I have led the Squads in different roles over the last two years as Scrum Master, Service Lead / Owner / Delivery Lead (Digital Project Manager for the business) for several products ensuring they are delivered consistently and at pace to meet the stakeholder requests and to deal with difficult suppliers.
I took responsibility for managing risks, RAID Logs, issues, and dependencies from external sources and within the project. I owned these concerns throughout their lifecycle, ensuring they were effectively addressed and resolved. By actively managing these factors, I contributed to the successful delivery of projects and mitigated potential obstacles that could impact project outcomes.
I prioritised managing team dynamics and adopting a servant leadership approach, particularly as a Scrum master. I focused on coaching and guiding teams and individual team members to enhance flow, quality, and ownership within the group. I actively addressed conflicts and worked towards their resolution while fostering a positive team culture. I facilitated the team’s growth, productivity, and overall success in achieving project objectives by promoting open communication, collaboration, and a supportive environment.
I was crucial in establishing collaborative working across different organisational boundaries within UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency). I prioritised breaking down silos and fostering cross-functional cooperation to ensure that teams from various departments and disciplines worked together seamlessly. By promoting a culture of collaboration, I facilitated the sharing of expertise, resources, and best practices, ultimately enhancing the quality of work delivered.
I lead robust adaptive planning processes collaboratively across stakeholders. I actively engaged with all relevant parties to establish priorities, identify conflicts, and address issues within a complex environment. By facilitating open and transparent communication, I ensured that all stakeholders were heard and their perspectives were considered.
In my role, I demonstrated strong skills in managing supplier relationships, particularly with data sources such as academic institutes, labs, and other external entities. I ensured that these suppliers delivered according to their commitments and obligations.
I worked closely with governance boards and senior stakeholders to assess and determine necessary changes, ensuring alignment with project objectives. I actively considered the cross-project impacts of proposed changes, considering potential risks, dependencies, and resource implications.
I was responsible for coaching and mentoring other members within the digital project management community. I leveraged my expertise and experience to guide and support individuals’ professional growth and development using Jira, Ms Project – Project Plans / Roadmaps, Confluence and Excel-based templates like RAID and Risk Logs.
In my role, I experienced communicating with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders. I recognised the importance of tailoring messages to suit each audience’s specific needs and preferences. I adapted my communication style, language, and format to ensure clarity, relevance, and resonance with individuals and groups.
Specific skills Used: Agile methodologies, GDS Agile Delivery approach and DDaT standards, Scrum, Kanban, WAgile, IT Service Management (ITSM), DevOps and Release Management, Cyber Security Monitoring, Patching, and Pen Testing, Risk and Dependency Management (RAID logs), Supplier Relationship Management, Coaching and Mentoring in Agile Method, Stakeholder Communication and Engagement, Collaborative Cross-Functional Team Leadership and Expertise in Jira Project Configuration and Confluence.
Projects / Products:
• Data and Platform Engineering for R Number For Covid Epidemiology – EPI Ensemble: Led agile teams in developing and maintaining epidemiology products, (Databases, Secondary Surveillance, Insights, Data-Science, ETL, Sources Data) related to Covid, HMPPS, and Polio.
• Covid-19 DataStore: Facilitated data management and reporting for Covid-19 through agile processes. FULL SDLC
• Data for DaSH (Data & Science Hub): Delivered data and platform solutions for health analytics.
• Covid Omicron Rapid Response: Managed rapid response projects for the Omicron variant.
• Cough in a Box (CIAB): Developed health analytics tools. – Recorded Coughing using Data-Science to seek covid 19
• Waste Water: Developed health analytics tools for Covid in Waste Water
• EDAP Migration and Dash Decommissioning: Oversaw the migration and decommissioning of data platforms.
• SDLC Full DevOps and Change management for all products / services above.
Outcomes:
• Successfully delivered 36 sprints, leading to 20 releases to production.
• Managed and resolved 3352 blockers and 2236 impediments, ensuring smooth project flow.
• Facilitated 108 sprint planning sessions, 206 design sessions, and 30 retrospectives, enhancing team collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Change and Service Management – Releases, Incident and problem management.
• Established effective cross-functional collaboration, breaking down silos and improving project outcomes.
• Improved supplier performance through active relationship management and oversight.
• Enhanced team productivity and quality through coaching, mentoring, and servant leadership.
• Cyber security initiatives for monitoring, patching, and pen testing of AWS and Azure cloud platforms.
Specific Technologies:
Cloud Platforms: AWS, EC2- VPC, Lambda, S3 buckets, EBS, RBS relational databases, Data Model, NoSQL – DynamoBD, Redshirt, Atherna IAM – KMS, CloudFormation, Terraform, Sakemaker, AWS Workspaces, SQS / SNS Microsoft Azure, Agile Tools: Jira, Confluence, Service Now – Project Management Tools: MS Project, Excel-based templates for RAID and risk logs, SharePoint, Office 365, Power Platform, Halo tools, Jira and Confluence – 1 On perm and 3 different Cloud Instances.
Team Sizes:
• Engineering & Enablement – Covid 19 DataStore: 6-8 members
• Engineering & Enablement – Data for DaSH: 8-10 members
• Covid Omicron Rapid Response: 10-22 members
• Engineering & Enablement – Data + Platform: 8-28 members
Worked with suppliers such as Deloitte, PA BAE Systems, and Accenture to transition platforms and services back to internal teams.
See the latest Data Strategy for UKHSA