• Freelance Quality Assurance Manager with experience in quality assurance, EN9100/EN9120, ECSS, supplier management, management of production activities and testing in electro-mechanical field.
• Currently specialised as a Product Assurance Manager in spacecraft mechanism products (Antenna Deployment Mechanisms and Solar Array Drive Mechanisms)
• Control of product performance and quality through measurement and monitoring of discrepancies and anomalies, identification of issues and resolution of root causes.
• Experience in management of international suppliers through the project lifecycle including supplier audits
• Familiar with Quality Engineering, Quality Control and Quality Systems and knowledge of quality techniques such as Fishbone, FMEA, FAIRs, risk analysis, lean practices.
• Experience in managing people.
• Experience on following projects: ESA, ARABSAT 3 to 5A/B/C/6B , ASTRA 1N, 1M & 3B, ANIK F3, AMAZONAS 2, ATLANTIC BIRD7, COMS, EX AM4, AM4R, AM7, HYLAS, HOTBIRD 8,9 & 10,  INMARSAT 4,  KASAT,  MEASAT 3B & 9B (EUTELSAT), SKYNET A/B/C/D, YAHSAT  1A/1B, W5A, DIRECT TV, AMU1, SKYBRASIL & BEPI-COLOMBO.

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I am a keen, conscientious, hardworking and reliable person. I am a very good time keeper and enjoy meeting people and can adapt to any environment. I would like to use my skills to make a positive contribution to my place of work. I get on well as an individual and also as a member of a team. Some of my key skills are:

• Knowledge of business objects and MS Office
• Knowledge of Design and Documentation Tools & SAP tools (Manufacturing Resource Planning).
• Proactive towards problem solutions.
• Produce standard templates and forms for common approach.
• Obtain the desired results, either work under own initiative or as part of team.
• Direct Customer Interaction with Prime project & End Customer.
• Experience of hiring and firing & managing people.

• BSc in Physic & Mathematics from Punjab University
• Quality Assurance training at Decca Radar
• Certificate in “COBOL”  language from Oxford School of Computer Technology
• Certificate In Accounts Foundation Course under CIPFA from Cheswick Polytechnic

2003 – Current: Product Assurance Manager (Mechanisms) at EADS ASTRIUM Stevenage (UK)

Responsible for the implementation and management of the project Product Assurance (PA) requirements to ensure that the delivered equipment’s are compliant with the customers contractual requirements.

Main duties and responsibilities include:

• Act as the main interface with customers on all quality issues whilst ensuring that the extended project quality functions are kept fully aware of any issues.
• Management of project quality work package & chairing quality gate reviews such as TRR’s (Test Readiness Review), MRR’s (Manufacturing Readiness Reviews), NRB’s (Non-conformance Review Board), TRB’s (Test Review Board), DRB’s (Delivery Review Board) & Mandatory Inspection Reviews.

Key aspects for some of the internal and customer related reviews / meetings:

• Major Non-Conformances, chairing Non-conformance Review Boards (NRB) in order to understand the problem and to discuss a way forward and to implement root cause investigation and ensuring corrective are implemented.
• Test readiness / Test Acceptance Review: Ensure Test Procedure, Test Plan and any relevant Design Instructions are in place, ensure completion of hardware operations. Ensure Test Assessment report completion and resolution of the issues raised during reviews.
• Delivery Review: Ensure all previous project reviews are closed, ensure all relevant documentations, requirements are available for the end item data pack, closure of all project non-conformances, identify open tasks those may require closure post-delivery (5Ws who, what, where, when, why, how).
• Review and approve hardware during MIP/KIP inspections, ensuring that the product is compliant with the desired standard, customer requirements and accounting for any discrepancies/anomalies.
• Dealing with all internal and external quality issues that arise during a project life-cycle, as well as identifying potential quality issues using risk management tools including the management of project non-conformances.
• Customer interface project work, from planning through to completion and delivery. Ensuring that all design/manufacturing/assembly/inspection and operator related issues are addressed, actioned, managed and closed by dealing with various departments of the organisation with respect to quality and project issues.
• Management of international suppliers ensuring the procurement product assurance requirements for delivered equipment are met.
• Supported the implementation of the Lean principles to the production of the ADTM product.
• Perform product and process audits both within the company and at suppliers.
• Management of the extended team of dedicated PA engineers and specialists in the field of EEE, Materials and Processes and Configuration Control.

