Reginald Harris
Cocoa,FL
Summary
Dynamic Principal Project Engineer at Thales Avionics with a proven track record in project management and risk assessment. Expert in KPI monitoring and cross-functional collaboration, driving operational efficiency and successful project delivery. Passionate about mentoring teams and fostering professional development to achieve outstanding results in complex environments.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Principal Project Engineer
Thales Avionics
Melbourne, FL
01.2023 - Current
- Currently leading hardware and software projects for In-Flight Entertainment.
- Develop project management plans outlining execution, monitoring, control, and closure of projects.
- Establish risk management plans specifying framework and operation of risk management activities.
- Formulate and execute procurement management strategy outlining methods for acquiring goods and services beyond project team
- Implement communication management plan outlining methods, rationale, and responsible parties for project information administration and dissemination.
- Accountable for reporting on cost, schedule, and technical performance
- Assess and deploy projects with required skill sets sourced from engineering pool to secure timely Bid / Project / Product delivery.
- Monitored KPIs to assess performance metrics and identify areas for improvement.
- Conducted root cause analysis to diagnose issues effectively.
Implemented corrective actions based on analysis to enhance operational efficiency.
Systems Design Engineer - General & Specialty Care
Philips Healthcare
Orlando, FL
08.2019 - 12.2022
- Executed responsibilities as Systems Engineer on MRI Monitoring Products.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate Customer Requirements Specification (CRS) into System Requirements Specification (SRS), ensuring clear communication of technical requirements to team members.
- Revise SRS in DOORS as necessary to optimize requirements for test verification
- Conduct safety risk assessment (SRA) on products to ensure product safety and effectiveness throughout lifecycle
- Direct usability (human factors) and risk management verification initiatives for medical devices.
- Construct trace maps that align verification and validation functions with SRS and CRS standards.
Staff Systems Engineer, Mechanical Components Test Engineer - MFC
Lockheed Martin
Orlando, FL
08.2018 - 08.2019
- Performed role as a Task Lead within the Missiles and Fire Control Business Area.
- Perform reliability testing for a team of engineers for multiple components in preparation for implementation into test vehicles.
- Author test information sheets, test plans, test procedures, and test reports for Highly Accelerated Life Testing.
- Create list of readouts that are needed to assess components' functional parameters that are needed for instrumentation selection.
- Conduct weekly meetings with stakeholders to inform them of progress as it involves testing.
- Create and review parts lists to verify that everything needed for test is accounted for.
- Review specification modules located in DOORS to confirm that verification types are compliant with requirements
- Analyze specification requirements were written correctly with no ambiguity with respect to future testing verification activities
- Assist in updating the Master Test Plan prior to submission to customer as a program deliverable item.
- Created templates for test information sheets and test plans that are formatted in compliance with contract
- Create list of deliverables to customer for Systems Engineering traceable to the IMS
Section Manager, System Integration, Evaluation & Test
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Melbourne, FL
01.2017 - 08.2018
- Served as Section Manager and Control Account Manager (CAM) within Aerospace Systems Division.
- Oversaw cost, schedule, and budget for multiple Statements of Work across various US locations.
- Conducted variance analysis reporting, including TCPI, CEAC, and IMOM updates.
- Developed return-to-performance plans for SPI and CPI based on work complexity and issues.
- Hired employees with skillsets aligning to organizational expectations.
- Delegated tasks to team members according to SOW responsibilities.
- Led weekly team meetings to promote engagement and inclusion.
- Prepared training programs to enhance understanding of technical and business processes.
Engineer-Systems Architect, Vehicle Engineering
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Melbourne, FL
10.2014 - 01.2017
- Executed earned value management system (EVMS) and cognizant engineering for E-2D program.
- Served as certified control account manager for $60 million across 16 control accounts.
- Delivered weekly integrated master schedule updates demonstrating performance and future projections.
- Presented control account health updates to program manager on a weekly basis.
- Participated in quarter-end evaluations of actuals and supplier material invoices for control accounts.
- Collaborated with work package managers to facilitate detailed rolling wave planning.
- Assisted in comprehensive estimate at complete (CEAC) for 2016 rolling wave planning.
- Coordinated with schedulers to integrate control account tasks into AR master schedule.
Mechanical Design Engineer, Opto-Mechanics
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics
Tarrytown, NY
09.2014 - 10.2014
- Designed pneumatic lines for automated healthcare systems.
- Utilized NX 7.5 and Teamcenter 8.3 to design pneumatics for automated systems.
