Keith Towns

Keith Towns CV

3 Chequers Walk, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 3EW
Email: cv@keithscv.com
Telephone No. 07922 159383

PROFILE

I am a Business Analyst, Data Analyst and Project Manager with advanced IT skills. I am self-motivated, reliable, dedicated and capable of formulating creative solutions. I work very well under pressure and like to exceed challenging personal goals and professional targets. In my working life I am used to operating within a continually changing and demanding environment, utilising my facilitating and consultancy skills to interpret client’s requirements and develop solutions. I particularly enjoy using my analytical and problem solving skills to resolve complex issues which I then present in a format that my audience can understand. I am used to communicating at all levels within an organisation and liaising with internal and external clients ensuring positive outcomes. I have an interest and awareness in emerging technologies and I take every opportunity to enhance my knowledge.

CAREER

ICT Network Manager

Epping Forest District Council

Sep 2009 ~ Present

Towards the end of my contract at EFDC, I was invited to apply for a permanent position to enable EFDC to retain my skills. I am responsible for the delivery and development of the entire data, mobile and telephony network for the Epping Forest District Council.

• Analysis of telephony patterns to spot potential fraud and improve service
• Project managing the design, procurement and implementation of district WAN
• Complete overhaul of existing infrastructure and contracts to reduce costs while increasing performance
• Management of Network and Telephony staff to provide excellent service with job satisfaction
• Ensure data security and data protection guidelines are met

Business Analyst

Epping Forest District Council

Feb 2009 ~ Sep 2009

When the JustforDads role ended, I resumed my career in IT and successfully gained a contract with EFDC as a Business Analyst. I managed a number of high level applications including HR payroll, cash receipting, Chip and Pin, document management and fraud investigation.

• Immediately appointed to assist the CEO with a high profile, politically sensitive, public communication
• Project Managed and implemented a security system to prevent the use of unauthorised devices on computer equipment for 600 staff. This included the encryption of data to COCO standards
• Redesigned the EFDC Intranet
• Oversaw the installation of chip and pin machines and integration to cash receipting application. There were a number of complex issues with the supplier that required in-depth investigation and resolution

Project Manager

JustforDads

May 2008 ~ Jan 2009

I have been involved for many years with a charity which arranges events for dads and their children. When the project was in danger of coming to an end I stepped in to take on the role of Project Manager for a short period until it was incorporated into the Government Sure Start scheme.

• Increased membership by 100% to 400 within 3 months of joining
• Turned around decreasing volunteer turnout to meetings
• Increased event frequency from 1 or 2 a month to 4
• Built award winning website and created the JustforDads brand

Product Business Analyst

COLT Telecom

June 2007 ~ May 2008

While living abroad I was approached by a Director from Colt and offered an interesting position. I returned to the UK and secured a contract with COLT Telecom as a Product Business Analyst. My role involved the analysis of complex technical products and liaison with the Product Managers and Web development team. I created a detailed product specification to guide them through the order and service delivery process. In November 2007 I moved into a more senior position of Business Analyst for the entire COLT Product Tree ensuring that any new COLT products fit within the company’s technical programme for standardisation.

Europe Trip and Remote Working

July 2005 ~ June 2007

As BT restructured my department offshore, I decided to seize the opportunity to achieve my lifetime ambition and tour Europe with my family. However, BT approached me with a lucrative offer and the opportunity to work for them while living in Portugal, as they required my extensive experience and skill set. I then took on the responsibility for training permanent staff in England as well as creating a system manual and user guide. During this period, in my spare time, I also built a number of websites, one of which was awarded the uk2.net ‘Website of the Month’.

Data Analyst

BT Exact

2003 ~ June 2005

I am skilled in the loading, migration, verification, manipulation, cleanse and build of data on a variety of systems and in a wide range of formats. This includes the understanding of cross business unit processes and data interfaces with both existing and new systems. I have a proven awareness of data integration and integrity, with an awareness of the exploitation, advantages, limitations and use of the data.