2003 – 2004: Quality Assurance Engineer (Spacecraft CPS, & Platform) at EADS Astrium Stevenage (UK)

• Provide technical comment and advice to the manufacturing team regarding quality control or assurance, calling upon any specialist knowledge as appropriate.
• Support Quality / Process Controllers in deciding on the severity of an incident or any go/no-go decisions that may be needed.
• Advise and if required support the manufacturing Team leader on quality matters
• Review manufacturing work instructions for technical integrity, regarding product quality requirements and standards, whether specific or more general. If needed reject and assist manufacturing in the correction of errors. Review drawings as needed in support of a work instruction review.
• Perform Key Inspection Point activities as well as Monitoring and Inspection of critical activities in the process.
• Carry out KIPs required by the Product Assurance Engineer. [gs1]
• Assist Quality / Process Controllers in the management of local non-conformances and non-conformance reports and attend a [P2] corrective [gs3] action review and Ensure Equipment configuration upgrades are correctly implemented and completed in operational Work Instructions.
• Provide a weekly report to PA Management
• Review and verify the certification of AIT staff participating in the various process activities, through the skills training and certification procedures.

2001 – 2002: Product Assurance Engineer (INMARSAT 4 Payload) at EADS Astrium Stevenage (UK)

Apart from duties and responsibilities as above in PA Engineering section the units were accepted as per ESA standards working in class 10,000 and in 100, 000 particles clean room. Additionally the role involved visiting companies like BAE, ALENIA MARCONI to buy off goods for ASTRIUM on behalf of INMARSAT.

2000 – 2001: Goods-In Inspection Supervisor (INMARSAT 4 Payload) at EADS Astrium Stevenage (UK)

Duties & responsibilities include:

• Liaison with supply Quality/buyers, planner and outside suppliers.
• Troubling shooting in a very pressurised and demanding environment.
• Producing weekly KPI.
• Day to day running of the department and management of 5 goods-in inspectors.
• Working completely on data based controlled system i.e. SURF, MIS, TANGO etc.
• Also duties included to hire and fire people.

1999 – 2000: Quality Assurance Engineer at Lucas Aerospace (France)

Duties to prepare a QA report of product (mainly Printed Circuit Boards) and getting the necessary work done from the Technician

• Raising concession if required and getting Design Engineer, Test Engineers and PA Engineer together in a meeting with Design Manager to finalise concessions and then signing those concessions ( finally concessions were approved & signed by myself and the Design Manager before goods delivery to customer)
• Attending First Articles Inspection (FAI’s) with customers (LEIBHER AEROSPACE and EUROCOPTER). Also attending MRBs(Manufacturing Review Board ), TRRs(test readiness review) & TRBs(test review board) DRBs (Delivery  Review Board
• Going to away a Company called SELHA (a subcontractor company manufacturing units for Lucas Aerospace, Alcatel and Astrium)) about 400km away from Paris for two nights a week to buy off the products (MIPs and review of manufacturing/test processes and as customer FAI’s (first article inspection) activities.
• Participating in quality improvement meetings.

1998 – 1999: Inspector & Auditor at Ultra Electronics (UK)

• Responsibilities were to verify work instructions, tools, equipment and first off assemblies particularly in Surface Mount Area (pick and place machines) ensuring product conforms to the requirement and making sure process is to USP (Ultra Standard Process) i.e. screening, printing, stencilling, feeders, re-flow temperature of oven etc.
• Responsibilities were also to raise QADER (Quality Audit Defect Reports), where required for QA, production, and production engineering department. And then suggesting the possible ways for rectification of defects for these departments.
• Other responsibilities were to inspect “1st off” products manufactured outside and producing FAIR (First Article Inspector Report) for the above departments. Doing pull test for crimps and making sure all crimps tools and other tools used on shop floor are calibrated
• Making sure anti-static precautions are adhered to, both in Surface Mount Area and on shop floor.      

Other Experiences

1995 – 1997: Worked as Quality Technician’s Team leader in MATRA MARCONI SPACE SYSTEM (Now ASTRIUM) Stevenage, supervising 8 Quality Technician and 30 Technician for quality matters. Duties also hiring and firing contract staff for Quality department

1986 – 1987: As Senior Quality Assurance Inspector in ALPHA MERIC KEYBOARDS, WOKING SURREY, Supervising 24 personnel, Hiring & firing contract staff for QA & production department.

1985 – 1986: RACAL POSITIONING SYSTEM LEATHERHEAD, SURREY -Worked as production Supervisor for their PCB Assembly Department supervising 5 inspectors & twenty operators. Hiring & firing contract staff for QA & production department.

Also have worked as G/I Inspector & as E/M Inspector on companies like PLESSEY RADAR,  SIEMEN PLESSEY DEFENCE SYSTEM, GRAYSHAM LION ELECTRONICS LTD,RACAL MARINE  SYSTEMS, RACAL ACOUSTICS, RACAL INSTRUMENTS LTD, PAGE ENGINEERS & STC SUBMARINE SYSTEMS (Now ALCATAL).

Where time allows, I read books, watch television especially sports and informative documentaries and play cricket. I also like to spend my time with my wife and children.

Available upon request