Abbie Smith Email and Phone Number

Leading the development and operational delivery of Falmouth’s online learning portfolio and managing the relationship with a key delivery partner. Main duties include:• Leading the identification of new course opportunities. Analysing and aligning market data with strategic direction, writing business cases, course proposals, presenting to executive committees for review and decisions•Actively managing the online course portfolio, aligning courses with market expectations, working with stakeholders to address underperformance and through relevant processes modify or close as necessary•Leading the online student support strategy ensuring the courses and student experience is sector leading and exceeds all KPIs•Leading the operational management of the online portfolio, ensuring the portfolio operates optimally and online delivery is embedded within relevant university systems, teams, and processes•Developing and managing the University’s online short course strategy, providing comprehensive knowledge about the market, sector and competitors, ensuring the University is positioned to leverage opportunities and overseeing the development, launch and delivery of the courses•Leading business planning for the department, advising on budget spend and working with the Senior Management Team to identify and act on opportunities for portfolio reshaping•Managing strategic risk within the portfolio.•Driving system, process, and policy improvements.•Monitoring and reporting against KPIs to the Executive team and key stakeholders•Managing governance of all boards, committees and working groups related to the online portfolio•Establishing and maintaining multiple project board functions•Stakeholder management across multiple complex projects. Including systematically identifying stakeholders, analysing needs and expectations, engaging, organising, monitoring, and improving relations where required

Working across several University departments I developed, produced, uploaded, and edited digital content for online courses and helped produce rich learning experiences through learning design and curriculum development. Delivered the objective of validating 5 courses and subsequently was nominated for a staff excellence award. Main duties included:• Working with academics to help with pedagogic design and the development of learning experiences appropriate to selected audiences and in line with strategic objectives.• Working with teams and external providers to devise media rich learning content, production policies and processes to maximise the ease and efficiency of online courses.• Managing content production and uploading into VLE’s. Responsible for making daily editorial decisions including consistency, tone of voice and other script editing issues.• Providing advice, guidance and training relating to digital content production activities, policies, and procedures to academic teams as well as internal and external customers.• Planning and monitoring the production process for creating online courses.• Working towards the validation of existing and new courses within the Business School.• Producing reports and guidance materials appropriate to future online learning development.• Devising and managing the user testing experience.• Commissioning and managing the development of additional resources where necessary.• Example projects managed, to successful conclusion:The Vice-Chancellor’s initiative to launch 6 CPD courses teaching creative skills for business application. This was a £100,000 funded project from the Learning Skills Council. The conceptualisation and development of MA Entrepreneurship the educational wrap to the award winning LaunchPad programme.

Working as part of the creative resources team, I delivered convergent media solutions to a wide client base, with a particular focus on Learning. Several of my projects were short-listed and won Royal Television Society and M&M Global awards. Main duties included: •Direction and management of communication projects in line with client briefs. This included the development of project initiation documents, client liaison and co-ordinating multiple team members and external agencies•Account management of key clients including BBC Worldwide, BHF, Nestle, Kraft, English Heritage, QCDA, SSAT, SFA (previously LSC) and the Army. Collaborating with account directors and business development teams to grow our current accounts and explore new business opportunities•Developing creative ideas, directing, and producing a variety of media including, video content, print, web development, audio production, social networking, and on-line communication campaigns. This included providing creative solutions for tender bids, meeting clients, and pitching for new business•Managing budgets and cost reporting for all projects•Supervising the entire production process including pre-production and creative, production, post-production, editing, encoding for online delivery and project wash up

Providing project support to the development of Cornwall Film Festival. Main duties included: co-ordinating the 56 events over the 3-day festival, developing resilient and robust office systems, writing copy for and co-ordinating the design and print of the festival brochure, developing a PR campaign to maintain the profile of the film festival, co-ordinating the delivery of all submitted films in an on-line format, building up a portfolio of additional screening throughout the year generating £25,000 income.

Led a team of 5 staff to trouble shoot the existing fundraising and PR strategy and to project manage the amalgamation of two separate charities into one brand identity. Main duties included: recruiting and engaging a design agency and PR consultant to merge the two separate charities. Developing a project plan and facilitating a series of meetings to make this information public. Analysing all fundraising and PR activities to make improvement recommendations at an executive level.

Working as a key member of the Regional Fundraising Team. Responsible for Cornwall, Plymouth, and South Hams localities. Income generated for 2004 was £525,000. Main duties included planning and implementing the fundraising strategy, business plan, PR plan and income targets, proposing and implementing new fundraising initiative to maximise income, managing a team of Fundraising administrators and Fundraising Assistants, managing, and facilitating over 30 supporter groups comprising of over 100 volunteers.

Working as part of the Fundraising team for an International Development Charity. The income raised in 2002/2003 was £1.5 million pounds. Main duties included Establishing and managing the Donor Acknowledgement System and expanding the supporter base.