As Knowledge Exchange Officer I work to develop and manage partnerships between business, a high-calibre KTP associate and Ulster University. This offers organisations the chance to collaborate on a business opportunity, idea or innovation that helps the business gain the knowledge and capability it needs. Ulster University has a current portfolio of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) worth £3.1m and a healthy pipeline of new applicants. It has delivered over 200 KTP projects working with businesses to marry research with industry and help provide solutions to help them develop and grow and reap economic benefits.

As Research Excellence Framework Strategy Assistant I support the Research Performance unit at Ulster University. As a team we are dedicated to the management of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), research strategy and performance management and the management of research systems and research data.

Using my extensive communication skills and experience I help students achieve their academic and personal goals. Working as a freelance self-employed Support Provider I play a vital part in allowing students with additional needs participate fully in academic life at Ulster University.

Zymplify is a Northern Ireland based technology company specialising in marketing automation software as a service. Zymplify provides an all-in-one digital engagement platform where we make digital marketing simple, easy and affordable for small businesses.In my role I provided marketing services to Zymplify's clients. This involved delivering the full spectrum of digital marketing services that span the development of digital strategies to increase brand awareness, engagements and sales. Taking a creative hands on approach I also created, managed and monitored my clients' online presence across multiple channels including Email, Google Analytics and Landing Pages and delivered effective campaigns using my professional specialism in social media marketing.

I delivered beautiful and practical marketing solutions for business through social media marketing - providing digital marketing and engagement expertise for a growing list of global clients for Zymplify - an exciting and innovative technology provider which offers small to medium sized businesses access to enterprise level marketing technology and on demand marketing services.

I was responsible for the development of Ulster University’s Corporate social media/networking channels, developing effective two-way engagement & communications channels and public relations tools. This included the posting online of written, photographic and audio-visual material promoting the University in line with Corporate brand messaging, and monitoring of social media/networking channels including responses, where appropriate, to queries and comments from other social media/network users. I also acted in a consultancy role advising colleagues in faculties, research institutes, the Office of Innovation and central departments on the appropriate use of social media channels to promote their activity in line with Corporate brand messaging.

As Website Manager for five years I had ultimate management control of Ulster University's website ensuring that it was fit for purpose, promoting the University, its programmes and servicesto its target audiences and stakeholders.I had responsibility for long-term strategic planning and development of the website, working as the Project Manager and reporting to the Web Redevelopment Project Board.I wrote and edited material for the University website ensuring quality of content, length and editorial style. I was responsible for ensuring that the website reflected the University's agreed brand messages, corporate identity and house style, and that it was visually attractive and factually correct with pages/sections that were integrated and consistent. I had explicit responsibility for the content on the home page, advertising carousels and other key landing pages at the top level.I led in the editorial overview of the Ulster University website (and all subsidiary websites) building relationships with web authors across the University to provide guidance to Faculties and Departments on what content to include on their webpages and offer assistance with writing key/top-level sections to ensure consistency and quality of content in order to maintain the University’s brand.I developed best practice guidelines relating to the writing of online copy for web authors across the University. Additionally I have developed all in-house guidance for staff wishing to harness the opportunity that Social Media channels offers in a corporate setting for Ulster University. Within the Corporate Communications team, I managed the Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo and Flickr corporate Social Media accounts for Ulster University.

As a Sochi 2014 Volunteer I offered my time and used my interpersonal communication skills to work as a Photo Services Assistant serving alongside the world's best accredited sports photographers from leading global agencies and publications to deliver the best possible photographic coverage of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, ensuing that their images were distributed to the widest possible audience worldwide.My tasks included:* Coordinating photographers at special photo positions within the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.* Informing photographers about competitions, weather, start and finish details, photo sleeves and timetabling of media transport.* Assisting with translations for members of the media.* Answering questions in relation to facilities available to photographers (e.g. WiFi and Internet access, lockers, camera repairs etc.)Official photographs taken during Sochi 2014 were seen by more than 1 billion people each day in their daily newspapers and via all other appropriate media channels including the web and social media.

