Project Engineer / Project Manager
Resume:
THOMAS A. POWELL
Arlington, Va. 22204
********@*****.***
EXPERIENCE
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY (U.S. Dept. of Defense) 7/02 – present Electronics Engineer GS 14-08
* Served as a key technical contributor to the generation of technical specifications using DAWIA guidelines, used to procure optical fiber and equipment to support the GIGBE project. Provided input to the specification of optical transmission equipment including optical amplifiers, switches and add/drop multiplexers. Performed systems engineering, including optical path loss and non-linearities calculations and developed tools to aid in the source selection process. Authored technical test procedures. Key contributor to the development and engineering of optical transmission line systems and Optical Transmission System (OTS) site configurations. Performed GIGBE OTS reliability & path availability calculations.
* Lead OTS reliability engineer for GIG-BE project. Supported numerous and diverse optical and systems engineering tasks for GIGBE project.
* Managed programs in support of the production of technical documentation, working with and managing assigned support contracting engineers. Technical lead engineer to support OC-192 wavelength leasing for GIGBE.
* Served as a COTR for the source selection process for optical fiber acquisition and a technical rep to DISA for optical layer equipment testing, integration and selection. Recipient of special service award due to outstanding technical contribution to GIGBE project.
* As KO technical representative, managed technical aspects of ongoing fiber vendor contracts. My technical analysis and negotiation skills resulted in a savings of over $1.16M in contract costs to the government & an extreme reduction in required spare counts.
* Served as team captain for 2003 Combined Federal Campaign for NS42; division exceeded designated contribution allocation for year;
received special service award for efforts.
* Lead transport engineer & team leader for DVS-II video conferencing service for transport branch. Designed and lab verified associated IT architectures and timing methodologies. Efforts resulted in over $2M in annual savings to DoD in circuit lease costs.
* Performed circuit analysis, equipment costing and design on ATM, IP, Ethernet, SONET, VT1.5, OC services.
* Lead transport engineer for DISA, responsible for design and modification of DoD site architectures. This included all optical, data aggregation, and IP equipment. My technical design and team management efforts resulted in meeting all DoD customer requirements on time to support BRAC. Also served as a source selection board technical evaluator for DITCO supporting Networx IT services contract.
Lead engineer on DAMA-C SATCOM project. Performed link budget analysis, reviewed proposed BPSK & CPM digital modulation techniques; generated CONOPS documents; served as technical manager and liaison for DISA to OSD & contractor engineering teams
TYCOM, LTD. (formerly AT&T Submarine Systems) Morristown, N.J. 6/97 – 10/01 Senior Project Manager
* Responsible for the overall implementation & delivery of multi-million dollar international undersea fiber optic telecommunications systems. Served as the primary customer interface, attended customer meetings, and made customer presentations. Initiated team formation and detailed contract analysis and review, ensured that the organization was directed in an effort to minimize risk, maximize resource allocation, and comply with the terms of supply contracts. Reviewed and modified co-supplier teaming agreements and negotiated terms and conditions to protect the interest of the company. Provided leadership for risk management and contingency planning. Presented project status to Executive Council and customers. Managed the following projects: TAT 12/13 upgrade; TPC5 upgrade, AC1 upgrade and ARCOS1. Combined total corporate revenue for these projects was $290M.
* Performed budgeting and cost tracking activities, coordination of R&D, equipment purchasing and manufacturing, installation/ testing/integration, training & documentation efforts in accordance with the terms of the supply contract. Created and updated overall project plan of work and monthly status reports. Key contributor to process improvement teams. Instrumental in completing the ARCOS1 project ($85M revenue) ahead of schedule and under budget, with a high level of customer satisfaction.
T.A. Powell- pg. 2 of 4
AMPLIDYNE, INC. Somerset, N.J. 1/96 - 6/97 Design Engineer / Manager of Feedforward Product Development
* Initiated the development of a multi-carrier feedforward linear amplifier for cellular applications, including AMPS and CDMA, TDMA PCS. Performed analysis including amplifier RF loop budgets and was a key contributor to the RF architecture. Designed, simulated, and tested C-band preamplifers, couplers and hybrid attenuators.
* Designed microcontroller and frame level interface hardware. Wrote all loop cancellation algorithms, alarm and status firmware.
Designed frame level DC and control hardware including processors and all control firmware.
* Managed engineers and technicians, set project schedules, and handled cellular systems level issues. Assisted with RF amplifier integration and testing at the bench level. Participated in physical design.
* Presented technical and business information to high level customers. Assisted with product sales, making customer calls and formulating technical specifications. Consulted to upper management concerning technical & business issues. Developed test procedures and firmware for manufacturing, trained technicians and worked closely with production management. Efforts were key to developing one of the world’s first operational PCS MCLA. This placed the company in a position to generate an IPO and procure contracts with large multi-national firms, poised for a potential increase of 600% in annual sales. All goals were accomplished with minimal resources and under an aggressive schedule.
AT&T BELL LABORATORIES Whippany, N.J. 8/87- 1/96 Member of the Technical Staff
* Lead Electrical Engineer responsible for establishing an undersea lightwave communication/surveillance system integration & test lab to support US Navy SOSUS system. Interviewed & selected engineering staff. Guided technical personnel through hardware & software development process. Researched & selected programmable compact high voltage power supplies which are now the standard for undersea transmission systems. Determined budget, authorized expenditures, selected lab equipment. Prepared & implemented test plans. Worked with designers & upper management to resolve system technical problems. Interfaced with prime contractor's engineering staff. Efforts were key to the awarding of multi-million dollar follow on contracts.
