Eileen M. Shea
Washington
Summary
Engineering and operations leader with experience overseeing utility and power generation systems, naval nuclear reactor operations, and integrated weapons systems testing in high-risk, mission-critical environments. Proven record of leading cross-functional teams, improving operational reliability, standardizing processes, and driving safe, compliant execution. Expertise in root cause analysis, maintenance planning, operational readiness, systems engineering, and regulatory compliance.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Power Plant Operations Manager
Honeywell - University of Maryland P3
College Park
06.2025 - Current
- Oversee operations and maintenance for 18 chilled water and heating plants and a central natural gas steam plant with five water-tube boilers producing up to 260,000 lb/hr of steam for the University of Maryland campus.
- Oversee commissioning acceptance of a new steam plant, supporting startup readiness, operational integration, and transition planning.
- Directed plant readiness and operational transition efforts for potential natural gas curtailment under a compressed schedule, achieving successful execution and maintaining reliable steam operations during a historic cold-weather event.
- Develop, review, and manage contractual documentation, KPI relief actions, operational communications, and compliance reporting, including client-facing contractual packages resulting in more than $1,000,000 in avoided KPI penalties.
- Spearheaded an operational readiness initiative to develop and procure training documentation, startup procedures, and commissioning support materials for long-term plant operations and system turnover.
- Leading procurement and vendor selection for a new campus-wide water treatment program, including management of an approximately $400,000 competitive bid process.
- Identified critical deficiencies in steam plant compressed air system design and launch corrective improvements that reduce operational risk and help prevent potential service outages.
- Built and implemented standardized frameworks for plant procedures, procurement, water chemistry treatment, preventive maintenance planning, and operational compliance.
- Lead root cause investigations into service interruptions and operational issues, implementing corrective actions and establishing organization-wide RCA templates and standards.
- Prioritize preventive and corrective maintenance across thermal and steam generation systems to improve reliability and minimize downtime.
Principal Reactor / Refueling Engineer
Fluor Marine Propulsion - Naval Nuclear Laboratory
Ballston Spa
09.2021 - 05.2025
- Supervised reactor plant operations at the S8G prototype facility, supporting naval nuclear crew training, operational readiness, and safe reactor operations.
- Served as Primary Engineering Officer of the Watch during hot operations and critical testing evolutions, directing operational preparations and supporting successful reactor startup, initial criticality, and power ascension testing.
- Maintained reactor plant safety and compliance as MARF Shutdown Supervisor, overseeing low-energy reactor conditions and operational controls.
- Directed emergency core cooling system operations and testing as a Qualified Reactor Fill Control Room Watch, ensuring system reliability and regulatory compliance.
- Performed containment leak rate testing as a Qualified Test Engineer, supporting reactor integrity verification and nuclear quality assurance requirements.
- Led watch teams of up to 20 sailors and civilian personnel while maintaining expert-level operational knowledge of reactor and auxiliary systems.
- Collaborated with Newport News Shipbuilding and Norfolk Naval Shipyard on the S8GP reactor upgrade program, supporting modernization and capability enhancements.
- Trained and qualified sailors and civilian personnel in reactor operations, technical procedures, and watchstanding responsibilities.
- Completed the Navy Nuclear Training Pipeline and qualified as Engineering Officer of the Watch on the S6G reactor prototype.
Systems Engineer, Tomahawk Weapons Control System - Missile Performance Analysis
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
Dahlgren
03.2019 - 09.2021
- Designed and developed automated tools to collect, process, and analyze missile and weapons control system performance data.
- Conducted communications network traffic correlation and flight performance characterization to support system evaluation and mission effectiveness.
- Improved the efficiency and repeatability of performance analysis through automation and data-driven methods.
Systems Test Engineer, Tomahawk Weapons Control System - System Segment Test
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
Dahlgren
07.2018 - 03.2019
- Led a 3-4 person technical team executing integrated system-of-systems testing in a tactically representative laboratory environment.
- Authored and executed detailed test procedures to validate system requirements and integrated functionality in accordance with CMMI Level 3 standards.
- Evaluated system requirements for testability, verification, and redundancy to streamline test execution and improve efficiency.
Education
Master of Engineering (M.E.) - Mechanical Engineering
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA01-2020
Bachelor of Science - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Maryland
College Park, MD01-2018
Skills
- Plant Operations & Maintenance
- Nuclear Reactor Operations
- Preventive & Corrective Maintenance
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Operational Risk Management
- Systems Engineering
- Contract & Compliance Management
- Data Analysis
- Database Management
- MATLAB
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Technical Training & Leadership
Certification
NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam - Chemical Engineering, 08/01/21
Timeline
Power Plant Operations Manager
Honeywell - University of Maryland P3
06.2025 - Current
Principal Reactor / Refueling Engineer
Fluor Marine Propulsion - Naval Nuclear Laboratory
09.2021 - 05.2025
Systems Engineer, Tomahawk Weapons Control System - Missile Performance Analysis
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
03.2019 - 09.2021
Systems Test Engineer, Tomahawk Weapons Control System - System Segment Test
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
07.2018 - 03.2019
Master of Engineering (M.E.) - Mechanical Engineering
University of Virginia
Bachelor of Science - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Maryland