Theo Ramachandran Systems Engineer
Melbourne, FL • syseng@gmail.com • +1 321-555-0177
Profile Summary
- Systems Engineer with 14 years of experience architecting tactical communications systems across defense electronics, satellite communications, and aerospace platforms, specializing in model-based systems engineering, requirements traceability, and V&V leadership.
- Solid technical background across SE methods (MBSE, hardware-software co-design), tools (SysML, DOORS Next), modeling languages (MATLAB/Simulink, Python), standards (INCOSE SE Handbook, ISO/IEC 15288), and a V-model lifecycle, with strong fundamentals in requirements discipline, interface governance, and trade-off thinking on every decision.
- Deep expertise in end-to-end systems architecture, requirements traceability and decomposition, verification and validation strategy, and reliability and trade-off analysis, applying practices such as MBSE-driven design reviews and formal trade studies to deliver reliable, certifiable, and maintainable systems.
- Engaged collaborator working cross-functionally with Hardware, Software, Test, and Program Management leadership in review-gated engineering programs, contributing to PDR/CDR forums, executive trade-off reviews, and post-test retrospectives with a pragmatic, ownership-first mindset.
- Senior leader who shares technical excellence and fosters a culture of traceability discipline and written-decision rigor through trade-study reviews and design coaching, while leading systems engineering working group sessions and authoring widely adopted ConOps and trade-study templates.
Technical Skills
- Methodologies & Frameworks:
- MBSE, INCOSE SE Handbook, ISO/IEC 15288, NASA SE Handbook, TOGAF, V-model, Agile-SE hybrid, Arcadia method
- Modeling Languages & Tools:
- SysML, UML, Cameo Systems Modeler (MagicDraw), Enterprise Architect, IBM Rhapsody, Capella, MATLAB/Simulink, Stateflow
- Requirements & Traceability:
- IBM DOORS, DOORS Next, Jama Connect, Polarion, ReqIF, requirement allocation, traceability matrices, ConOps authoring
- Verification & Validation:
- Model-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, system integration test, regression suites, environmental qualification, FMEA, acceptance criteria
- Reliability, Safety & RAM:
- MTBF/MTTR analysis, FMEA, fault-tree analysis (FTA), redundancy patterns, graceful degradation, SIL/ASIL allocation, IEC 61508
- Interfaces & Protocols:
- ICD authoring, MIL-STD-1553, ARINC-429, CAN, Ethernet (TSN), gRPC, REST, AsyncAPI, message-bus design, protocol bridging
- Domain Standards & Compliance:
- INCOSE, ISO/IEC 15288, DO-178C, ISO 26262, IEC 62304, NIST SP 800-53, MIL-STD-882, FDA 21 CFR 820
- Programs & Lifecycle:
- SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FCA/PCA review leadership, engineering change proposals (ECPs), ALM tooling, configuration management, EVM literacy
Education
Work Experience
- Own end-to-end systems architecture for the integrated tactical communications platform across 6 fielded variants, coordinating hardware-software co-design, RF and signal-processing chain, and lifecycle sustainment with influence across 120+ engineers across 9 IPTs.
- Led requirements engineering on DOORS, decomposing 3,400+ stakeholder requirements through subsystem and unit-level allocation with end-to-end traceability matrices, reaching 100% verification coverage at CDR.
- Governed 48 internal and external ICDs spanning MIL-STD-1553 and Ethernet links, chairing the change board and bridging legacy buses to time-sensitive networking for sensor fusion, with zero integration breaks across 3 release cycles.
- Drove subsystem integration across 14 subsystems and 6 supplier deliverables, sequencing a phased build-up plan with incremental sell-off against verified requirements and shipping the platform on-time to flight test.
- Codified the V&V strategy across model-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and environmental qualification benches, cutting per-release field defects from 22 to 4 and sustaining 92% automated regression coverage.
- Engineered system reliability through FMEA-driven redundancy and MTTR-aware maintenance access, raising MTBF from 2,100 hrs to 6,800 hrs and lifting availability to 99.6% on tier-1 modes.
- Owned program risk and trade studies on cost, schedule, and performance, authoring 11 trade-study reports with quantified risk registers and clearing all top-5 program risks before CDR.
- Ran the certification program across DO-178C evidence packages and ARP4754A development assurance plans, delivering 60+ compliance artifacts and clearing the FAA TC supplemental type certificate.
- Ran a systems-engineering mentorship program through bi-weekly working-group sessions and 1:1 coaching, mentoring 14 mid-career engineers and supporting 6 promotions to senior or staff.
- Drove lifecycle process improvement via MBSE rollout across the avionics line and automated traceability checks in ALM, cutting review cycle time from 6 weeks to 3 weeks across 9 program releases.
- Partnered cross-functionally with Hardware, Software, Test, and Safety teams across 3 avionics program lines, authoring 22 ConOps and trade-study reports that shaped the org's SE baseline and onboarding 8 new-hire systems engineers.