Quality Assurance Project Manager

Diane Shaffer

*************@*******.***

* ****** **** **, ********, MA 01886 Cell 978-***-****

A leader who gets things done. Creative and persistent. Collaborative

style bringing together cross-functional areas, bench-marking and best

practices witnessed with extensive program involvement for execution of

optimized solutions cost-effectively with an emphasis on speed to market.

2008 to Present Textron Defense Systems Wilmington, MA Sr Manager,

Systems Engineering

Technical Areas: Lasers, process improvement

Providing the leadership, guidance and opportunities to turn requirements

managers into systems engineers and program leaders. Identifying program

success challenges and directing solutions. Leading initiatives in

education, skill attainment and continuous improvement

Leadership

. Increased team systems engineering skill areas 30% in one year.

Evangelized a vision, created a roadmap and provided guidance and

opportunities for systems engineers to increase their skills to

achieve the vision.

. Developed a web site to collect knowledge and provide a forum for

collaboration on best practices and problem solving.

Management & Engineering

. Successfully using a continuous improvement initiative and team

collaboration to develop tools & methodologies for systems engineers

to help programs execute better, faster, cheaper.

. Introduced and implemented systems engineering activities on Defense

Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Lockheed Martin laser

programs.

1997 to 2008 MITRE Corporation Bedford, Massachusetts Lead

Analyst

Technical Areas: Satellites, communication technologies, process training,

Milestone B activities, technology assessments, business case analysis,

risk management, requirements management, deficiency reporting.

Identified problems limiting program success and developed solutions.

Gained support of the engineering directorate, wing leadership and program

teams for effective execution of solutions.

Leadership

. Led a requirements process and tool development and implementation

Tiger Team.

Launched base-wide a new requirements management database and process.

With the team, developed a plan, wrote an RFP, evaluated proposals

and ran a pilot. Developed training and trained program teams.

. Drove successful implementation of CMMI-compliant processes across 2

wings & approx 30 programs.

Used benchmarking and shared best practice. Developed program-

specific CMMI process implementation plans and led programs in process

improvement.

. Developed and maintained multi-year (5 year and 10 year) strategic

plans.

. Pushed news on relevant technologies to appropriate program team

members.

Management & Engineering

. Business case and technical analyses of commercial communication

satellite systems (SATCOM) and evaluation of emerging commercial

satellite communications systems. Assessment of data rate, coverage,

interoperability, services, status and applicability issues.

Assessment of terrestrial communications systems. Cost evaluation of

teleports and satellite service. Advanced technology planning and

technology assessments.

Enterprise and Process Activities

. Assessed systems engineering process compliance for a 23 program group

and for a 32 program group. Consulted with the programs on process

improvement implementations.

. Reviewed and recommended actions on systems engineering documents at

the group and program levels.

. Led Tiger Team to develop and implement requirements management tools

and processes across ESC.

. Conducted study on effective enterprise systems engineering practices.

Benchmarked through interviews with leaders of large government

programs such as AWACS (Airborne Warning & Control System) and JSTARS

(Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System).

. Exercise Evaluation Team member for an ORI (Operational Readiness

Inspection) and a UCI (Unit Compliance Inspection). Trained programs,

planned exercises, assessed and reported performance. Supported EN

(Engineering), FPSS (Force Protection) and ND (Missile defense) in ORI

and UCI preparation. Provided guidance and lessons learned to other

Air Force Bases.

Training Development and Delivery

. Developed training material and toolkits for requirements management,

risk management, project planning, configuration control, deficiency

reporting and Integrated Master Plan, Integrated Master Schedule and

Earned Value Management

. Trained teams across the Air Force (ESC) and other government

organizations on risk management and requirements management.

. Developed training material and briefed groups throughout ESC on

preparing for the Operations Readiness Inspection.

1990 to 1997 Futron Corporation Bethesda, Maryland Project Manager

Technical Areas: Database development, Information Technology, Commercial

Space Transportation Licensing

Leadership

. Customer liaison. Developed visions, strategies and plans and

executed the plans.

Management & Engineering

. Engineering group leader, information resource management group leader

(acting approx 2 yrs) and deputy program manager (acting approx 2 yrs)

on a Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) systems support

contract with 15 people. Supported BMDO systems architecture

development. Successfully brokered decisions between BMDO (Ballistic

Missile Defense Organization) and PEOs (Program Executive Officers) on

information technology.

. Managed a 15-person database development team and contributed to the

requirements analysis, design, coding, testing, and debugging of Law

Enforcement databases for nationwide use by the Bureau of Alcohol,

Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). The team included architects, coders,

testers and technical writers. Maintained customer relationships and

helped users define their real requirements. Implemented requirements

tracking, code walkthroughs, bug tracking and customer sign-offs that

delivered database products more focused on user needs in 15% shorter

time.

. Managed engineering personnel and technical projects and maintained an

annual budget on a contract with the Department of Transportation

(DOT) Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST) Licensing and

Safety Division performing maximum probable loss analyses and

engineering evaluations of commercial launch vehicles and missions.

1985 to 1990 Conatec, Inc. Lanham, Maryland Project Engineer

Technical Areas: Rocket performance analysis, design, launch operations,

failure investigations, integration & checkout, quality assurance.

Leadership

. Developed and headed a five-person Quality Assurance group.

Implemented quality procedures for vehicle buildup at the launch site.

Managed quality assurance for the launches of six successful sounding

rocket missions within a three month period.

Management & Engineering

. Managed an engineering team and conducted mission, trajectory,

stability and control, aeroelastic, re-entry and post flight analyses

of launch vehicle and upper stage propulsion systems for National

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Space Defense

Initiative Organization (SDIO). Oversaw testing activities and

evaluated testing results.

. Supported launch operations at White Sands Missile Range in New

Mexico, Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and Esrange in Sweden for

various sounding rocket launches.

. Supported the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a

Systems Engineering & Technical Assistance (SETA) contractor.

Provided requirements analysis, mission documentation and safety

analysis for Pegasus and Taurus launch vehicles.

1980 to 1985 General Electric Company Lanham, Maryland Aerospace

Engineer/Task Leader

Technical Areas: Rocket performance analysis, design, launch operations,

failure investigations, integration & checkout, space shuttle payloads,

interface control, safety, quality assurance

. Task leader for mission, trajectory, stability and control,

aeroelastic, re-entry and post flight analyses of launch vehicle and

upper stage propulsion systems activities for National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA). Observed testing activities and evaluated

testing results.

. Prepared Safety, Interface Control Document (ICD) and Payload

Integration Plan (PIP) documentation for Space Transportation System

(STS - Space Shuttle) payloads for NASA/GSFC and coordinated with

NASA, Houston.

Business Development& Proposal Request and Evaluation

. Identified and propose tasks to potential customers within

the Air Force. 70% success rate. (Mitre)

. Participated in numerous proposal developments. (Futron, Conatec)

. Participated in marketing calls. (Futron)

. Source selection activities on Mobility Air Force Data Link

Integration. (Mitre)

. Source selection of a requirements management tool support contract.

(Mitre)

. Evaluated SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) aerodynamic and

heating proposals. (Conatec)

Education

MBA, Bentley College, Waltham, Massachusetts

BS Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland

Basic Reliability, University of Maryland

Shipley Associates Proposal Management course given by TRW

Greenbelt Certified

Security Clearance: SECRET (Defense Security Service)

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