I specialize in taking short term prototype projects from conception to launch, both as an engineer and as a project manager. By “wearing many hats”, I can help small companies (or small projects at big companies) move fast at any phase. If you have a napkin sketch, I can make a CAD model and drawings. If you don’t know how to turn your prints into parts, I can help you establish relationships with local machine shops. If your project feels a little off the rails, I can help you build a system for organizing your parts and progress. If your project is trucking along like a smoothly running machine but you need some surge help, I can provide back up support to your full time staff. I have over a decade of experience in solid modeling, as well as a thorough background in mechanical design, drafting, prototyping, and start ups. For more details, see my resume below.
Please reach out with any questions or comments. I look forward to hearing from you.
Molly
Resume
EXPERIENCE
Yellowjacket Engineering – Owner/Chief Engineer: July 2020 – Present
Englewood, CO
- Provide services as a consultant in engineering design, drafting, project management, and process development.
- Support small companies through the “feast and famine” cycles associated with DoD funding or fundraising.
- Clients include: mid-sized aerospace company, early- and mid-stage hardware startups in aerospace and green tech, established airplane and helicopter modification and repair companies, high-growth additive manufacturing company.
Boom Supersonic – Centennial, CO
Technical Production Coordinator: Nov 2020 – June 2021
- Develop and maintain spreadsheet tool for tracking build tasks to ensure all stakeholders, including engineering, supply chain, and the shop, are supporting the assembly schedule for the aircraft. Maintenance of tool includes regular informal communication with stakeholders to identify task blockers and facilitate their resolution, as well as running a weekly schedule review meeting with representatives from engineering and manufacturing.
- Support maintenance of program schedule: produce flow charts of complicated assembly processes to facilitate communication across teams, incorporate updates from flow charts into build schedule in SmartSheet, and use general knowledge of the aircraft to audit schedule for completion and accuracy.
- Support supply chain by identifying components on critical path and the arrival date required to meet schedule.
Mechanical Engineer, Flight Control Systems: Apr 2019 – Nov 2020
- Design and analyze mechanisms and structural components primarily for the flight control system (FCS) and as needed for the landing gear system for an experimental, one-seat supersonic aircraft: determine requirements for component performance, conduct analysis via hand calculations and SolidWorks simulation, produce drawings with GD&T, and release engineering definition through SolidWorks PDM.
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of FCS analysis tools that model the system geometrically to determine expected travel and loads in each joint, as well as track system friction and pilot input forces.
- Conduct testing for FCS and landing gear subassemblies: determine requirements and success criteria for testing, design and analyze custom test equipment, source COTS equipment, write test plans and obtain approval from all relevant stakeholders, interface with technicians to construct test equipment and execute testing, and compile and publish a test report that summarizes results and recommendations based on outcome of test.
- Establish a tool and a procedure for monitoring the weight of the system on a weekly basis; compare CAD models and PDM data to determine sources of change in weight and identify data errors promptly and efficiently.
- Support manufacturing team by laying out assembly plans for FCS mechanisms and by providing engineering and analysis assistance for the development of processes, tooling, and fixtures for aircraft assembly.
Redstone Aerospace – Mechanical Engineer: Apr 2017 – Mar 2019
Longmont, CO
- Design high-precision optomechanical gimbal systems: produce and maintain comprehensive CAD models of whole systems; generate detailed part and assembly drawings with GD&T; select COTS components (e.g. thin section bearings, frameless motors) and integrate with custom parts; leverage exotic materials (e.g. Invar, Titanium, Carbon Fiber Composite) to achieve high stiffness with low weight and stable optical characteristics; conduct analysis and work with analysts to confirm that design meets requirements for shock and vibe, thermal, environmental, pointing performance, etc.
- Assemble systems: produce detailed build and test plans; design and assemble necessary fixturing; comply with proper protocols for working in FOD and ESD sensitive environments and in the clean room; assemble, integrate, and test all subsystems, including multi-piece bonded Carbon Fiber bodies, mechanical drive assemblies, optical assemblies, and electrical assemblies and associated cabling, with the assistance of a technician as available.
- Serve as Project Engineer for Coelostat Project (Oct 2017 – Present): responsible for the success of mechanical design and system integration; interface with engineers for electrical, software, optical, and control system elements of project; provide schedule and budget inputs to Program Manager; delegate tasks to engineers, technicians, and support staff as necessary to achieve deadlines.
