Standard
IT Change Management Standard
Numbered “must” requirements, an evidence table for audit testing, an exceptions and risk acceptance process, and a RACI matrix.
Written for Technology staff, change approvers, internal audit
Read the PDFIT Technical Writer | Knowledge Management & Governance Documentation
Documentation that people can follow and auditors can verify.
I’m an IT technical writer who turns complex systems and requirements into clear, controlled documentation. For nearly a decade I’ve written enterprise governance documentation for a financial institution, accreditation and API documentation for an ad tech company, and knowledge bases for a law firm’s IT department. My proudest work helped GumGum earn Media Rating Council accreditation after an external audit by Ernst & Young.
Writing samples
Six original documents in the formats I write professionally: governance Standards, an accreditation methodology, a disclosure statement, and API reference documentation.
About these samples. My client and employer work is covered by nondisclosure agreements, so I can’t share it. Each sample here is an original document I wrote for this portfolio, set at a fictional organization. The names, numbers, and requirements are invented, and none of the content comes from any employer.
Enterprise governance documentation
Tidewell Financial. A fictional financial institution. These three Standards share one template and cross-reference one another, the way a real governance library does.
Standard
Software Asset and License Management Standard
Requirements that reach beyond IT into procurement and legal, links to related Standards, and an appendix defining software lifecycle statuses.
Written for IT operations, procurement, software owners
Read the PDF
Standard
DevOps and Secure Software Delivery Standard
Rules for AI-assisted development and for applications with AI features, mapped to NIST SSDF, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and OWASP.
Written for Engineering teams, platform engineering, AI governance
Read the PDFProduct and compliance documentation
Corvane Media Intelligence. A fictional ad tech company. These three documents form the documentation set an accreditation audit would examine.
Methodology
Description of Methodology
How a machine learning classification product works, explained for auditors, with step-by-step processes, risk definitions, and a limitations table.
Written for Auditors, clients, integration partners
Read the PDF
Disclosure statement
Transparency and Disclosure Statement
Thirteen precise commitments on accuracy, error correction, and notice of changes, with document control and a review sign-off.
Written for Clients, auditors, legal reviewers
Read the PDF
API reference
Video Analysis API Reference
Endpoints, example requests and responses, a field reference, error codes, a deprecation notice, and a changelog.
Written for Developers integrating the API
Read the PDFCase studies
What I did on the real projects behind these samples, described without confidential details.
Case 01
Audit-ready product documentation for an industry accreditation
GumGum Technical Writer, 2022–2025
The challenge
GumGum pursued accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its contextual intelligence product. Accreditation required an external audit by Ernst & Young, which examined whether the product’s methodology and supporting documentation described how it worked clearly, accurately, and completely.
My role
As GumGum’s only technical writer, I owned the product documentation center used by clients, partners, and the auditors.
What I did
- Wrote and edited most of the product’s Description of Methodology, the core document examined in the audit.
- Wrote the API reference, the video analysis reference, and the product’s disclosure statements.
- Edited drafts from developers, followed up with them to confirm technical details, and used pull-request reviews to keep product documentation accurate as the product changed.
- Met with the Ernst & Young auditors to resolve gaps in provenance or narrative across the documentation set.
- Created a document labeling system that made content easier for people to find and for software to identify.
The result
GumGum earned MRC accreditation and was, at the time, the only company of its kind to do so.
Related samples
Description of Methodology, Video Analysis API Reference, Transparency and Disclosure Statement
Case 02
Enterprise governance documentation for a regulated financial institution
SystemOne, contractor to Navy Federal Credit Union Technical Writer, Enterprise Technology Governance
The challenge
A large financial institution governs its technology environment through enterprise documents that set binding requirements for each area. Those documents must align with NIST and ISO standards, pass review by the internal security team, and hold up to Internal Audit.
My role
As a technical writer on the Enterprise Technology Governance team, I write and maintain enterprise governance documentation and support the audits that test it.
What I did
- Wrote and maintained governance documents covering software testing, change management, enterprise architecture, and disaster recovery, including requirements for records retention, data governance, and the information lifecycle.
- Worked with Internal Audit so that documents addressed audit findings, and verified that documents met audit criteria.
- Aligned requirements with NIST and ISO standards and incorporated feedback from the internal security review.
- Advised on the record fields and linking structure for the governance document library in ServiceNow’s Policy module while the library held only its first two documents.
- Prepared executive summaries and presentation decks so leaders could present the work.
The result
Navy Federal’s technology governance library grew from 2 documents to 10, and I wrote 7 of them.
Related samples
IT Change Management Standard, Software Asset and License Management Standard, DevOps and Secure Software Delivery Standard
Resume
Parkville, MD
Professional summary
IT Technical Writer and Knowledge Management professional with nearly a decade of experience developing enterprise documentation, knowledge management solutions, and technology governance content. Expertise in building knowledge bases, user guides, API documentation, and policy and governance documentation libraries aligned with ITIL, COBIT, and SDLC practices. Trusted partner to engineers, senior technology leaders, and internal and external auditors, with a proven ability to translate complex technical processes and requirements into clear, actionable, and enforceable documentation.
