Simon M. Email & Phone Number

Collaborating with scientists and other experts to develop and deliver learning initiatives in fields such as advanced light microscopy, flow cytometry, biological data analysis, and much more.

• Operated in a matrix structure to lead a small production team from storyboards to launch of 10 Digital Marketing and Digital Transformation 'ExpertTrack' courses, published to both The Open University and FutureLearn.
• Examples: Digital Transformation Design Thinking and Introduction to Digital Marketing with partners Target Internet.
• Supported, advised and collaborated with subject matter experts, learning designers, marketers and other stakeholders.
• Developed processes, guidance and reusable assets (eg a rights-cleared image pool) to raise standards and efficiency.
• Undertook QA to ensure content met pedagogical and technical objectives, and actioned feedback from academic reviews.
• Software: OU VLE (XML/Moodle), Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office 365 (inc Teams), Trello, Miro and 3Play.

• Drove development and delivery on over 20 online short courses, microcredentials and ExpertTracks (many with over 100 pages) on the FL platform, and line-managed two assistant producers.
• Examples: Safeguarding Adults (159K learners), Intro to Blockchain, Teach Like an Entrepreneur, Step into Digital Technologies.
• Critically (and iteratively) reviewed all draft content to provide feedback and recommendations, and coordinated revisions.
• Commissioned writers and voice actors, interviewed experts, scripted video and audio, assisted shoots and sourced images.
• Proactively sought to raise editorial standards and consistency, eg by creating a ‘Producer’s Sandbox’ in FL Course Creator.
• Software: FL Course Creator, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Workspace, Audacity, Zoom, Trello, 3Play and markdown.

• Tasked with creating digital products and experiences on new platforms for readers to connect with authors, books and the Penguin brand in stimulating and novel ways.
• Devised and produced the brand’s first voice apps: The Penguin Quiz and The Penguin Podcast on Amazon Alexa.
• Led in-house R&D on voice apps, scripted, sourced developers, tested, documented and forged fruitful Amazon relationship.
• Designed and built a promotional site for The Penguin Classics Book with Shorthand (a storytelling tool) in two weeks.
• Ran brainstorms for campaigns around science and nature writing; championed the Alexa projects to teams across PRH.

• Point-of-contact responsible for liaising with TV teams and collaborating with third-parties to deliver engaging, relevant content that takes users on further learning journeys and meets the high quality expected by.
• Long-term digital lead for Stargazing Live: grew website audience to 320K weekly visitors and Twitter following to 100K.
• Filmed and edited daily social videos (plus photography) on-location at NASA New Horizons and ESA Rosetta mission controls.
• Devised and championed Whispering Stars: augmented reality web-app that featured on Stargazing Live and The Sky at Night.
• Social and web manager for Tim Peake campaign: collaborated with UK Space Agency, filmed Tim, crafted 400 social posts.
• Produced live panel talks for BBC Academy, praised by host Danny Cohen (Head of TV) as “a superb job, expertly prepared”.

• Responsible for raising the production values of all the department’s websites, teaching digital skills to TV producers and designing smarter working practices to maximise impact with limited resources.
• Established and ran a Digital Editorial Team (of 5) to create engaging content to increase online reach for key TV shows.
• Delivered over 50 websites including Watchdog, Our World War, Cat Watch, Film 2014, The Sky at Night, Stargazing Live.
• Stargazing/Zooniverse citizen science collaboration won Best Content Partnership, Broadcasting Digital Awards 2014.
• Awarded BBC Celebrating Success bonus for my ongoing “exemplary performance” for Stargazing Live.

• Responsible for scoping, planning, developing and launching the website of BBC One’s flagship science show, leading small web teams with a substantial budget. Managed and updated this resource-packed website for all.
• Embedded with TV production team to deliver what became the BBC Science Unit’s case study in ‘360’ integration.
• Webby Awards science nomination for rich content offer, including video explainers, quizzes, guides, Q&As and Twitter.
• Briefed designers and developers, built long-term stakeholder relationships with The Open University and BBC Learning.

• Core duties included editing the Science & Nature homepage and Prehistoric Life section, and writing the weekly newsletter. I also worked on projects with the Natural History Unit and other TV teams, on location in the.
• Big Cat Live: devised and produced an innovative Twitter-like platform for near-live updates from film crews in the Masai Mara.
• Timewatch: wrote daily blog while literally ‘in the field’ with archaeologists at the first dig inside Stonehenge for 25 years.
• Planet Earth the movie: devised and managed a near-live tracking site (whales, elephants, polar bears) using Google Maps.
• Springwatch: produced mobile version of the Springwatch Survey; devised and wrote SuperGoose Text Message Club.

• Joined this famous design agency as a creative artworker, then managed a small team as senior artworker before requesting to retrain as the company’s first web developer. Worked in Yorkshire, London and New York studios.
• Developed and built client websites, eg for Swiss Re’s ‘Gherkin’ skyscraper, plus Attik’s own website and intranet.
• Created print-ready artwork for advertising, brochures and packaging for clients including First Direct and Nike.
• Software: HTML, CSS, Dreamweaver, Flash, QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator and FreeHand.