SAIF AHMED
Sachse
Summary
Air Force-trained leader with nearly 13 years of experience. Demonstrated experience leading cross functional project teams and managing performance against tight budget and schedule requirements. Background includes operational flight test support, rocket motor testing, CAD design, CFD analysis, FEM analysis as well as planning and budgeting, technical project and schedule management and acquisition initiation to ensure that Department of Defense assets are appropriately designed, built and operational for peacetime and wartime missions. I’ve exemplified using proven problem solving and analytical skills both on the battle field and in the office. Furthermore, I pride myself on people building and mentoring- I’m servant leader who is passionate about training stakeholders for program success.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Principal Systems Engineer, Advanced Integrated Strategic Solutions Group
Collins Aerospace
11.2022 - Current
- Primary project engineer overseeing technical management for a team of 30+ internal engineers, 10+ subcontracted engineers and liaising with platform and company level execution duties for $13B Survivable Operations Center.
- Demonstrated leadership experience in the range of systems engineering processes including requirements definition, design, test planning, test execution, data analysis and operations support.
- Multidisciplinary leadership experience as a release train engineer in reporting program status, metrics, risks, opportunities, and staffing needs to engineering and business leadership.
Lead Project Engineer, INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE GROUP
L3Harris ISR Division
11.2021 - 11.2022
- Task Leader for all technical aspects of multiple ISR platforms, including providing chief engineering and program management for upcoming RFP efforts worth $150M+ of foreign military sales.
- Responsible for the planning and execution of program activities-documenting and procuring program approvals, ensuring life cycle process adherence, and overall program coordination during the program lifecycle.
- Key technical interface to customer
Captain
U.S Air Force
12.2015 - 12.2021
- Scrutinized critical wing structural flaw on the F35 by evaluating 183 aircraft failures and validating $9.15B fleet-wide repairs and redesigns. Piloted F-35 Supply Chain Task Force, evaluating 100+ critical suppliers to ensure production and fleet sustainment requirements can be met as the program moves into full rate production.
- Oversaw modeling and simulation efforts of 20 person, multi-national team to solve interoperability gaps which resulted in decreasing weapon time to target by 18% and increasing range by 50%.
- Led test campaign of a 30 member team for the world's first large scale rocket motor test fired at record low temperatures to greatly expand operating envelope for hypersonic rocket by 44%.
- Directed contracts valued between $1-$50M with several DoD, NASA, industry and foreign partners. Established technical baseline reviews, developed acquisition plans, and initiated source selection preparation for $49.9M solid rocket motor research and development programs.
- Managed +26M/year program operations and inventory to ensure successful mission operations for Joint Special Operation Forces with as little as 33% asset availabilities. Pioneered security overhaul to develop standard operating procedures for over 48 communications security assets and managed the training and security of $1.1M in classified material.
Lead Hypersonic Rocket Modeling Engineer, ROCKET PROPULSION DIVISION
Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RQR)
04.2018 - 01.2019
- Pioneered $50M hypersonic weapon systems development guiding program budget and performance executions on high visibility air-launched booster programs. Oversaw modeling and simulation efforts of 20 person, multi-national team to solve interoperability gaps which resulted in decreasing weapon time to target by 18% and increasing range by 50%. Orchestrated $4M systems engineering programs identifying promising technology to pursue and funding applications to improve capabilities across various mission portfolios to increase fuel efficiency by 5% and range by 38%. Implemented $7.6M missile technology programs directing efforts to cut weight to increase range by 7% and cutting costs by 10% to advance state-of-the-art tactical missile technology to enhance Missile Defense Agency’s capabilities. Furthermore, piloted modeling support for USAF Global Strike Command’s $980M Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon program, validating thermal and structural loading increasing performance by 20% on a $1.3B weapon enterprise. Led test campaign of a 30 member team for the world’s first large scale rocket motor test fired at record low temperatures to greatly expand operating envelope for hypersonic rocket by 44%. Designed and led test campaign to verify unique rocket nozzle design- validated with a full scale test within 10% of models.