Core competencies
Technical Documentation
- Enterprise IT Documentation
- User Guides & Manuals
- API & Integration Documentation
- Process & Workflow Documentation
- Editing, Proofreading & Style Guides
- Technical Diagramming
Knowledge Management
- Knowledge Base Development
- Information Architecture
- Content Strategy & Personas
- Self-Service Support Content
- Templates & Version Control
- SME Interviews & Facilitation
Governance & Compliance
- Policy & Governance Documentation
- Control-Based Requirements Writing
- Audit Findings Remediation
- Accreditation & Audit Support
- ITIL, COBIT & SDLC Frameworks
- Stakeholder Consensus Building
Tools & platforms
- Microsoft Office: Advanced proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
- Knowledge & Workflow: Confluence, SharePoint, ServiceNow (Policy module), Jira, Glean
- Authoring & Design: Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Publisher, Markdown, Snagit, Microsoft Visio, XMind, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT
Professional experience
Technical Writer, IT Governance
SystemOne — Contractor to Navy Federal Credit Union, Vienna, VA (Hybrid)
Aug 2025 – Present
- Drove development of Navy Federal’s enterprise technology governance documentation library, expanding it from 2 to 10 governance documents and authoring 7 of them, across technology governance, change and problem management, disaster recovery, enterprise architecture, software testing, and program and project management.
- Write SOPs and governance documentation aligned with NIST and applicable ISO standards, with each document reviewed by the internal security team.
- Facilitate weekly drafting sessions with AVP-level document owners and subject matter experts, building consensus on control language that translates complex technical processes into clear, actionable requirements.
- Manage a parallel pipeline of governance documents through Risk, Security, and Executive subcommittee review to VP-level approval, taking each from first draft to publication in 2–4 months.
- Serve as the policy link between Internal Audit and technology leadership, verifying that documentation meets audit criteria and translating findings into enforceable requirements.
- Advised on the record fields and linking structure for the governance library in ServiceNow, keeping any requirement traceable from board-level directive to day-to-day procedure.
Technical Writer
GumGum, Inc., Remote
Oct 2022 – Feb 2025
- As GumGum’s only technical writer, created user and developer documentation for the Verity product, including integration procedures, API and JSON references, troubleshooting guides, integration checklists, and release notes.
- Produced the compliance and controls documentation for Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation and met with Ernst & Young auditors to resolve documentation gaps; GumGum earned the accreditation, the only company of its kind at the time.
- Participated in Change Advisory Board meetings as a member and contributor, developing and documenting the processes under the board’s purview.
- Owned the company’s Confluence content, creating the category, tagging, and labeling system that made content easier to find, and continued the migration from Google Docs to Confluence.
- Built onboarding documentation for employees who joined through mergers and acquisitions, co-hosted software training workshops, and created video walkthroughs for employees and customers.
- Managed documentation requests in Jira, highlighting schedule risks early and using Confluence and Glean metrics and dashboards to set priorities.
- Edited developer-drafted documentation, used pull-request review for product guides, and prepared executive decks, summaries, and VP-level correspondence.
Technical Writer
Venable LLP, Baltimore, MD
Sep 2018 – Oct 2022
- Established the IT department’s knowledge base and wrote its documentation submission guidelines, setting the standards contributors followed.
- Migrated the IT department’s documentation from SharePoint to Confluence and created the category and tagging taxonomy used to classify and retrieve it.
- Wrote SOPs, procedures, and runbooks, updating them as new tools entered the environment or their use changed.
- Developed standardized document templates and formats that streamlined operations and strengthened version control.
- Audited documentation for accuracy and currency, archiving or retiring outdated material, and used analytics to link end-user complaints and IT incidents to documentation gaps.
- Drafted VP-level correspondence and firm-wide communications on IT matters.
Technical Writer
BAE Systems — Contractor to Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, DC
Jan 2017 – Aug 2018
- Co-wrote and edited Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) reports to OMB covering cost, budget, spending, schedule, and performance for multimillion-dollar federal IT investments.
- Interviewed division chiefs, branch chiefs, and team leaders to gather program information, and checked report narratives against the underlying data.
- Developed and maintained end-user and operations documentation, including user guides, manuals, and technical publications.
Earlier experience
Technical Writer Intern
TD Ameritrade, Columbia, MD
Nov 2016 – Jan 2017
Education
- B.A. in English, 2014
Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA — English Department Honors; Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society
Credentials
- ITIL 4 Foundation
Axelos, 2019 - CompTIA A+ Certification
NPower, 2016
Contact
I’m looking for my next technical writing role in governance, compliance, or product documentation. I’d be glad to hear from you.