Mechanical Design Engineer
AMETEK Hughes-Treitler
Garden City, NY
12.2013 - 08.2014
- Designed heat exchangers for commercial and government aircrafts.
- Modeled hot/cold pass stackups in NX 8.0 order to create efficient cooling for commercial and government customers.
- Designed aluminum & magnesium castings to be used for inlet and outlet ports for fluid interaction with heat exchanger.
- Designed magnesium castings for vibration test fixtures due to low mass and high damping capability.
- Prepared spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel) for weight breakdown of subassemblies and overall structure.
- Utilized NX 8.0 software to calculate center of mass of parts and assemblies.
- Procured drawings for machining, brazing, welding, and assembly build up.
- Given lead role on implementation of Teamcenter 9.1 for Mechanical Engineering department as a central location for legacy and current designs, drawings, and ancillary documents.
- As acting Teamcenter lead, prepared workflows for drawing release, Engineering Change Order (ECO), and technical documentation revisions via Teamcenter 9.1.
- Prepared Engineering Change Orders (ECO) for released drawings and models, coupled with revision changes for new design release via Teamcenter 9.1.
Mechanical Design Engineer, Opto-Mechanics
ASML
Wilton, CT
08.2012 - 09.2013
- Designed hardware to support the next phase of photolithography machinery, specifically 300mm and 450mm wafer sizes for semiconductor development.
- Assisted in design of Reticle Handler Frame (RH Frame), which facilitated transport of reticles from their input position to other stages of machine.
- Responsible for placement of sub-module devices that were critical to the functionality of optical machinery.
- Utilized NX 7.5 for design of equipment, coupled with Teamcenter Engineering 8.3 software for Bill of Material (BOM), drawings, and verification of product structure for components.
- Worked with Staubli Robotics to automate efficient movements of robotic arm to avoid singularities and allow end effectors to fall within acceptable tolerances.
- Used NX 7.5 software to determine weight and center of gravity of machinery for transport to domestic and foreign customers.
- Performed volume studies of ducting system that allowed clean air into RH Frame for thermal conditioning and contamination control.
- Supported heat exchanger and interface panel for XCDA and cooling water for reticles while in stationary location.
- Iterative analysis performed for flow rate, pressure drop, and cross-sectional area for the pneumatic portions of Reticle Handler via Microsoft Excel coupled with design software.
Mechanical Design Engineer, Hardware Engineering
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Electronic Systems
Linthicum, MD
01.2007 - 01.2012
- Concurrently supported up to three programs and assigned to complete tasks involving electronic packaging of critical components to meet schedule and program deadlines.
- Innovations realized by twice being named to Honor Roll of Inventors.
- Designed next generation RF module that encompassed state of the art fiber optic technology and high voltage @ 60kft for airborne applications.
- Designed power converter modules for customer in order to transmit power signals to key locations of radar.
- Prepared and demonstrated weight estimates were within program budget for each phase of design process for machined parts, cables, adhesives, printed circuit boards, and other components.
- Center of mass calculations were used via NX 4.0 and NX 6.0 in order to assist in weight balancing schemes for next higher assemblies.
- Presented detailed design work during each phase of programs' design cycle: Concept Review, PDR and CDR to demonstrate design integrity and process adherence.
- Evaluated Statement of Work (SOW) and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in order to allocate budget to structural, thermal, reliability, and drafting departments.
- Depending on program, bi-weekly hourly breakdown of each discipline was recorded in order to verify budget compliance to responsible technical/functional management personnel.
- Designed modernized backplane assembly for APG68 Block 30 and Block 40.
- Verified program schedules were being followed by using SAP software to track pertinent hardware.
- Created drawings using geometric dimensioning and tolerancing in order to prepare models for release in Teamcenter and procurement in model shop.
- Designed machined metal, sheet metal (via stamping/pressing), and plastics (ABS, Acetal) to create desired electromechanical assemblies.
- Verified feasibility of designs by comparing tolerance stacks to system allocations as set forth by system requirements.
- Mitigated electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues through the use of EMI shields at bolted interfaces, metal encasements for high EMI leakage printed circuit board components, and Faraday Cages to prevent leakage and degradation of electrical performance.
Engineer, Professional Development Program
Northrop Grumman Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2008
- Thermal Design Engineer
- Modeled electronic packages and heat dissipation using finite difference software.
- Supported the installation of antenna range in test environment by co-creating schematic design and purchase order placement of critical parts.
- Demonstrated forced and natural convection cooling through CFD modeling.
