Business Development Research Engineer

K.K. Law, Ph.D.

**** *********** **. ******** ****, CA 91362 Cell: 805-***-**** ***********@*****.***

Visionary and results-driven line and program management executive with track record of success and experience in business development, program/operations management, P&L management, tactical and strategic planning/execution, advanced science and technology R&D, and product development in both private and government sectors.

Hardwired to proactively meet/exceed organizational & program objectives on time and within budget.

Successfully sold & managed over 43 small-business defense technology programs valued at over $60 MM via successful execution of win capture strategies, and effective navigation of marketing campaign within multiple program management and executive offices. Scored the highest number of small business defense program wins in multiple technology areas within NAVAIR three years in a row since 2020. Simultaneously manage multiple program efforts for the Navy’s mission-driven technology & product developments with >100 personnel spread across over two dozen companies.

Well-known world-class QCL subject matter expert for infrared countermeasures applications within all US government sectors, barred none

Go-to technical advisor and authority leader for a dozen program management offices for all technical matters of technology solutions associated with photonics-based electronic warfare and various diverse offensive and defensive Naval applications

Uncanny ability to identify & assess relevant emerging and game-changing transformational technologies that will meet and align with the current and future Naval defense requirements & dual-use civilian applications, often ahead of traditional VCs, private equity firms, defense primes’ venture teams, etc.

Core Competency

Communication at all levels of the organization, & be able to adapt communications & presentations according to the audience -- Have given numerous invited & key-note conference presentations in public forums in the last 25 years

Coalition building & leadership; conflict identification, analysis & resolution for successful cross-functional & cross-organizational partnerships

Collaboration & negotiation with customers / stakeholders at all levels to create win-win solutions & generate results that meet /exceed objectives

R&D, product development program risk analysis, management & resolution via best-practice product development & program management methodology

Astute cost reduction & avoidance via game-changing technology innovation

Product/technology strategic planning & road-mapping

Well connected to S&T community via start-ups, universities, R&D labs

Adapting to & thriving in dynamic & fluid environments while remaining pragmatic & focused

Maintaining a balanced strategic big picture focus & attention to necessary technical & tactical details simultaneously

Ability to identify emerging transformational defense technologies and to create programs that align with the future strategic & tactical defense requirements

Selected relevant technical program background – Next-gen DIRCM lasers for protection of manned & unmanned aircrafts, multispectral imaging for counter-UAVs, uncooled IR camera for UAVs, EO/IR ISR, ultra-high-speed image recognition via photonic edge computing, hypersonic vehicle technologies, metamaterials for low-SWaP optics, LWIR free-space optical communications, high-performance solar cell systems, Li-ion batteries with high specific energy, acoustic metamaterials for antisubmarine warfare applications, light-weight protection for UAVs against EW and HPM attacks, machine learning aided design cycle time reduction, etc.

R&D – Authored & co-authored 130 journal and conference papers in basic & applied research in photonics

Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division 2009 - Present

Head, Optics & Photonics

With my strategic vision aligned to various existing and future NAVAIR technological needs and challenges, I have initiated, championed, sold and managed over 43 funded Navy SBIR & STTR programs – with over $60 MM combined funding -- via collaborations with industry & academia researchers that are well suited to innovate and advance NAVAIR future capabilities. Most of these cutting-edge defense programs are to develop game-changing technologies that span from directed infrared countermeasures, UAVs detections using hyperspectral imagers, hypersonic aerial vehicles, machine learning for accelerated laser design, low-SWaP EMI/EMP protection for avionics, high-performance Li-ion batteries, metamaterials for advanced low-SWaP photonic and underwater acoustic applications, to hypersonic missile detection using EO/IR sensors, etc. Some of these noteworthy programs are for the development of innovative, low-cost-by-design, high-performance lasers with wavelengths ranging from UV to mid-infrared for next-generation countermeasures and sensing applications. These innovative laser technologies will deliver unprecedented ROI with performance and reliability improvements by up to 30X, and acquisition and total ownership costs reductions by 10X than incumbent technologies for future Naval applications & deployments. The premise of these lasers programs I spearhead is based on a “paradigm- shifting” design methodology which incorporates design for cost & reliability as part of the design criteria in the early product capability design phase. Such a best-practice design methodology has also been incorporated as part of the development strategy for most of my SBIR/STTR projects. I am also the “go-to” NAVAIR technical advisor and pace-setter for next-generation EO/IR and various photonics technologies, such as optoelectronics for countermeasures and strike weapons, and underwater detection and sensing.

