintained SOPs, work instructions, job aids for Technical Publications department and cross-functional processes involving collaboration with Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and Engineering.
- Managed documentation projects to support product releases for various Cepheid assay products.
- Developed new IFUs in DITA CMS for multiple products to support initial product releases.
- Peer-reviewed IFUs of other writers to ensure compliance with DITA best practices, style guide, and regulatory guidelines.
- Managed multi-language translations to support international product releases. Completed post-translation cleanup in CMS
- Developed, implemented, and documented new document review process. Trained writers and external reviewers on process.
Sr Technical Writer
Abbott
04.2022 - 05.2025
- Developed and maintained SOPs for Technical Publications department and cross-functional processes involving collaboration with Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Systems Engineering, and Clinical Engineering.
- Managed documentation projects to support product releases for various Abbott Heart Failure on-prem and cloud products.
- Developed new IFUs and quick Start Guides in DITA CMS for multiple products to support initial product releases.
- Peer-reviewed IFUs of other writers to ensure compliance with DITA best practices, style guide, and regulatory guidelines.
- Managed multi-language translations to support international product releases. Completed post-translation cleanup in CMS
Sr Technical Writer / CMS Administrator
Verb Surgical
03.2019 - 12.2020
- Developed and maintained SOPs and Business Operating Procedures (BOPs), for Technical Publications department and cross-functional processes involving collaboration with Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and Engineering.
- Led implementation of Vasont Inspire CCMS. Developed DITA content models, topic templates, reusable content components.
- Developed taxonomy in collaboration with Marketing, Product Management, Regulatory Affairs, and Engineering. Created and implemented metadata in CCMS for all Verb Surgical documentation to enhance searchability.
- Developed new Verb Surgical Platform User Manual in FrameMaker based on prototypes. Converted manual to DITA and completed ongoing updates based on prototype design and feature changes.
- Developed new Endoscope Cleaning and Sterilization IFU in DITA CMS.
- Developed, implemented, and documented new document review process. Trained writers and external reviewers on process.
Sr Technical Writer
Arista Networks
12.2015 - 02.2019
- Developed and maintained work instructions and job aids for Technical Publications department.
- Led implementation of MadCap Flare DITA authoring tool and MadCap Central CMS. Supervised migration of legacy content to MadCap Flare. Developed DITA content models, topic templates, reusable content components.
- Developed new vEOS Router Configuration Guide in DITA and managed subsequent documentation projects to support multiple product releases.
- Managed documentation projects for CloudVision (CV) documentation for multiple releases.
- Developed CSS style sheets for PDF and HTML5 output using MadCap Flare’s style sheet editor.
- Developed new HTML5 content for all hardware and software documentation.
- Trained writers in DITA, use of CMS, post-conversion content validation, and producing HTML5 content.
Sr Technical Writer
Brocade Networks
09.2014 - 12.2015
- Developed new Brocade Flow Optimizer User Guide in DITA to support initial release. Updated guide for all subsequent releases.
- Converted FastIron Command Reference Guide from FrameMaker to DITA and validated converted content. Updated guide for all subsequent releases.
- Updated FastIron Licensing Guide for all releases.
- Designed FastIron and NetIron WebHelp documentation in collaboration with product owners.
- Trained writers on how to create and publish WebHelp documentation.
Education
B.A. - English
California State University, Northridge
01-1994
Graphics Communication Certificate - undefined
California State University College of Extended Learning
01-1999
Skills
- User Guides
- IFUs
- Quick Start Guides
- Administration Guides
- SOPs
- Work Instructions
- Process Improvement
- Process Validation
- Content Migration and Validation
- Translations
- Conversions to DITA
Earlier Experience
- Senior Technical Writer Hitachi Data Systems
- Senior Technical Writer Teradata
- Technical Writer Walt Disney
- Technical Writer Medtronic
Toolset
oXygen Author, Editor, xMetal, Arbortext, Adobe FrameMaker, MadCap Flare, Author-it, Microsoft Word (FS Pro), Adobe Creative Suite, TCS, TechSmith SnagIt, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, ABBY FineReader PDF, Adobe Illustrator, SDL Tridion, LiveContent, Vasont Inspire, MadCap IXIA, GitHub, Perforce, SVN, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Confluence, Microsoft Manual of Style, The Chicago Manual of Style, The IBM Style Guide, Windchill, JIRA, Bugzilla
Personal Information
Title: Senior Technical Writer
Timeline
Sr Technical Writer
Cepheid
10.2024 - 06.2025
Sr Technical Writer
Abbott
04.2022 - 05.2025
Sr Technical Writer / CMS Administrator
Verb Surgical
03.2019 - 12.2020
Sr Technical Writer
Arista Networks
12.2015 - 02.2019
Sr Technical Writer
Brocade Networks
09.2014 - 12.2015
Graphics Communication Certificate - undefined
California State University College of Extended Learning
B.A. - English
California State University, Northridge