Grace Melcher
Austin,TX
Summary
Roses are red; violets are blue. I solve problems; let me solve them for you.
Program manager with a record of turning complex, technical initiatives into scalable solutions. Skilled at aligning R&D with business goals and execution across teams to deliver innovation that actually ships.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Project Manager: Advanced Structures
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02.2025 - Current
- Developed software tools (e.g. variable-layer) automating structural implementation and field documentation, reducing cost by ~$18k per home.
- Spearheaded the design of the first large-scale 3D-printed Catenary Dome structure, establishing a new framework for printable shell structures.
- Presented co-authored findings of Catenary Dome print at IASS 2025.
- Transitioned R&D construction technologies to scalable solutions.
Program Manager: Arches, Domes, & Vaults
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02.2023 - 02.2025
- Led cross-functional teams to transform high-risk architectural experimentation into functional building enclosures.
- Managed and engineered the House of Phoenix, the first multi-story (27 ft), freeform shell printed with the largest six-axis 3D printer in the world.
- Defined and implemented new operation strategies for next-generation printing while unifying robotics, structural, and field teams around a shared architectural vision.
Application Testing Engineer
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02.2022 - 02.2023
- Invented a cantilevered printing paradigm, enabling innovative projects and reducing construction costs by 15% across cantilevered geometries.
- Planned and executed tests to validate novel printed geometries.
- Led software, structural, and operations teams to deliver the Cosmic Pavilion, the first 3D-printed freeform stage for SXSW 2023.
- Translated findings into protocols and performance metrics; published findings in Structure Magazine and IASS Proceedings (2024).
Business Consultant Analyst
Accenture
01.2021 - 02.2022
- Built data-driven models optimizing defense and utility operations, yielding measurable cost savings and resource efficiency gains.
- Led software development of automation processes for defense operation
Data Management Engineer
Vicinity
06.2020 - 01.2021
- Developed a signal processing model to forecast demand and optimize steam generation for a cogeneration power plant in Boston, creating annual savings of $80,000.
Research Development Project engineer
AI Spacefactory
06.2019 - 12.2019
- Engineered structural model in Abaqus for 3D-printed TERA project essential for realization.
Education
Masters of Engineering - Structural Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA06.2020
Bachelor’s of Science - Structural Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA06.2019
Skills
- Project management and operations strategy
- Cross-functional leadership
- Technical research and development
- Data analysis
- Innovation Management
- Structural engineering and 3D printing technology
Timeline
Project Manager: Advanced Structures
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02.2025 - Current
Program Manager: Arches, Domes, & Vaults
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02.2023 - 02.2025
Application Testing Engineer
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02.2022 - 02.2023
Business Consultant Analyst
Accenture
01.2021 - 02.2022
Data Management Engineer
Vicinity
06.2020 - 01.2021
Research Development Project engineer
AI Spacefactory
06.2019 - 12.2019
Masters of Engineering - Structural Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor’s of Science - Structural Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology