Kevin Black

• Led multidisciplinary teams through GDS (Government Digital Services) lifecycle to improve government digital services enabling improvements to user experience whilst reducing cost of transactions.
• Worked closely with policy function to understand and translate complex legislation into business requirements.
• Worked closely with business analyst to compose user stories/acceptance criteria in close collaboration with key business stakeholders
• Responsible for understanding user needs, translating them into clear product requirements, working closely with User Centred Design function meeting GDS.
• Defined and delivered product vision and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with government objectives and achieving strategic priorities.
• Led sprint ceremonies to ensure teams where structured and focused on delivery of sprint goals linking to broader government strategy.
• Enabled outcome based delivery through quarterly PI planning activity. using outcomes defined across exports to define the product roadmap ensuring all teams where aligned and working to the same vision.
• Translated complex technical information into easily comprehensible language for non-technical stakeholders.
• Led discovery on complex data matching service to link data across government sectors and create a user interface which allows effective resolution of issues creating smooth flow of trade at the border (imports into Great Britain).
• Owned the product strategy/delivery to enable the delivery of a complex data matching solution (BTMS), prioritising key elements to make the delivery achievable ensuring it met both the business goals and users needs.
• Identified business requirements for a master data management solution allowing for data alignment across international trade partners.
• Worked closely with project stakeholders to influence and improve ways of working helping Defra become more agile and remove waste from the project ultimately reducing costs and improving efficiency of delivery.

Key Achievements

• Successfully delivered the border trade matching service (BTMS) on time and to budget. BTMS is responsible for handling billions of pounds in food imports into GB, this was a replacement of a legacy service which is critical in GB's national infrastructure ensuring Food security and a smooth flow of trade at the border. The delivery was achieved with 0 downtime and minimal impact on the flow of trade.
• Successfully delivered discovery and alpha phases of work identifying ~£25m benefits to trade.
• Delivered cost savings of £700k and improved customer satisfaction by removing the need for security certificate print outs.
• Supported migration of trade service to a common Identity and access management service allowing users to access all trade services with one set of credentials improving customer satisfaction

• Generated business requirements for identity and access management solution through facilitating workshops with users and business areas to understand there needs.
• Documented business process workflows to identify opportunities for improvements.
• Assisted teams with implementing new business requirements for technology solutions by providing subject matter expertise.

Key achievements

• Delivered MVP solution with ~5 fte benefit to test environment
• Collaborated with IT team to design efficient software solutions, improving workflow significantly.

• Assisted in development and launch of innovative products, enhancing npower's digital presence
• Provided solution expertise for digital platform working alongside business stakeholders to prioritise, define and deliver business needs.
• Led on business process mapping of billing and debt processes to identify areas for improvement.
• Developed strong relationships with key stakeholders through excellent communication skills and professionalism.
• Provided subject matter expertise on GDPR project focusing on customer right to be forgotten giving customers control of their data.

Key achievements

• Delivered billing improvements reducing head count by ~47 FTE and fulfilment costs by £120k per annum.
• Uplifted npower's digital customer satisfaction score from 80% - 90%.
• Successfully delivered data archiving and decommissioning of legacy systems delivering cost savings of ~£2m.