During my tenure as the Head of Optics & Photonics leading a team of direct & indirect reports of 25 scientists, my proactive team leadership and coaching have enabled my team to be ever more results-oriented & customer-focused, and to accomplish the organization goals within the timeframes and allotted budgets. I also encourage, motivate & inspire the staff with career growth potential to continue learning new technical and business skills, and to take on new technical/business challenges to take their careers to the next levels. I provide customized mentoring to junior members who need extra technical and management coaching to succeed. My leadership style also provides the resources, vision, timely constructive feedbacks and clear expectations that empower the team members with high career aspirations and potentials to exceed performance expectations.

As a Navy technical manager of various JTO high-energy laser programs over the last ten years, I successfully improved & turned around multiple JTO programs’ initial contractors’ under-performances during their Phase 1s via proactive best-practice program management action process, thereby enabling them to successfully proceed to Phase 2 and to complete the programs successfully without incurring extra costs and schedule slips.

I completed a 11-month Navy Leadership Development Program rotational assignment at NAWCWD 5.0 Range Department at Point Mugu, CA. I served as a deputy investment portfolio manager performing program management of the costs, schedules and performance of FY18 portfolio of investment projects including I&M, M&R, 0602, CTEIP, CIP and MILCON programs. Monitor monthly each program’s status on cost, schedule and performance. Addressed any impact on the program objectives or deviation from funding expenditure benchmarks, and initiate and execute necessary corrective actions with project PMs to ensure all projects were executed on schedule.

Cantronic Systems Inc. (Infrared imager manufacturing company) 2008 - 2009

Executive Vice President/Deputy CEO, QWIP Technologies, Inc. (Cantronic Systems’ wholly owned subsidiary)

Report directly to the CEO of Cantronic Systems Inc. Recruited to turn around, and restructure / rebuild a subsidiary of the company from the ground up which has been in a long and significant decline.

Strengthened the company’s credibility as a high-potential player in the long infrared focal plane array and camera market in both domestic and oversea commercial and defense arenas via my best-practice business development strategy and execution augmented by my strong technical background.

Transformed and renewed company’s viability and momentum. Brought renewed focus to corporate strategy by defining and accelerating product commercialization plan / cycle.

QPC Lasers, Inc. (High-power laser diode manufacturing company), 2006 - 2008

Director, Business Development & Program Management

Reported to the President / CEO of the company. Responsible for program management, business development & marketing, product / program development, product / program strategy & planning,

proposal / RFP development, and contract negotiation of all government / prime contractor defense and commercial technology and product development programs.

Jump-started the business development and technical proposal efforts of a once-dormant defense high-energy laser weapon system programs, leading to capturing 2-year high-power diode pumps development and manufacturing technology programs worth $2.5 million, with total estimated contract value up to $10 million over a 5-year period.

Program-managed $5 million multiple government defense prime and sub-contractor technology and product development programs; continuously drove teams to meet and exceed program milestone requirements to ensure capturing multimillion-dollar follow-on programs within one year.

Proactively initiated, built and strengthened prime contractor customer relationships for the company’s sub-contractor opportunities in the area of high-brightness, high-power diode pumps for DARPA high-performance fiber lasers programs with total value over $2.5 million.

Played a pivotal rainmaker role in identifying new market niches that matched company capabilities, creating new and strengthening existing government agency relationships, developing new strategic alliances and cultivating new prime contractor partnerships, to develop new programs and products for growing market needs in standoff IED / explosives detection using QCLs, and / or THz imaging and spectroscopic systems based on room-temperature, portable THz source for homeland security and DOD applications. The new combined multiple-program business revenues were projected at the time to be in the range of $5 - 10 million over a 18-month period.