* Designed & constructed test equipment used to characterize lightwave transmission systems, using high speed microstrip technology. Wrote data acquisition software, programmed test equipment, performed testing.
* Designed, simulated and evaluated cellular RF circuitry for PCS TDMA/CDMA applications, including microstrip test fixtures, RF amplifiers, temperature compensated DC bias networks, and temperature compensation attenuators.
* Performed RF amplifier testing & evaluation. for AMPS applications. Authored RF amplifier product specifications & assisted RF developers with product design. Generated frame / shelf level electrical schematics for RF cell sites. Assisted in the generation of RF system level requirements.
* Designed microcontroller PCB hardware & firmware for a RF feedforward loop linear amplifier used in JTACS and AMPS applications. Performed circuit simulation, lab testing, design verification & debugging. Lead Engineer responsible for FCC EMC compliance testing. Executed RF testing & data analysis. Documented, presented and published all work and test results. All were accomplished under an extremely tight development schedule.
* Interfaced with Project Management, Systems Engineering, and the Design Community to author cellular system alarm interface specifications documents. Established methods which maximized the re-use of existing resources and minimized project cost and schedule impact. Established hardware specifications & interfaced with external design organizations.
* Participant in numerous ISO 9000 compliant inspections as a moderator, designer or inspector. Departmental Affirmative Action Committee Chairperson. RF tools QIT Team member. RDM&A QIT Team member. MRRB group representative.
T.A. Powell – pg. 3 of 4
U.S. NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY Washington, D.C. 1984-1986 Member of the Technical Staff
* Research, design, & development of RF and microprocessor based electronic countermeasures equipment.
* Published engineering studies on decoy tracking methods, target characterization, computer simulations and software.
* Participated in countermeasures field testing, including land based and shipboard RF and IR signature characterizations. Established a solution to target tracking problem, saving U.S. Navy > $1M in annual testing costs. Served as a technical rep to prime contractors and technical consultant to government engineers on NATO and U.S. Navy projects.
TECHNICARE CORP. (JOHNSON & JOHNSON) Solon, Ohio 1/80-8/83 Field Service Engineer
* Repair & installation of complex biomedical equipment, including Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) & digital radiographic scanners. Wrote & utilized diagnostic software. Implemented hardware & software retrofits.
* Responsible for several accounts, regularly interfacing with medical professionals and administrators. Assisted sales force and provided international tech support. Efforts resulted in increased area annual sales (> $2M) and a high level of customer satisfaction.
U.S. AIR FORCE 2/76-2/80 Radio Communications / Digital Sensor Systems
* Installation, maintenance, design, and component level repair of air traffic control & intra-communication RF systems, digital sensor & data acquisition systems.
EDUCATION
MSEE 1991 STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (Major: Communications Systems)
MBA 2002 FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY (Major: MIS)
PMP 2001 GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY / PROJECT MGT. INSTITUTE Certified Project Mgt. Professional
DISA (OFC 2003): Optical Amplifiers; Optical Systems Engineering; Photonics & High-Speed Transmission Measurements; Ciena Optical Transmission Systems (OTS) overview; Ciena OTS Test & Turn-up; OTS Tier 3
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: 1997-1999: Managing Projects in Organizations; Contracting
for Project Managers; Quality for Project Managers; Scheduling & Cost Control; Project Leadership, Management
& Communications; Risk Management, Project Management Applications
U.S. AIR FORCE TECH SCHOOL Honor Graduate Electronics & RF Theory 1200 hours
NCO Management Course; High Reliability Soldering
TECHNICARE CORPORATION Biomedical Electronics & Software 820 hours
High Voltage Safety; Radiation Measurement & Safety, Xerox Customer Management Skills
AT&T BELL LABS Logic Design, Laser Physics, Fault Tolerance, Cellular Communication
Systems, EEsof RF Tools; Intel MCS-51 Microcontroller Family Workshop, Besser Associates RF Design
EMI Workshop, Communications Workshop, Time Management, AA Diversity Awareness
T.A. Powell – pg. 4 of 4
PATENTS
RF SHIELDED I/O CONNECTOR
AT&T Bell Laboratories 1996
U.S. Patent # 5499935 European Patent # 99124131.6-2308
MULTI-LAYER SHIELDING FOR ABSORPTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY
Lucent Technologies / Bell Labs Innovations 1996
U.S. Patent # 5583318
PUBLICATIONS
STUDY OF TRACKING METHODS FOR HIGH VELOCITY DECOYS
Quest Research Corp. for U.S. Naval Research Lab McLean, Va. 1985
FULL ENGAGEMENT DECOY SIMULATION USER'S GUIDE
Quest Research Corp. for U.S. Naval Research Lab McLean, Va. 1986
PREDICTING THE FDS-UWS SYSTEM RESPONSE TO CHANGING ELECTRICAL CONDITIONS
AT&T Bell Laboratories Whippany, N.J. 1991
WORK AWARDS
DISA: 2003: Outstanding Achievement in the Acquisition Fields; GIGBE project
2003: Outstanding Achievement in Science/Engineering Fields; GIGBE project
2003: Recipient of special service/monetary award; outstanding technical contribution to GIGBE
2003: Recipient of special service award for 2003 Combined Federal Campaign (Team Captain)
2004: Recipient of special service/monetary award; outstanding technical contribution to GIGBE
2005: Recipient of special service award; GIGBE outstanding technical project of the year
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010: Outstanding performance of duties; cash award
AT&T: 1995: Recipient of transmission systems Silver Quality Award for JCA project
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- Project Management Institute
- IEEE
OTHER
- EIT 1988
- Public service projects (Little league Baseball coach) in Morristown, NJ: Neighborhood House
- Judge for NW New Jersey regional Science fair
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