I was a London 2012 Games Maker with the Website and New Media Team and was part of a dedicated and enthusiastic team of full-time (LOCOG) and volunteer (Games Maker) staff working in the fast paced, high pressure online environment updating and publishing competition content and news in real-time to www.london2012.com for a global audience of millions via the Forge Content Management System. Tasks included publishing sports stories as well as proofreading, amending and editing titles and captions, cropping photos, tagging athletes and creating photo galleries.I also undertook quality assurance for the London2012.com site, checking and fixing broken links, whilst ensuring that content matched official London 2012 editorial style guidelines.I monitored online web and mobile traffic statistics for London2012 and the social media channels using Google Analytics and Chartbeat to create analytic reports for review the following day in order to assess the teams’ success, effectiveness and future resource planning.In publishing sports stories I worked with a team including representatives from Getty Images and the Press Association. Working on the Sports Team I provided a vital link to the Games-time social media team who managed the official Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.The Games-time website www.london2012.com garnered 431 million visits from 109 million unique users. There were 15 million app downloads, 4.73 billion pageviews and 4.7 million social media followers, over a period of 16 days during the summer of 2012.The London 2012 website that I worked on was recognised for excellence on the Internet by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in 2013 and it won a Webby Award in the sports category at the 17th annual awards. http://winners.webbyawards.com/2013/web/general-website/sports

As E-Business Development Officer I worked to create new ways in which both the Workers Educational Association and the Ulster Peoples' College could engage with learners. Key to this was harnessing the internet to market courses, conduct registration, provide online learning and evaluate the quality of services on offer for both organisations.Whilst in post I delivered:* An ebusiness strategy for both organisations.* The operationalisation of the ebusiness strategy.* A redevelopment of the WEA and UPC websites to enable online registration, access to resources, feedback to andfrom tutors and learners.* Planning, writing and production of online educational materials.* Reports, both written and oral, as required to senior management and funders.

As Online Customer Conversion Manager I was responsible for:* Managing all website content and editors* Online sales and marketing development* Ensuring quality and integrity of site content* Integration of technology and product development teams* All online product promotion and sales

I managed the Middlesex University admissions strategy and had particular responsibility for overseeing the portfolio of courses listed on UCAS and ensuring effective delivery of accurate admissions information and processes using web based services in order to maintain Middlesex's position nationally for the recruitment of overseas students.My duties included:* Monitoring the University's overall objectives for Admissions with particular regard to responses to external agencies.* Developing admissions strategy and oversight of the university's portfolio of courses to ensure the effective delivery of accurate admissions information and processes including development of web-based services.* Liaising with Heads of Admissions and Admissions Managers with particular reference to electronic application processes and web-based information.* Advising the Deputy Vice-Chancellors on admissions matters, particularly legislative issues and provision of management data.* Close collaboration with the Computing and Communications Systems Service on the specification and development of management information systems to meet future university needs for the admission of students.

As Sports Officer I employed online and offline marketing expertise to develop a departmental marketing strategy including the management and analysis of marketing effort.My main duties were:* Management of five audience specific websites and analysis and interpretation of web analytics reports.* Production of traditional promotional marketing material.* Design and implementation of online and offline integrated marketing campaigns.* Management of departmental e-procurement purchasing.* Analysis of departmental income and expenditure to produce reports advising on financial performance.* Production of marketing reports and statistical analysis to inform senior management and maximise the service conversion rate against set sales targets.

As Assistant Sports Manager I worked closely with the Sports Manager and used direct sales and marketing techniques to help develop customer relationships.My main responsibilities were:* Management of swimming pool, sports hall, fitness room and fitness trail operations.* Planning and control of income and expenditure budgets for the facility.* Assisting the production of an annual business plan.* Management of membership sales and marketing drives ensuring that key targets relating to membership levels and other sales were achieved.* Personnel management of staff at the facility, (recruitment, induction, appraisal and staff development).* Empowering staff to provide top-class customer service for all customers.* Providing continuous analysis and interpretation of usage figures to advise senior management on the course of action to take.* Designing consumer surveys, analyse results and act on results to provide a better service to our clients.

I used my business communication skills while working closely with a fulfilment house in order to maximise Esso's business to consumer relationships.My main responsibilities were:* Drafting press releases for the Senior Press Officer* Investigation, evaluation and selection of a suitable mailing house for Esso UK plc.* Developing and implementing closer working relationships between Esso and the appointed fulfilment/mailing house.* Management of the fulfilment account for Esso UK plc.* Daily management of the Esso Newsline customer database.* Dealing with and responding to daily customer enquiries for information from members of the public, educational institutions, the press and Members of Parliament.

I worked as a boarding house tutor, classroom assistant and sports coach to the boys of Erin House at Dilworth School, Auckland during a scholarship year in New Zealand.Background information: James Dilworth, a former pupil of the Royal School Dungannon, left money in his will to found Dilworth School, Auckland, New Zealand in 1906. Since the 1990s links between the two schools have been cemented, with annual exchanges of students. Four Upper-Sixth formers from the Royal School, two boys and two girls, currently spend a gap year as staff members of Dilworth School before starting University. In return, three boys leaving Dilworth join RSD staff as GAP Tutors.