- Verified that sufficient cooling margin was allotted under specific junction and case temperatures from program input.
Systems Design Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2008
- Assisted in maintainability analysis for $875 million government contract.
- Developed work processes in order to remove and replace key aspects of automated system.
- Utilized drawings to identify components difficult to locate and remove within system.
- Identified mean time to repair (MTTR) by designating which systems could be fixed by technicians on floor and which operations needed to be fixed in bench applications.
- Received Timely Appraisal Program (TAP) award for efforts performed throughout duration of time worked on contract.
Education
M.S. - Mechanical Engineering (Thermal/Fluid Sciences)
Clemson University
Clemson, SC01.2006
B.S. - Mechanical Engineering
Clemson University
Clemson, SC01.2004
Skills
- Leadership and team management
- Task delegation and performance reviews
- Career and professional development
- Cost and budget management
- Risk management and earned value management
- Test specification preparation and procurement
- Project management and technical design
- Concept development and monitoring
- Staffing and interviewing strategies
- Mentoring and collaboration skills
- KPI monitoring and variance analysis
- Cross-functional collaboration and root cause analysis
- Corrective actions and controls monitoring
- Documentation control and estimating strategies
- Project forecasting and scoping techniques
- Smartsheet and MS Project expertise
Publications
- An Incompressible Study of the Aerodynamics of Viscous Flow over a Finite Wing, 06/06/06, Clemson, SC
- Exergy Based Design Methodology for Airfoil Shape Optimization and Wing Analysis, 06/25/07, Miami, FL
Computer Competencies
- MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Project, Excel, Visio, Note)
- Siemens NX
- CPLM
- Teamcenter
- Primavera
- DOORS
Technical Leadership Competencies
- Project Engineer, Jan 2023-Present. Leading cross-functional hardware and software teams to execute and fulfill contractual requirements for customers.
- Section Manager & CAM, Test Engineering, Northrop Grumman, 2017-2018, Responsible for hiring, delegation of tasks, career development, and performance reviews for a team of engineers supporting test related activities.
- Control Account (CAM)/Earned Value Management (EVM), 2015-2018, Worked in this role for both E-2D and Strike programs., Responsible for cost, schedule, budget, risk/opportunities, late start/late finish, and IMOM.
- Aerial Refueling Air Vehicle Subsystem Fuel System Cognizant Engineer, 2016-2017, Acted as a lead in relation to preparation of test specs and procurement of parts for AR fuel system functional tests., Acted as a CAM in this role.
- Project Manager, Technology Underground IRAD, NGC-MS, 2011-2012, $29,000 in funding given by Vice President of Engineering in order to test printed circuit board manufacturing techniques for future projects., Led a group of four engineers and technicians to mature concept to producible design., Accountable to VP for monitoring of cost, schedule, and budget for IRAD project., Design output deemed a success and was presented before Technology Underground Committee for discussions on leveraging work on new projects.
- Early Career Leadership Training Program (ECLTP), 2010-2011, Rigorous eighteen-month program with expectation of early career engineers and business personnel to take leadership positions as needs arise within organization., Learned technical, personal, and situational leadership skills to assist in meeting project and functional goals within organization., Trained in staffing, interviewing of potential candidates for hiring, as well as mentoring personnel for professional development., Worked with engineers and business personnel throughout other campuses every quarter to learn about the organization and work on projects assigned to our team.
Timeline
Principal Project Engineer
Thales Avionics
01.2023 - Current
Systems Design Engineer - General & Specialty Care
Philips Healthcare
08.2019 - 12.2022
Staff Systems Engineer, Mechanical Components Test Engineer - MFC
Lockheed Martin
08.2018 - 08.2019
Section Manager, System Integration, Evaluation & Test
Northrop Grumman Corporation
01.2017 - 08.2018
Engineer-Systems Architect, Vehicle Engineering
Northrop Grumman Corporation
10.2014 - 01.2017
Mechanical Design Engineer, Opto-Mechanics
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics
09.2014 - 10.2014
Mechanical Design Engineer
AMETEK Hughes-Treitler
12.2013 - 08.2014
Mechanical Design Engineer, Opto-Mechanics
ASML
08.2012 - 09.2013
Mechanical Design Engineer, Hardware Engineering
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Electronic Systems
01.2007 - 01.2012
Engineer, Professional Development Program
Northrop Grumman Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2008
Systems Design Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2008
M.S. - Mechanical Engineering (Thermal/Fluid Sciences)
Clemson University
B.S. - Mechanical Engineering
Clemson University