APIC CORP. ($10 million defense photonic component company) 2003 - 2006

Director, Product Development (& Business Development)

One of my key roles was to bring a product manufacturing and commercialization focus to what had been a R&D company.

Reported to the President of the company. Managed a team of 10+ direct and indirect reports of engineers and project managers. Responsible for photonic device product / business development and marketing, product strategy & planning, proposal development, contract negotiation, fabrication foundry business development, manufacturing process development and qualification, transferring fabrication processes from prototyping stage into stable, reproducible and high-yield manufacturing processes, and continuous improvement of manufacturing costs and cycle time.

Spearheaded business development and technical proposal efforts, leading to securing one-year multimillion-dollar defense optoelectronic product development and manufacturing technology contracts in a year.

Created and launched multifaceted silicon and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) fabrication foundry business development campaign; grew revenue from zero to $500K in less than a year. Program-managed a multimillion-dollar product development and engineering program for DOD’s SOI integrated photonics and transceiver programs using integrated product development process; successfully fulfilled customer’s stringent project requirements, resulting in securing additional follow-on business.

Played a key role in collaborating with the off-site silicon fabrication facility staff in building and ramping up a six-inch SOI photonic circuit wafer pilot-line fabricating facility in one and half years, six months ahead of schedule.

HIGH-GROWTH TELECOM COMPONENT COMPANIES 2000 – 2003

GOGETTER CONSULTING GROUP

Managing Principal

Advise senior executives at high-tech companies as Consulting VP/Director of Product / Business Development on product development, business development, product / program management and engineering operations.

AGILITY COMMUNICATIONS (Semiconductor widely tunable laser manufacturer)

Director of Program Management

Reported to the COO of the company. Led a team of 30+ direct and indirect reports of engineers and project managers. Responsible for product/business development, market opportunity identification/development, building target customer relations, transitioning products from development stage into manufacturing, and improvement of manufacturing yields and costs.

Spearheaded the industry’s 1st landmark reliability qualification of a widely tunable laser -- a “must-have” customer requirement – by resolving technical problems early in the product life cycle.

Guided two top-tier product programs back on track with targeted revenue of $20+ million in 1 year (3-year $250+-million potential), cut 30% product cost via 3X improvement on product test/calibration time, and developed and executed an integrated product development process that decreased time to qualification/market by 30%, despite a headcount reduction totaled 60%+.

VITESSE SEMICONDUCTOR CORP. ($440 million telecom integrated circuit manufacturer)

Director, Technical Program Operations Management & Product Engineering

Reported to the corporate VP/GM of the company. Led a team of 15 direct reports of engineers and a program manager. Responsible for the company’s $70-million Analog Division’s product engineering, manufacturing operations and program management.

Improved on-time customer delivery performance from 85% to 98% within the 1st quarter on the job.

Accelerated transfer of products (components for 10-GB/s transceivers) to production by 15 months via effective product development process and hiring/motivating key engineers; shepherded $5-million IBM’s multi-channel receiver product from alpha phase to pilot-production phase.

Doubled product profitability of trans-impedance amplifier circuits and cut $1+ million test equipment capital via 2X overall test time improvement.

Prior Experience: Member of Technical Staff/Project Team Manager, BELL LABS, LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES; Senior Research Engineer, 3M CENTRAL RESEARCH LABS;

Assistant Professor (Electrical and Computer Engineering), NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

MS, PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Graduate Business Coursework (Distance Learning Education), University of London & Columbia University.

Graduate of Navy Leadership Development Program (Navair’s flagship leadership development program).

U.S. Citizen. Top Secret Security Clearance. Profiled in Marquis Who's Who in the World ®. 130 journal publications & conference presentations (including various invited and keynote presentations), and 1 US patent awarded & 1 US patent pending.

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