Merlin Dorfman

San Jose, Calif.

408-268-4219 dorfman@computer.org

Experienced Software System Engineer in both aerospace/defense and commercial environments, excelling in technology-focused and product development activities. Strengths include extensive background and accomplishments in Requirements Engineering, Software Quality Engineering, and Process Improvement. Reputation for working effectively with collaborative cross-functional teams, and for improving productivity of supported teams and quality of products. Developed and presented training; wrote and edited technical publications in areas of expertise.

Professional Experience

Cisco Systems, San Jose, Calif. 1997-2009

Quality Systems Advisory Engineer, Network Management Technology Group

• Member of teams that developed company-wide engineering processes compliant with industry standards (ISO 9001, TL 9000) and tailored the process for specific groups; led subteams such as requirements analysis and specification process development.
• Trained software development teams in the processes and assisted them in implementation and compliance. Implementation was completed on schedule and within budget, and audits verified process compliance.
• Identified best practices and high-payoff process improvements, and ensured their adoption through training, consultation, and direct support.
• As Lead Auditor, carried out value-added internal audits, finding effectiveness issues as well as compliance.

Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale, Calif. 1994-1997

Technical Consultant, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space

• Member of teams, and leader of subteams, that developed processes compliant with ISO 9001 and SEI Capability Maturity Model (CMM).
• Trained software development teams in processes and assisted in implementation and compliance.
• Supported CMM certification assessment and preparation for ISO 9001 certification audit. Led Company team working with external CMM auditors. Both audits were successfully passed.
• Member of Lockheed and Lockheed Martin corporate task forces that coordinated software activities and developed policies and standards for software system engineering and software development. Ongoing/continuing assignment as representative of Space Systems Division (SSD). Identified corporate-level issues affecting SSD, ensured SSD compliance with corporate policies and decisions.
• Senior requirements engineer/software system engineer for several projects, primarily ground segments of space systems. Specifications completed and approved, used as basis for implementation.

Center for Systems Management and Learning Tree International 1984-2000

Course Author and Instructor

Wrote/co-wrote and delivered training courses, of duration from three days to two weeks, in Software Requirements, Design, and Testing; Software Acquisition Management; and Software Project Management. Consistently high evaluations from the audiences (professional-level industry practitioners, government/military, and academics, in the US and Europe).

Prior Related Experience

Senior Staff Engineer, Lockheed Missiles & Space Co.

• Member of interdivisional team developing company-wide software process; as member of Software Engineering Process Group, participated in all major software process improvement efforts.
• Leader of team that developed ARTS (Automated Requirements Traceability System), believed to be the first such system in the world.

Awards

Cisco Systems

• Annual cash bonus and Stock Options and/or Registered Stock grant
• Several cash awards for project support and for developing and delivering training leading to successful ISO/TL registration audit
• One of three “Star Internal Auditors” company-wide, the first time the award was made (Spring 2009)

Lockheed/Lockheed Martin

• Promoted to Technical Consultant (Dual Ladder technical rank)—one of first two in Software Engineering
• Two cash awards for project support

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

• Fellow Grade
• Region 6 (West Coast) Special Service Citation
• National Software Engineering Award

Education

PhD., Aerospace Engineering, Stanford University

BS/MS, Aerospace Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Technical Addendum

Registered Professional Engineer, States of California and Colorado

Member of Tau Beta Pi (Engineering) and Sigma Gamma Tau (Aerospace) honoraries

Professional Societies

• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA): Fellow; past activities include member and Chair of Software Systems Technical Committee; member of System Engineering Technical Committee; Chair of San Francisco Section; member and Chair of Ethical Conduct Panel; Assistant Director of Region 6 (West Coast); Fellow Grade Selection Committee.
• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE): Affiliate Member of Computer Society. Reviewer of IEEE Standard 12207 (Software Development).
• American Society for Quality (ASQ): Senior Member, Software Division. Reviewer of draft revision to ISO 9000-3 to conform to ISO 9001-2000.
• ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology): Program Evaluator for Aerospace Engineering.

Publications

Co-editor of:

• "Tutorial: System and Software Requirements Engineering," IEEE Computer Society Press, First and Second Editions
• "Tutorial: Standards, Guidelines and Examples for System and Software Requirements Engineering," IEEE Computer Society Press
• "Aerospace Software Engineering," AIAA
• "Tutorial: Software Engineering," IEEE Computer Society Press. First Edition; Second Edition, Volume 1, “The Development Process”; Third Edition, Volume 2, “The Supporting Processes. These books are Study Guides for the Computer Society’s “Certified Software Development Professional” exam
• Two IEEE E-books, “ReadyNote: Guide for Implementing a Software Requirements Specification” (published); “ReadyNote: Guide for Implementing a Software Engineering Project Management Plan” (to be published 2010)

Paper on ARTS in “Journal of Systems and Software”

PhD thesis published in “Ingenieur-Archiv” (Germany)

Author or co-author of papers in IEEE “Software” and IEEE “IT Professional”

Conferences

· General Chair of the AIA/AIAA/EIA/IEEE Western Conference on Strategic Management of Research and Development, 1988

· Member of the Steering Committee for the IEEE International Conferences on Requirements Engineering, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002

· Local Arrangements Committee, IEEE Requirements Engineering Conference, 2003

· Program Review Committees, Software Engineering Institute Conferences on Software Engineering Education, 1992 to 1996

· Program Committees for several biennial AIAA Conferences on Computing in Aerospace. Paper on ARTS at a Computing in Aerospace conference

Additional training/education

· Software Process Assessment, Software Engineering Institute

· Software Requirements, UCLA Extension

· Software Process Improvement, Software Productivity Consortium

· ISO 9001 Internal Auditor Training, Lockheed Martin, Cisco Systems

· TL 9000 Internal Auditor Training, Cisco Systems

· Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI)

· How to Write Good Requirements, Ivy Hooks/INCOSE

· Object Modeling Technique, Lockheed Martin

· Cisco Systems Engineering Fundamentals

· Introduction to Cisco Router Configuration

· Principles of Software Quality and Testing, Cisco Systems

· Software Project Management, Cisco Systems

· Principles of Voice over IP, Cisco Systems

· Unified ISO 9001/14001 Framework and Auditing, Cisco Systems

·User Centered Design Workshop, Cisco Systems

· ISO 14001 Internal Auditing, Cisco Systems

· Six courses in Theoretical Physics, Stanford University Continuing Studies