GRANT L. MARTIN
GRANT(at)GRANTMARTIN.US
636 634 6607
Hazelwood, Missouri
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Engineering Support Specialist: Highly experienced in concept prototyping, qualification and electronic product testing for failure free operation before and after customer delivery.
Extensive experience with test management processes for embedded firmware based products.
Demonstrated performance in the creation, implementation and execution of product and system level test programs from concept validation through the end of product life.
Recognized for effectively working in team oriented, high stress environments requiring immediate results.
Experienced with intensely rapid corporate growth: Personally responsible for the initial design and construction of the product test department for Distribution Control Systems Incorporated. In less than eight years, this company grew from $500,000 in annual sales and 40 local employees to $500 million in sales and 500+ employees world wide. This period resulted in the fielding of over 25 million metering endpoints with zero firmware related product recalls.
During this period, the test equipment and processes that I developed were responsible for preventing more than $300 million in product recalls.
PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Test Process Design
- Pioneered, implemented and executed a Functional Acceptance Test (FAT) process for AMR/AMI based TWACS enabled electric meters. This process resulted in a 48 hour comprehensive test suite which replaced a limited, manual, error prone six week non-regression based test effort.
- Personally responsible for the prevention of more than $50 million in losses due to product recalls.
- In ten years, this system, equipment and process was used by the test department to prevent more than $300 million in losses due to product recalls.
- Led a three month effort that resulted in this test process gaining ISO 9000:2001 certification. This process efficiently and effectively validates new product designs and upgrades with follow-on automated regression testing in compliance with ISO standards.
Project Management
- Managed and conducted more than 30, TWACS enabled electric meter test programs resulting in the recall-free fielding of over 25 million endpoints.
- Served as principal test engineer in support of concept validation, design verification and field testing of the Concurrent Phase signaling concept resulting in the award of patent #6940396. The initial design verification phase required the design, validation and support of several three phase 240VAC test jigs. Final field test required the design, construction, qualification and fielding of a 150KVA three phase 18 phasor mobile test unit running on 277/480 VAC. (See here ).
- Oversaw and directed various test programs in support of proof of concept validation for various proprietary communications protocols.
Team Leadership
- Served as test manager for unique, customer driven test products.
- Trained and mentored new hires on technical aspects of proprietary technology and test methodologies.
- Test Lead with multiple test engineers on several critical FAT projects.
- Lead designer and project manager integrating vendors, contractors, unions and investor owned utilities for the successful completion of proprietary product development and test programs.
Technical & Professional Skills
- Fluent with various Microsoft Office and productivity tools as well as general and discipline-specific third party software tools and packages.
- Design, construction and programming of prototype and one-off electronic devices.
- Operation of many different types of general and specific electronic test tools such as meters, oscilloscopes etc.
- Installation, troubleshooting, repair and support of electronic products and software systems from the component level through turnkey systems.
- Hands on experience with several commercial automated test tools including Rational and Mercury products.
- Highly experienced with the following general aspects of the test environment:
- Specification analysis for the design of test programs as well as specific test routines.
- Design, validation, qualification and execution of test scripts (manual and automated).
- Test result analysis, reporting and defect tracking.
- Engineering development support via ad hoc and formalized test procedures in the pursuit of defect resolution.
- Individual and group test efforts (As team member and team lead).
- Test and code reviews
- Presentation skills for fast & efficient dissemination of test program statuses and results to technical and non-technical stake-holders.
- Specification analysis for the generation of test programs, plans and scripts for efficient testing within the confines of specific test methodologies and environments.
- Highly adept with test methodologies for software, hardware and embedded controller applications. These test methodologies include:
- Unit: Development of specialized wrappers for testing of individual modules.
- Integration (Unit & System): Design and testing of PC based and hardware based electronic products
- Design Verification/Functional acceptance for proper implementation of the various specifications and stake-holder expectations
- Quality Assurance: As a function of the above methodologies in conjunction with the QA department.
- Production: Process and equipment design for efficient production testing of embedded controls.
- System: Full up Systems testing for both
- Installation: Commissioning.
- Customer Acceptance: Operational and functionality tests within the scope of contracts and agreements.
- Within the above categories, exception, boundary and corner testing concepts may be implemented.
PROFESSIONAL experience
United States Air Force 1973 – 1977
Avionics Navigation Systems Specialist
Troubleshooting to the component level, repair, recalibration, reinstallation and certification of airborne navigation aids.
McDonnell Douglas – Missiles and Space development 1977 - 1978
Engineering support technician
Construction, testing and modification of digital and analog electronic equipment from engineering sketches, drawings and verbal descriptions.
Hunter Engineering 1978 - 1983
Engineering development technician
- Development and test technician for analog and microprocessor based equipment.
- Construction & validation of various electronic products with an emphasis on design, construction and installation of production test equipment and processes.
Independent Contractor 1983 – 1997, 2009 - 2014
Imbedded controls development and product testing
Specialist in the development, construction and validation of various microprocessor and analog based electronic products of various complexities for small and large businesses in the St. Louis region.
- Ongoing refinement of the following Skillsets:
- Electronic & Software design; Prototype construction and testing
- Testing: Unit, integration, system and customer acceptance using manual and automated tools.
- Documentation of all aspects of product development and customer support.
- Project and customer management.
- Small business operations
Distribution control Systems Inc., (ACLARA Powerline Systems) 1997 - 2009
Senior Test Engineer
Development of specialized test equipment and processes for internal and external customers.
- Design & functional verification testing of software and hardware based products.
- Test department liaison with all departments within the company.
- Employee training of various proprietary technology, test processes and other areas as needed.
- Internal technical support of the company’s products.
Education and Training
- Wentworth Military Academy – General Science.
- United States Air Force technical schools – Basic and advanced electronics with emphasis on Avionics systems.
- University of Missouri at St. Louis – Electrical Engineering/Computer Science (ongoing)
- Ongoing professional education via formal courses, on the job training and self study.
Public Organizations
- Board member and Director of membership for the Saint Louis Astronomical Society.
- Program Director for the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri.