Zan McQuade
zanmcquade@gmail.com
Summary
Digital Learning Product Strategist and Technical Content Editor
Extensive record of achievement directing digital learning content and product strategy, development, management, improvement, and innovation for SaaS educational technology and traditional publishing.
Achievements
Drove Revenue Growth & Brand Trust
Acquired several best-selling titles, including Learning Go and Living Language Dothraki.
Optimized Project Management
Streamlined 70 annual project deliveries and 40 live courses concurrently by implementing new development processes.
Launched Credentialing Initiative
Facilitated badging across 6,000+ videos and live trainings.
Enhanced Learning Product Integration
Supported $2.5M portfolio, enhancing product integration with AI features.
Experience
O’Reilly Media
Content Director — Programming, Web Development, Design and Product Management (2022–2024)
- Promoted to lead content director for a SaaS platform, overseeing strategic direction and publication of digital learning products.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with product, marketing, data science, and engineering teams to develop innovative digital curricula and credentialing strategies for B2B & B2C customers.
- Expanded content strategy for curriculum, credentialing, and Al-based innovations to drive ROI for video and live course trainings.
- Supervised a team of two senior acquisitions editors and more than two dozen contractors, managing a $1M budget.
- Analyzed performance metrics and partnered with tech industry experts to identify key skills for success and drive innovation in tech learning products.
Senior Content Acquisitions Editor, Programming Languages (2019–2022)
- Developed content strategy and acquired content for multi-modal technical learning products on programming languages, frameworks, and open-source software development.
- Collaborated with development editors, learning experience designers, and production managers to facilitate on-time delivery of high-quality content.
- Negotiated and managed contracts, schedules, and budgets for the acquisition and development of books, live trainings, videos, quizzes, digital events and in-person conferences, and interactive digital labs.
- Conducted market research, competitive analysis, and user metric analysis to identify industry and customer needs.
Living Language, a division of Penguin Random House
Editor (2006–2018)
- Edited and coordinated B2C foreign language products for this educational imprint, boosting digital revenue by 133% with strategic LMS integrations and the acquisition of high-profile talent, including a language course based on the HBO series, “Game of Thrones.”
- Led migration of book + audio learning products into a digital learning experience through product development, testing, and iterative management.
- Reviewed course content for accuracy and quality.
Freelance Consulting
Writer, Editor, Translator, and Publishing Consultant
- Essays, articles, and marketing content published in popular markets.
- Designed and wrote curricula for an elementary school writing workshop.
- Served as an editorial and publishing consultant for the Latvian Literature Centre, representing the government organization at publishing conferences.
Education
Vassar College, B.A. 1999
Skills
- Agile
- Amplitude
- Audio Editing
- Data Analysis
- Excel
- Figma
- GenAI
- GitHub
- Google G-suite
- HTML
- Instructional Design
- JIRA
- JSON
- Microsoft Office
- Photoshop
- ProductBoard
- Prompt Engineering
- Python
- Scrum
- SEO
- Slack
- Video Production
- XML
Languages
- Native fluency in English; fluency in Latvian; basic skills in Spanish, French, German, and Russian
zan mcquade 