Steve Ballard

Current

Manager, Technical Communications at Intel

Past

Tech Writer Team Lead, Technical Publications at Motorola (Freescale)
Consultant at SEI Information Technology

Education

DeVry

Recommended

1 person has recommended Steve

Connections

75 connections

Industry

Semiconductors

Steve Ballard’s Summary

Over twenty years of experience in technical authoring, editing, publishing, project/program management and team leadership.

For Intel's embedded and communications business units, developed a multi-divisional technical information development capability. Led team growth to 40 employees worldwide, supporting 14 divisions and approximately 40 product lines including silicon, software, boards and platforms. Current team size is 20.

Core strengths:
• Rapid development and deployment of timely, accurate, and highly technical information for new products.
• Expert knowledge of the technical information process – from planning, authoring, editing, revising, and publishing.
• Evolve the Technical Writer scope to address the roles of Information Architect, Information Engineer, Information Manager, Technical Editor, and Publisher.
• Optimize team performance through identification and development of efficient tools, processes, and skills.
• Increase team member effectiveness through informal coaching and formal training.
• Clearly define employee expectations, values, strategies and objectives; evaluate performance to expectation "real-time". Foster an environment of open communication. Reward, coach, and discipline employees when appropriate.
• Ensure team success on each program through effective management of program managers, employees and managers, projects, stakeholders, and business partners.
• Define and manage annual budgets and resources.
• Oversee the day-to-day team management. Ensure optimum quality while meeting schedules.
• Stay current with industry trends -- understand and apply emerging tool and process solutions.

Steve Ballard’s Specialties:

Technical information architecture analysis, project and solutions planning and implementation, employee management, information development process analysis and re-engineering

Steve Ballard’s Experience

Manager, Technical Communications

Intel

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; INTC; Semiconductors industry)

October 1991 — Present (17 years 10 months)

Lead a team of information engineers, authors, editors, and publishers who plan, develop, manage, and deliver technical information for silicon, software, board and platform products.

Primary skills:
• Optimize team performance through identification and development of efficient tools, processes, and skills
• Effectively manage employees: define expectations, values, strategies and objectives; evaluate performance to expectation. Encourage an environment of open communication. Reward, coach, and discipline employees when appropriate
• Ensure team success through effective management of stakeholders, programs and program managers, projects, and business partners
• Define, negotiate and manage annual budgets
• Stay current with industry trends such as Database Publishing including XML authoring, DITA, and Content Management Systems
• Develop worldwide teams

Technical Writer
Technical Publications Manager
Tech Writer Team Lead, Technical Publications

Motorola (Freescale)

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MOT; Semiconductors industry)

July 1987 — October 1991 (4 years 4 months)

At Motorola SPS ASIC CAD in Chandler Arizona, developed online end-user information and documents, including release notes, installation manuals, datasheets, application notes, and user and reference guides. Selected and managed five technical writers, one illustrator, and one software librarian. Using information mapping techniques, re-architected the 2,000 page set of user information for the ASIC CAD toolchain. Represented the Semiconductor Products Sector in the negotiation of a Motorola-wide software licensing agreement for Adobe FrameMaker workstation publishing tools.
Consultant

SEI Information Technology

(Public Company; 51-200 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

October 1985 — October 1987 (2 years 1 month)

Participated in the development of desktop publishing solutions for business units within Motorola and National Semiconductor.