- Support the evolution of internal processes as driven by company growth: provide input to and proofread new Quality System SOPs, learn new software and hardware tools (e.g. FARO Arm) and train coworkers, assist in establishing new lab layout and protocols to facilitate the assembly of multiple systems in parallel.
- Comply with AS9100 Quality Management System at all phases of design, assembly, and testing: follow configuration control system when releasing revisions of parts and assemblies, including issuing ECOs for drawing revisions; adhere to Approved Supplier List when selecting vendors for both custom and COTS components; inspect incoming parts and issue NCRs for non-conforming products, provide feedback on all SOPs to support continuous improvement of the QMS.
PopSockets LLC – Supply Chain Manager, Mechanical Engineer, Etc.: Apr 2016 – Mar 2017
Boulder, CO
- Plan, buy, and manage inventory across five channels and four fulfillment centers as company grows 500% in 12 months. Interface with sales team to determine appropriate fulfillment location for large orders based on available stock and required timeline; all in QuickBooks Online and Google Sheets.
- Support product engineering by creating engineering drawings for existing components, releasing CAD models and drawings for new products, producing and testing prototypes, and approving First Articles.
- Serve as Interim Production Manager for three months: coordinate team of 30 warehouse employees to maintain required ship times for orders across various channels, scale facility as necessary to meet demand.
- Conduct incoming inspections of parts and assemblies, communicate quality issues to suppliers, determine corrective action plans, and confirm implementation.
- Develop and implement procedures for a variety of processes, including quality control, engineering documentation release, inventory management, and other areas of interdepartmental communication.
- Assist in onboarding overseas suppliers by providing engineering documentation, approving requests for deviation from specs, and approving First Articles.
- Misc. special projects: supervise moving production equipment and team into new building, support construction of second half of office and warehouse by representing company in meetings with contractor, interface with IT contractor to set up wireless network in new office, participate in selection of ERP system.
Specialty Products Company – Mechanical Engineer: Mar 2015 – Mar 2016
Longmont, CO
- Research, design, and test automotive suspension components by surveying vehicles, determining feasibility of new products, creating and analyzing CAD models, producing drawings with GD&T, and fitting up prototypes.
- Provide support for manufacturing processes of new and existing products by researching industry specifications, communicating with overseas suppliers, approving first articles and production parts, and debugging local assembly issues; includes interfacing with ERP system.
- Redesign and implement processes for control of technical documents, such as product instructions and engineering drawings, to streamline development and production within the company.
- Administer SolidWorks PDM system by debugging issues as they arise, designing and implementing workflows to accommodate company growth, and updating file storage systems.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Rapid Prototyping Group – Mechanical Engineer: Aug 2012 – Jun 2014
Lexington, MA
- Participate on large teams by developing the mechanical subsystems of prototype sensors for aerospace applications: includes producing CAD models of large assemblies; conducting structural and thermal analysis (both hand calculations and FEA); sourcing COTS components; and overseeing fabrication, assembly, and testing. Communicate the details and status of these tasks on a regular basis through presentations and meetings.
- Design, analyze, and fabricate structures and systems (e.g. mounts, optical test rigs) to support the production, testing, and installation of sensor systems on various aircraft. Write and execute test plans to confirm the robustness of systems, primarily through vibration and thermal testing.
- Use 3D printing and rapid prototyping technologies to create prototypes and provide capabilities to mechanical systems that are otherwise difficult to achieve with traditional machining techniques.
EDUCATION
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering – Needham, MA: May 2012
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Coursework: Design for Manufacturing, Mechanical Design, Controls, Fundamentals of Machine Shop Operation, Transport Phenomena, Dynamics, Solids and Structures, Thermodynamics, Responsive Drawing and Visual Thinking.
South County Secondary School – Lorton, VA: Jun 2008
Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude Honor Ranking, AP Scholar with distinction.
SKILLS
Computer: Microsoft Office, Access, Project; ERP Systems; SolidWorks (12 years), incl. FEA; SolidWorks PDM; Autodesk Inventor; MatLab
Machine Shop: Manual mill and lathe, hand tools, spot welding, sheet metal tools, Laser Cutter, 3D printers (FDM, SLA).
Electronics: Soldering, Arduino.