Mark Kirkpatrick
Profile
Experienced in delivering for users, leading diverse teams of digital professionals, working to a collective vision using collaborative and agile ways of working. A confident communicator, comfortable presenting, demoing, networking, and using research, data, analysis to make recommendations in furthering digital service design. Passionate about delivering inclusive services that work well for everyone and evolve as and when conditions change. Responsible for both instigating and delivering major programmes of work and contributing to formulating digital strategy in an era of transformation.
Skills and abilities
- Well-rounded, specialist IT skills and knowledge
- Excellent research, project management, interpersonal and communication skills
- Proven team worker with the ability to energise and motivate others
- Effective communicator; both written and verbal
- A creative, organised and confident person with natural management and leadership qualities
Employment History
Senior Manager, Technology Services, Stats NZ
11/21 - Present
- Member of Senior Leadership Team for the Outputs Service Line reporting to CTO
- Driving service line vision, strategy and objectives
- Managing, motivating, and developing a multi-disciplinary team
- Leading engagement with leadership teams across Stats NZ
- Leading technology service line through change, using agile methodologies
- Liaising across the business, project, vendor, and leadership teams on major initiatives including Census 23 and Critical Statistical Releases (GDP etc.)
Digital Public Service (DPS) branch at the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
Various roles:
Channels Manager
(01/21 - 11/21)
Responsibilities
- Delivered Channels Strategy for branch, working with the Deputy Government Chief Digital Officer and team, improving communications and engagement
- Advocating for the Strategy for a Digital Public Service ensuring teams work align to outcomes sought
- Development of identity of the branch unit, promoting awareness, engagement
- Incorporating Te Reo Maori across key initiatives
- Part of interview panels building multi-disciplinary teams
Achievements
- Producing the DPS branch Channels Strategy - Whakameto - including social media strategy, digital dashboard design via Power BI and G Suite tools
- Objective Key Result (OKR) development with communications teams
- Initiating Editorial Group - Rōpū - and associated forums’ for multi-disciplinary teams to share work, achievements, knowledge
Lead Product Owner
(10/19 - 01/21)
Responsibilities
- Leading product team in roadmap refinement, aligning vision to strategy
- Lead product liaison with the all-of-government COVID-19 response team
- Providing advice and recommendations on the strategic direction of products
- Championing design standards to promote quality, inclusive, digital services
- Leading Digital Government Partnership Innovation Fund work
Achievements
- Delivery with Product Owners of product vision refresh across portfolio
- Working with Product Owners to increase reach and engagement rates
- Key product and policy support, advice to COVID-19 response
- Led distribution of approx $3.5 million to Innovation Fund initiatives
- Working with strategic partners in event rollout (e.g. Hackathons)
Programme / Delivery Manager
(12/15 - 10/19)
Responsibilities
- All-of-Government Design System including ideating, liaising with wider communities of practice
- Programme Manager role for work on future government digital services
- Initiating user-centric approach to work from analysis, research to design; budgeting, and efficiently working with supplier partners
- Engaging with international counterparts sharing knowledge, networking
Achievements
- Delivered other digital projects - a new Public Sector Intranet, a new data.govt.nz, replatforming of gazette.govt.nz using Agile methodologies (Scrum)
- Reporting, presenting plans and progress to Senior Leadership Team
- Initiated business case work for funding where needed
- Represented DPS at International Service Design Conference in Edinburgh 2019
Digital Communications Manager
Ulster University, Belfast, Northern Ireland (NI) - (02/14 - 10/15)
Responsibilities
- Instilling agile ways of working across digital team
- Leading on digital strategy and implementing associated policies
- Representing the communications/brand portfolio
- Management of external supplier relationships
- Management of Digital Project Board to ensure strategic issues are addressed and senior buy-in secured
- Leadership for team members - professional development, hiring
Achievements
- Delivery of the new ulster.ac.uk - Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live
- Managing successful design, build and launch of a new intranet
- Establishment of effective governance to maintain controls with Digital Producers across distributed teams
Online Manager
Danske Bank, Belfast, NI - (02/09 - 02/14)
Responsibilities
- Responsible for applications with teams in Ireland, UK, Denmark
- Optimising content, improving UX and ultimately conversion rates in online applications (e.g. 26% better conversion via forms)
- Managing Web Editor team - performance, mentoring etc.
- Working with Management, Business Development teams, Editors and Designers, catering for the needs of different audiences
- Examining analytics, testing, tweaking, improving performance, monitoring search (organic, paid)
- Controlling risk and assigning responsibility for content
Achievements
- Rebrand of online platforms across two jurisdictions
- Developed strategy for online communications, campaigns
- Introducing agile methodologies to the workplace
- Produced a Digital Marketing Strategy for Private Banking team
- Worked across sensitive programmes of work, e.g. part of the wind down of business units, retiring systems etc.
Centre for Cross Border Studies, Armagh, NI - (04/07 - 02/09)
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
- Working with the Start A Business Programme providing guidance on web marketing solutions to start-ups
- Delivering presentations to new businesses on Search Engine Optimisation, Web Marketing etc.
Education and Training
- Professional development training on Systems Thinking (2023)
- Certified SAFe® 6 Agilist (2023)
- Professional Diploma in Digital Strategy and Planning - Digital Marketing Institute (2019), Certified CDMS-SP
- ICAgile Certified Professional
- o Nov 2017 - Present License 61-8276-f6b928f4-46ad-44a3-be28-6207eb453e
- Te reo, Tikanga and Treaty training (beginner) completed in June 2017
- Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing - Digital Marketing Institute, London, UK (2013)
- PRINCE2 Certified, Belfast (2011)
- APMG International, License 02378154-02-3V1Q
- Premiere Publishing (2006) London, UK
- Writing effectively for the web / Information architecture
- Premiere2, Graduate Management Development Programme, Belfast, N. Ireland (2003)
- Level 4 Diploma in Management from the Chartered Management Institute.
- NUI Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland (2002-2003)
- Post-Graduate Higher National Diploma in Information Technology (2.1)
- Subject Areas included: End User Studies, Databases (SQL)
- University of Ulster, Coleraine, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland (September 1997 - June 2000)
- BA Hons Media Studies (2:1)
- College of Further Education, Ballyfermot, Co. Dublin, Ireland (1995 - 1997)
- BTEC National Diploma in Journalism - 9 Distinctions, 4 Merits.
Software application / language skills
Microsoft 365 suite, JIRA (JQL), Slack, Trello, ProductPlan, Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, CodeKit, Adobe Suite, Audacity, Git, Html, PHP, CSS, SASS, MySQL, SharePoint, WordPress, SilverStripe. Knowledge sets include accessibility, search engine optimisation, design systems, usability, digital marketing, analytics etc.
Achievements
- Advisor for Enterprise Ireland panels to Irish businesses seeking to expand into NZ
- Active member of the Irish Business Network NZ in Wellington
- Provided digital consultancy in 2019 for successful Claire Hanna campaign to become MP for South Belfast at Westminster
- 3 years chair (2011-2014) of SDLP political party branch in south Belfast, NI
Referees
Available on request