Rocket Propulsion Engineer- Program Manager, ROCKET PROPULSION DIVISION
Aerospace Systems Directorate, AFRL RQR
12.2015 - 04.2018
- Oversaw various technical programs including computational fluid dynamics and fluid-solid interactions models at the Air Force’s premier 65 square mile rocket research site. Directed contracts valued between $1- $50M with several DoD, NASA, industry and foreign partners. Established technical baseline reviews, develops acquisition plans, and initiates source selection preparation for $49.9M solid rocket motor research and development programs. Managed $1M motor health monitoring program with multi-disciplinary project teams to guide sensor development to cut service life for 450 ICBMs by 20%. Co-authored two highly technical papers related to solid rocket propulsion for a JANNAF Conference. Spearheaded acquisition planning and set the foundation for nine year modeling and simulation efforts enabling hypersonic weapon delivery. Initiated and finalized CAD-based design of forward closure for hypersonic weapon propulsion component, began test campaign to ensure requirements are met and exceeded.
Lead Liaison Officer, Special Access Program
Classified Location, OCONUS, AFRL Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI)
02.2017 - 11.2017
- Managed +26M/year program operations and inventory to ensure successful mission operations for Joint Special Operation Forces with as little as 33% asset availabilities. Executed classified field testing and operations in support of AFRL CRI unmanned aerial systems ISR platform. Ran missions and test flights for 162 flight sorties culminating in 3,420 flight hours. Organized $3.2M airframe shipments to increase fleet capability by 50 percent. Remedied $450M logistical shortfalls to optimize international fuel deliveries to ensure 100% ISR availability in hostile territories. Pioneered security overhaul to develop standard operating procedures for over 48 communications security assets and managed the training and security of $1.1M in classified material. Identified site expansion shortfalls and created 3-dimensional model to optimize deficiencies resulting in savings of $300K in program funds. Led $350K mishap 1st response, coordinated all investigation efforts and identified critical deficiencies to return to flight within 13 days. Bolstered the Secretary of Defense’s number one field priorities for counter-intelligence and counter-UAV operations while bridging AFRL research and Special Operations Forces priorities, adapting lab based innovation to SOCOM field operations.
Intern, Rapid Space Access Research
Advanced Air Vehicle Design Lab
06.2013 - 05.2015
- Led research effort to conduct study on space access vehicles and reusable spacecraft technologies. Led writing test plans and test cards for two capstone projects and a “design-build-fly” competition, ensuring our design met all requirements. Spent over 260 hours developing tests to certify nearly ten unmanned (ground/air) platforms. Developed processes still in place with AVDL to document, mitigate and reduce risks associated with reusable space launch vehicles. Compiled knowledge base of lessons learned from various flight programs over between 1930-1980.
Education
M.S. - Mechanical Eng & Robotics
John’s Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD12-2025
Certification - Level 3 Technical Program Management
Defense Acquisition University
01-2017
B.S. - Aerospace Engineering
University of Texas At Arlington
Arlington, TX05.2015
Skills
- System testing
- Control systems
- Hardware integration
- DevOps practices
- Embedded systems
- Systems modeling
- Technical leadership
- Project management
- Root-cause analysis
- Application testing
- Technical analysis
Accomplishments
Air Force Commendation Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Force Expeditionary Service Medal
Contract Management Office (CMO) Company Grade Officer (CGO) of the Year 2019
Air Force Research Lab S&T Capt Obenland Memorial Award 2018
Ranked 1/190 CGOs Numbered Air Forces-Level,
Distinguished Graduate, Test Management Short Course, Edwards AFB CA, Jul 2019
Timeline
Principal Systems Engineer, Advanced Integrated Strategic Solutions Group
Collins Aerospace
11.2022 - Current
Lead Project Engineer, INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE GROUP
L3Harris ISR Division
11.2021 - 11.2022
Lead Hypersonic Rocket Modeling Engineer, ROCKET PROPULSION DIVISION
Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RQR)
04.2018 - 01.2019
Lead Liaison Officer, Special Access Program
Classified Location, OCONUS, AFRL Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI)
02.2017 - 11.2017
Captain
U.S Air Force
12.2015 - 12.2021
Rocket Propulsion Engineer- Program Manager, ROCKET PROPULSION DIVISION
Aerospace Systems Directorate, AFRL RQR
12.2015 - 04.2018
Intern, Rapid Space Access Research
Advanced Air Vehicle Design Lab
06.2013 - 05.2015
M.S. - Mechanical Eng & Robotics
John’s Hopkins University
Certification - Level 3 Technical Program Management
Defense Acquisition University
B.S. - Aerospace Engineering
University of Texas At Arlington