Quality Engineer

CHARLES GARDNER WALLACE

Rockford, IL *****

********@***.***, LinkedIn URL: http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgardnerwallace

Summary

Avid, experienced quality professional (aerospace, telecom, defense, rail; software, RF, electronic, electrical) serious about quality control and process improvement.

Education

MBA, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Schaumburg, IL.

BSEET, DeVry Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL,

Anthropology/Art & Design/Engineering, University of IL, Urbana-Champaign and Chicago

Training

TS 16949, DO-178C, AS9100C Internal Quality Auditing with AS9110, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), AS9100:2009 Lead Auditor, AS9100 Aerospace Industry Specific Course, AS9100 Aerospace QMS Foundation, ISO 9001:2008 Lead Auditor, QSM SLIM (Software Lifecycle Management), FMEA, 8D.

Self-Study: DO-178B, DO-254, MIL-STD 781.

Certifications

Six Sigma Green Belt, ASQ CSQE (Certified Software Quality Engineer), UTAS AS9100 Internal Auditor, ACE Assoc, GWU Assoc. in Project Mgmt.

Employment History

Metrom Rail, Crystal Lake, Illinois

Quality Control Manager 11/16 – 4/18

Lead independent-minded, entrepreneurial startup producer of RF based Positive Train Control (PTC)/collision avoidance system to adopt a process approach.

Build Quality organization and Quality Management System (QMS)

Prepare organization for ISO 9001 audit. Author and implement all QMS procedures and documents, including Software Development Plan, Supplier Quality Control, Purchasing, Control of Nonconforming Product/CAPA, Configuration Management, Calibration, ESD control and others.

Assure compliance to required regulatory and industry rail standards. Lead organizational RAMSH (Reliability, Maintainability, Availability, Safety & Human Factors) program.

Thales Defense and Security, Inc., Aurora, IL

Principal Quality Engineer 10/15 – 10/16

Responsible for all quality management related activities at Aurora Visionix site, which designs and produces electronic helmet mounted displays (HMD) for fighter pilots, as sole on-site representative of parent quality organization located in Clarksburg, MD.

Lead recently acquired remote site, independent minded entrepreneurial organization to adopt a process approach to running business and conform with new corporate owner QMS (Quality Management System).

Prepared organization for AS9100C certification audit.

Defined, documented, and implemented procedures, including Receiving, Calibration, ESD Control, etc.

Ensured processes are in harmony with parent company, as appropriate, and are adhered to.

Interfaced with DCMA (Defense Contract Management Agency) and defense customers.

Reviewed and inspected HMD system prototype assemblies, test results, and documentation prior to shipment to customers.

Member of A-10 and F-16 fighter jet Failure Review Board, participant in Root Cause Analysis.

Reviewed, approved and witnessed EMI and Environmental Qualification test procedures.

Create DO-178C Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP).

Reviewed and approved Software Development Plans.

Participated in software requirements, code, and other reviews.

Witnessed and performed software tests.

United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTAS), Rockford, IL 6/10 – 10/15

Program Quality Engineer, 9/11 – 10/15

Provided Quality leadership and guidance to internal and supplier teams in development, test, and release of Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) system circuit boards for the NASA Orion space capsule, intended to take humans to Mars in the 2030’s.

Wrote and implemented program Quality Plan.

Helped prepare organization for AS9100 certification and surveillance audits.

Obtained AS9100 internal auditor certification

Audited electronics manufacturing supplier to ASQR-01 internal quality standard.

Travelled to supplier locations to perform source inspections of in-process and finished products.

Inspected circuit boards per NASA 8739 workmanship standards. Studied IPC/J-STD in prep for next phase.

Witnessed testing of circuit boards.

Coordinated reporting, processing, resolution and corrective action for non-conforming product.

Reviewed first article inspection reports (FAIR’s), including qualification data, for assembled circuit boards.

Helped create Acceptance Data Packs.

Reviewed and approved software configuration documentation.

Regularly interfaced with customer (Lockheed Martin) and external suppliers (Frontier Electronics, Microsemi, MSK, TCS, Avnet, etc.).

Provide Quality leadership and guidance to internal and supplier teams for production of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Aerial Defense) missile actuation system).

