OVERVIEW

A Security Cleared Software Quality Assurance Engineer with 17 years experience within the Defence and Space industries. This covers “mission critical” & “safety critical” software projects that develop and procure highly-reliable real-time embedded software to formal standards across a number of differing platforms (land-based, air, sea, space). Hard working, determined, conscious and reliable individual with an “eye for attention to detail”

EMPLOYMENT

November 08 – Present EADS Astrium, Stevenage (SW Product Assurance)

Duties in Space industry were to ensure PA Requirements compliance to ECSS standards and SOW (PA/QA requirements) for mission critical software through audit, monitoring and progress reporting activities. The primary tasks include: • Liaison with Customer (European Space Agency, ESA) and subcontractors (SW developers) within UK, Germany, France and Netherlands; • Internally interface with SW & Test Verification Teams (Integrated & Functional with respect to test environments); and • Identifying process improvements (i.e. review/action tracking, monitoring anomalies, control of test environment and Requirement/Test coverage and Code Maturity).

September 05 – November 08 EDS, Reading (Senior Quality Assurance Specialist )

In the Defence infrastructure environment ensure compliance to PrinCE2/PM2 techniques. Monitor and track through assessment of Gate Review measures and independent Health-checks. Measures collated then analysed for process improvement for the Workstreams. Also promote the need for Gate review as delivery mechanism with Business and Workstreams.

June 00 – September 05 BAE Systems (Senior S/W Quality Engineer/Auditor)

February 97 – June 00 EASAMS (Senior S/W Quality Engineer/Auditor )

February 96 – February 97 GEC-MARCONI, Edinburgh (SW Quality Engineer (Contract))

All 3 roles above were on Military platforms providing advice on Company QMS and compliance to Military standards (e.g. MIL-STD 2167A, MIL-STD-498, ISO9001:2000, Def Std 05-91, TickIT, JSP 198) on Safety Critical SW for Safety Critical audit, monitoring and progress reporting activities. Check testing for repeatability and reproducibility. The primary tasks include:

• Active participation in verification and test extending (Unit through SW Integration then Systems);

• Manage non-conformance/problem reports;

• Capture & store event logs for analysis or support investigations;

• Liaison between functions groups within Business, Customer and Suppliers;

• Capture measures from the audit, test & review activities. Metric analysis provide trends which contribute to process improvements or lessons learned;

• Participated/facilitated in Change Control Boards (CCB's);

• Monitor RFW/RFD’s; and

• Process CoC’s and BOM’s

1974 - 1995 Design & Development Engineer From leaving school in 1974 to 1995 frame, my career included experience in Development. Initially this was in Telecomms and onto Defence environment in Electronic Design (with Software exposure), Technical debug and QA functions (Nat Semi). This provided me with a sound platform for understanding of problems, consequences and risks associated in Systems Integration level.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

1992 – 1993

1972 – 1978 HNC Computing (with Merits) (Cambuslang College) HNC,HS, ONC Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Diploma in Information Technology, EITB Apprenticeship in Telecoms

1979 - 1984 B.Sc Electronic Engineering (Glasgow College of Technology)

OTHER SKILLS

Professional Training includes :

IRCA Internal Auditor Course, Fagan Inspection Techniques for Defect Analysis, Rational Unified Process (RUP) techniques/principles, Iterative Development, Rational Requisite Pro Course, Rational Clearcase Course, Negotiation Skills techniques, Managing Interpersonal Conflict

Quality Assurance Skills

• Provide guidance to software projects (medium/large) in the use of Defence & Space standards (e.g. MIL-STD 2167A, MIL-STD-498, ISO9001:2000, Def Std 05-91, TickIT, JSP 198, ECSS-Q-40, ECSS-Q-80).

• Support software developers throughout the full lifecycle to produce a high value product (i.e. mission/safety critical) using varied methodologies (Waterfall, V-Model, Iterative, RUP) within planned project timescales. This support covers software development using various methodologies (e.g. Waterfall, evolution, Iterative (RUP))

• Support the transition and sharing of software project processes across trans-national organisations.

• Refine, document and ensure implementation across project via monitoring • Assess the software processes and quality of product through inspections, reviews, audits, collection and analysis of metrics. Team Skills

• Develop relationships within the Quality and Product Assurance workgroups promoting best practice across the business. Furthermore, relationships between the QA function and the Software developer and Test (V&V) groups – promoting best practice, optimisation of checks/inspections and capture of agreed measures.

• Motivated Instigator of process improvement activity emanating from, for example audit/inspection, RCA and previous work experiences.

Communication & Management Skills

• Establish and maintain good relations with Customer, Supplier and an Independent Software Validation & Verification provider (ISVV).

• Encouraged and promote the use of tools to facilitate meetings and thus enable them to be more focussed and efficient.

• Establish and promote planning to meet project milestones & deliveries.

• Chair and/or support the project reviews (e.g. PDR, CDR, TRR, TRB, DRB).

•  Lead Non-conformance reviews - Manage (problem reports)

* CA & PA * Root Cause * Lessons

• Ensure Quality Record - maintenance & storage

• Report on trends - experience in Process Measurement

Reporting Skills Initiate reports in with approved communications plan & development plan or ad hoc as a result of issues & anomalies identified during SDLC.

Tools: Highly skilled in the following Microsoft applications - Word, Excel, Project, Powerpoint, Access. IT Skills Professional Training includes working knowledge in the following methodologies - programme (Prince2/PM and software (Waterfall, Evolution, Iterative, Rational Unified Process – RUP).

Highly skilled in the following applications (format : Function Name Experience Certificate)

RM                     DOORS User RM Rational Rose                  Basic           Yes

DM                    Clearcase                                                           User            Yes

ChgM               ClearQuest                                                         User             Yes

NC Problem   NCTS                                                                   User

                         Pandora                                                               User             Yes

                         Bugzilla SPR                                                       User

Action              PRISMA Bugzilla Action                                     User

PERSONAL INTERESTS Watching sport, particularly football. Other interests include music, cinema, travel and reading.