Engineer Technical Support

W. Joel Starling, P.E.

214-***-**** ■ *****@***********.*** ■ www.linkedin.com/in/wjstarling ■ Dallas, TX

Extra-mile attitude ■ Owner mentality ■ Entrepreneurial ■ Perseverance

Committed to leveraging industry, research, and renewable-energy product development expertise with Texas P.E. license to promote sustainability in product design, power & water applications, infrastructure, and manufacturing – broad experience and specific skills will inform efforts to deliver successful, cost-effective new product development and/or product update, upgrade or remediation in industrial, commercial, transportation, and infrastructure markets.

Solid interpersonal and communication skills; adept at coordinating across the spectrum of customer, company, supplier, and regulatory stakeholders – flexible to communicate technical concepts and options in terms appropriate to audience. Achieve high standards of excellence by being a student of and using effective business management and leadership skills. Positive cross-functional team leader and contributor.

Capacity for multi-tasking multiple account issues / opportunities in fast-paced environment of product and product design, project management, manufacturing support, field service, technical support and customer relationship management (streamlined by extensive use of Salesforce CRM software). Recognized ability to advance company interests by forging strong relationships and maintaining customer confidence and loyalty.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities include:

■ Texas Professional Engineering (PE) license (mechanical – thermal/fluids emphasis)

■ Proposals / contract negotiations

■ Customer relationship management (Salesforce)

■ Supplier oversight / systems integration

■ Field-service resourcefulness

■ Software (HelioScope, AutoCAD, Solidworks)

■ Equipment/software application technical support

Select Accomplishments

Provided, during extensive in-country engagement, photovoltaic (PV) monitoring equipment installation services and training, hardware/software trouble-shooting, and managed strained relationship with Draker’s Japanese distribution partner. Provided lessons-learned feedback (installation best practices and mechanical design) to internal sales, hardware and software development teams on field-specific issues.

Leveraged engineering and field-installation expertise as key member of select team developing PV module soiling software algorithm. Improved accuracy of algorithm “baseline” by remediating large array after test conditions were spoiled by site issues. Provided field-perspective feedback to inside sales team and software development teams driving changes that resulted in a more robust and accurate algorithm.

Implemented original outfitting and facility upgrades for water cooling systems in product development laboratory; including water treatment, temperature control chillers, and discharge systems.

Relevant Professional History

Professional Engineer (mechanical) – Blackbird Professional Engineering Company; Dallas, TX – to present

Solar PV design/engineering and mechanical (CAD) product design for commercial customers. Interested in volunteering technical skills for implementing water and power development projects for the underserved.

Technical Services Engineer – Draker (formerly Solar Power Technologies); Austin, TX – thru 2014

Field-installed and commissioned numerous (primarily large-commercial and utility-scale) PV array AC & DC data acquisition systems (DAS) and associated DC optimization/monitoring modules. Provided remote telephone and online technical support and trouble-shooting for customer-commissioning of DAS. Initiated new sales opportunities, delivered effective proposals, and solved multiple hardware/system design challenges.

Adept at field-service trouble-shooting and repair of communications (including RS485 and Ethernet wiring) and controls equipment for DC optimizer and monitor modules, smart combiner boxes, PV inverters, medium-voltage transformers, and weather telemetry instruments.

Continued…

W. Joel Starling, P.E. – page 2 of 2

214-***-**** ■ *****@***********.*** ■ www.linkedin.com/in/wjstarling ■ Dallas, TX

Relevant Professional History…continued

Selected, sourced, and designed mechanical parts for electronic equipment - 3D modeling and fit-check of populated PCBs within custom enclosures resulted in avoidance of PCB rework and fabrication delays.

Represented company product / system solutions to potential customers as side activity during field installation deployments resulting in positive feedback and follow-on engagement with sales team.

Avoided significantly-higher remediation costs by restoring (to customer’s high expectations) customer site after field installation crew inadvertently damaged soft ground under canopy-mounted PV modules.

Voluntarily relocated temporarily to company Vermont office to facilitate more effective collaboration across functional teams and better utilize available training resources within technical support team.

Utilized skills gained during alternative-certification teacher program for training customers in PV monitoring equipment installation and operations. Can leverage these skills to implement energy leadership programs.

Principal Engineer – Linac Systems; Albuquerque, NM – thru 2008

Managed design/manufacturing projects; supervised up to six engineering, design, and technician staff; and performed mechanical design and analysis, proposal and technical interaction/negotiations, and testing and operations for domestic and international commercialization contracts for proton linear accelerator technology.

Key contributor to multiple proposals for DoE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant program and negotiations with international customers resulting in up to $6M of contracts.

Avoided up to $50K cost and 3-month schedule delay by personally fabricating parts and managing assembly operations at supplier facility thus expediting resumption of project test program.

Persevered, after company principals lost focus and initiative, to successful demonstration of company technology leading directly to successful proposal / award of $1M Phase 2 SBIR contract.

Project Engineer – Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory, Waxahachie, TX – thru 1994

Utilized project management skills to lead diverse team of scientists, engineers, designers and technicians for machine/facilities integration. Effectively navigated language and cultural differences between U.S. and China partners to dramatically improve project drawing accuracy while avoiding projected machine fabrication delays.

History List

Professional Engineer – Blackbird PE Company (solar PV/product design; volunteer, water conservation);

PV Sales Consultant – Native (residential, commercial, net-zero construction);

Technical Services Engineer – Draker (PV hardware development, field service, technical support);

Math Teacher – Dallas ISD (training);

Principal Engineer – Linac Systems (medical devices);

Founder / VP Engineering – Emergent Integrated Technologies (consumer products);

Project Engineer – Superconducting Super-collider Laboratory (research);

Engineering Specialist – General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin (aerospace);

Design Engineer – Grumman Corporation (aerospace)

Education, Certification & Professional Development / Training

Texas Professional Engineer (mechanical – thermal/fluids emphasis) – Blackbird PE Company, Dallas, TX

Fundamentals of Project Management – Fred Pryor Seminars, Dallas, TX

NABCEP entry-level PV Design & Installation certification – Imagine Solar, Austin, TX

Advanced PV System Design, Trade Studies, Procurement Integrity – various

Texas Teacher certification – Dallas ISD Alternative Certification, Dallas, TX

Graduate-level courses for Engineering Management – Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX

BSE – Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC

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