Working in a remote team, I was responsible for customer inventory in the central repository for BT’s order and fault management systems which use Remedy as the front end application. For the majority of the week I worked remotely which utilised my self motivation and communication skills to the maximum. I managed and prioritised my own workload and had a number of disparate Major Corporation and high priority projects running concurrently.

• Adapted existing tools to create bespoke unique applications for customers
• Many commendations from customers for projects completed within timescales

Data Migration Solutions Developer/Analyst

BT Global Services

2000 ~ 2003

Contracted to BT Global Services, I worked on many individual projects, migrating data in to the main CRM warehouse from a variety of sources. Often having to meet demanding timescales and deliver a robust solution from sometimes less than perfect source data and having to make complex decisions on which compromises needed to be taken to balance between the customers’ goal and the Business need. From an initial team of 12, I was also solely responsible for the quality and management of major blue chip company data in the customer relationship management system ‘Clarify’.

• Extraction, migration, manipulation and cleanse of data in various types from various sources
• Managed, designed and delivered the largest data cleanse seen in BT Global Services
• Managed and delivered the migration of BT Global Services most profitable products, from a previous legacy fault management system in to the new Oracle based system. This was an essential part of a £2M project involving 120k complex customer records
• Managed and delivered a successful data cleanse of 80 customer contracts involving 24k sites and 100k+ units of equipment, liaising with 30+ customer service Managers
• Created bespoke tools to enable BT Netherlands staff to cross match data between two systems for migration

Business Analyst

BT Marketing

1999 ~ 2000

Upon promotion, I project managed the development and maintenance of all of the marketing database analysis tools for the largest division in BT. This involved the management and development of a number of marketing tools for delivering campaign results direct to marketer’s desktops. I managed the projects from requirement capture to implementation. This included the management of developers, through to delivering the training for users. I utilised my skills to deliver quality products, which are fit for purpose delivered within the clients’ time, quality and budget standards and expectations were met or exceeded wherever possible.

• Development of a number of data access systems for marketing databases containing over 17.2 million customers
• Delivery of a ‘real time’ analysis tool via the web, enabling marketer’s to monitor campaign results on a day by day basis for BT’s high profile direct mail campaigns and analysis of campaign efficiency for senior Management
• Team expert for accessing and interpreting both internal and externally purchased data
• Designed and created a ‘Customer Data’ Intranet web site for all of BT Marketing
• Managed the procurement and delivery of systems training for BT Marketing Consumer Division

Communications Project Manager

BT Retail Marcomms

1998 ~ 1999

I designed, developed and implemented an integrated communications plan that was the key communications tool through which the BT Network board of General Managers communicated the change agenda to the division. I delivered professional communications to meet the clients’ objectives, advising on medium, content, design and project managed through to production.

• Interacted with external design agencies and print suppliers/web designers for the production of communication products
• Coordinated production of £100k, 300 page manual ‘How to run your Business’ for BT Retail Managers
• Managed, edited and produced a regular publication to communicate politically sensitive major change projects that influenced 40,000 people
• Created a customer information booklet to diffuse further customer complaints following an item on the BBC programme Watchdog
• Designed and built ‘A guide to the effective use of email’ web site adopted by the whole of BT, approximately 200,000 users
• Account managed senior Managers within their change programmes for their communication requirements
• Ability to understand Business strategy/needs and apply them to create solutions
• Effectively able to communicate up to the highest level and with diversified participants

Gatekeeping Project Office Manager

BT Networks and Systems

1997 ~ 1998

Upon promotion to Project office Manager, I ran an office supporting a team of project managers and consultants who monitored 120 major change projects to ensure their successful implementation. Projects ranged in scope from IT to internal/external communications and change management.

• Created a totally paperless office, increasing efficiency from 60% to 95% on target
• Achieved targeted staff reduction through office automation

Previous Career 1978 ~ 1997

Starting my career in engineering, I worked in telephone exchange maintenance. I then moved in to a customer facing role maintaining fax machines. Subsequent to this, upon a number of promotions, I decided to move in to management of the maintenance teams and then into office administration management.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APTITUDE