Member of THAAD thrust vector actuator kaizen team which re-planned manufacturing and test workflow, increasing output.

Material Review Board (MRB) candidate.

On ACE (“Achieving Competitive Excellence”) Practitioner path.

Submitted multiple process improvement suggestions, six of which were personally sponsored by senior General Manager, including one dealing specifically with improving the FMEA process.

Proposed and executed plan to finish FAIRs faster, bringing in over $1 million revenue early from Q2 to Q1.

Participated in Quality Clinic workflow review and improvement.

Orion Program Quality Engineer, 1/11 – 9/11 (as contractor with Belcan Corp, Downers Grove, IL)

Wrote Quality Plan.

Provided Quality Engineering support for Orion Flight Test-1 program, ensuring quality for design, development, test and procurement of NASA Orion MPCV at UTAS Space Systems division in Rockford, IL.

Quality Specialist, 6/10 – 1/11 (as contractor with Kaney Aerospace, Rockford, IL)

Ensured FAA certification of Boeing 787 Dreamliner APSIF (Airplane Power System Integration Facility) electric power system laboratory at UTAS in Rockford, IL.

Verified, witnessed, and documented all testing.

Ensured proper procedures carried out by test engineers. Documented all hardware and software configuration changes and nonconformances.

Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL, 1989 – 2009

Senior Staff Software Quality Manager, 2006 – 09: GPSE (Govt. & Public Safety Enterprise). Guided mission critical public safety RF systems software applications development teams to achieve Motorola quality goals, developed using both Agile and Waterfall methodologies. Leadership Team member for Public Safety RF system software development projects. Created presentations for monthly senior management reviews. Influenced newer, independent-minded ICC teams to work effectively with more formal, process-mature Motorola organizations. Wrote quality plans, set internal standards, and assured adherence to relevant internal and external quality standards Participated in ISO9001 audits and audit prep. Ensured defects were classified, prioritized, and resolved in a timely and effective manner. Gathered data from defect tracking tools and generated, analyzed, and presented quality metrics at reviews. Initiated Root Cause and Trend Analysis activity, providing direction for corrective and preventive actions and process improvements, using 5-Whys, 8D and other Quality tools. Kept programs on track to achieve quality goals.

Software Process Engineer, 2005 – 06: iDEN (producer of infrastructure and handsets for NexTel) Successfully prepared test organization for SEI CMM-I SCAMPI-C assessment and TL9000 audit Chaired Process Improvement Committee meetings.

Software Process Engineer, 2003 – 05: iDEN. Ensured test organization followed all required processes and procedures. Help lead organization to achieve SEI CMM Level 5 compliance. Chaired process improvement meetings. Evaluated new software test tools and methods.

System Software Test Team Manager, 2000 – 03: iDEN. Created RF packet data throughput and other system test plans. Provided technical assistance and guidance to 7 direct reports. Created, scheduled, and supervised test plans for system releases. Managed sub team of software developers in automation of test cases using LabView.

System Software Test Engineer, 2000 – 00: iDEN. Performed RF packet data throughput, drive testing, and complicated radio signal and audio quality testing as it relates to cellular subscriber mobility management, inducing fading, noise, and interference on RF signals to evaluate performance.

System Software Test Engineer, 1998 – 00: iDEN. Executed complex two-way radio and cellular system mobility management, load and stress, and call processing tests. Performed testing of Iridium satellite telephone system.

System Software Test Engineer, 1995 – 98: LMPS (Land Mobile Product Sector). Wrote and executed RF mobility management, load and stress, and call processing system tests. Performed system troubleshooting, tuning and programming of base stations and subscriber units.

Communications Systems Analyst, 1991 – 95: LMPS. Performed on site troubleshooting of trunked two-way radio systems. Recreated and resolved customer issues on in-house test systems.

Communications Systems Technician, 1989 – 91: NPD (Nat’l Parts Division) Performed testing and troubleshooting of RF electronic communications products.

Netcom, Northbrook, IL 1987 – 1988

Technician. Performed testing and troubleshooting of manufactured RF filters, antenna base coils, and electronic radio switches in electronics manufacturing facility.

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