1. MICHAEL JOHN PALFREY
Address:
12 Helston Rd
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 6JF
United Kingdom
Tel:
Work 07740 862446
Home 01245 600289
Email mjptexas@blueyonder.co.uk
SUMMARY OF SKILLS
A highly trained Aerosystems Engineering Manger who has worked as both a Project Director/ Manager and a Chief
Engineer/System Engineer building teams that ‘can do’, with a comprehensive understanding of what needs to be done to
ensure Customer satisfaction and the delivery, test and acceptance of billion dollar ‘system of systems’ projects in the defence
and air traffic control industry. Prince 2 Qualified, used to working with the Customer while Managing the Prime Contractor
project teams and the suppliers to achieve excellence and cost effective solutions to suit Customer needs.
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
Freelance Project Manager/Chief Engineer Jun 2005 - Date
Working as freelance Consultant for my own Ltd Company. Over the past 9 years I have worked for the National Air Traffic
Services (NATS), RED Scientific, GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin, QinetiQ, SELEX Systems Intigratia, Boeing Defence and
British Aerospace. Within these organisations, as a Project Director/Chief Engineer, I have been required to undertake the
following activities:
a. Provide leadership and direction of the project team
b. The generation of pre-contract Project Management and engineering estimates.
c. Project Management, with Profit and loss responsibility, for whole life £100Million programmes.
d. Generation of the Implementation Schedule and all the Project Plans required by the Company and Customer for the
successful completion of the Project.
e. Reporting each of the projects status at the monthly programme review with the directors.
f. Chairman of regular progress meetings with the Customer.
g. Negotiation of changes and their cost.
h. Risk management.
i. Initiation of the Project Safety Case
j. The generation of the WBS.
k. The allocation of budgets to cost account mangers.
l. Planning (using MS Project).
m. Configuration control.
n. Working with my clients Customers to recovery programmes that are behind schedule.
o. Design Authority for Major £100Million programmes.
p. Design Requirements capture using the DOORS database.
q. Provide direction and management of the Test, Evaluation and Assurance programme.
r. Verification analysis using the DOORS database.
s. System Design and chairmanship of SDR, PDR, CDR and TRRs for the entire ‘systems of systems’ programmes.
t. Creation of test plans, test scripts plus the co-ordination of TRRs and the conduct of Customer acceptance testing.
u. Meeting all the QA and delivery requirements.
v. Co-ordination, preparation and enforcement of CDM requirements and constraints.
While with SELEX (2005), I had P&L responsible for 8 fixed price ‘systems of systems’ installation, integration, test and
acceptance contracts totaling in excess of ₤5M (almost all simultaneously) and provided the main Customer and user stake
holder interface (systems, engineering, integration, test, ILS and project management) for these National Air Traffic Systems
(NATS) contracts. All of these contracts were delivered on time and within budget to the Customers satisfaction. With
Boeing (2007), I provided Subject Matter Expertise (SME) for the initial stages of the proposed FRES SOSI proposal,
defining the Implementation Plan for C4ISTAR Common Systems across the FRES programme. At BAE Systems I was
supporting the Sales & Marketing Export Department as the proposals Project Manger for the Eurofighter proposals to
Japan, Switzerland and India. In Oct 2007 I was asked to re-join SELEX SI as the Project Manager for the installation
design, integration, factory acceptance and delivery and on-site acceptance testing of the NODE radar processing system for
the new Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre and latterly as the Project Manger for the new Newquay Airport Air Traffic
Control Tower. During 2009 I worked as the Chief Engineer for the QinetiQ Air Centre weapons ranges and was responsible
for ensuring that the ranges undertook and met the Engineering Policy Requirements for the safe operation of all the range
systems and UAV aerial targets on the four missile firing ranges. This was followed, by being asked by the
NATS/Indra/Lockheed Martin Project Alliance group to recover the CDR programme and provide guidance and direction
on the new NATS integrated Flight Data Processing (FDP) system and get the system through it’s CDR (with NATS) before
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2. the middle of Feb 10. This was completed on time to the considerable satisfaction of the Customer. In May 2010 I was asked
to help the GE Aviation Model Based Development Team in the design of a new Virtual Aircraft Avionic System Model and
the establishment of an Enterprise Architect System Engineering Architecture modeling Tool Set (based on RTCA/DO-
160G) to be used in the design, development and build of a new aircraft avionic system (the C919) in China. For my third
Contract with GE Aviation I was asked to create the design requirements for a new avionic Data Concentrator for a new
Gulfstream business jet in the DOORS database. This involved defining the how the ARINC 664P7(AFDX – an aircraft
approves Ethernet), ARINC 429, ARINC 825 (CAN) data buses will be concentrated and mapped to each other across a
complete aircraft avionic system using remote data concentrators, conforming with ARP4754A and DO-178B safety
standards. After that I worked with RED Scientific and the Department of Transport as the Radar System Expert for the 4G
Radar Remediation Programme which required all the ATC 10cm (old S Band) radars to be modified so they are immune to
interference from the 4G networks. This task requires me, as an independent assessor, to assess each site’s programme of
work for the modification and determine if the costs and work done were reasonable for inclusion in the Department of
Transport’s modification programme payment scheme. Until the end of Mar 15, I was working, working through Lockheed
Martin, with NATS as the Systems Engineering Manger to define and specify a complete, emergency, backup system for the
entire, future, UK Air Traffic Management system which NATs are currently in the process of specifying and procuring.
UK Chief Engineer for the ASTOR Programme Sep 1999 – Jun 2005
ASTOR (Sentinel R1 systems) was a ($1.5Billion) MoD Contract for one of the major ISTAR assets used by the UK defence
forces. I was initially recruited to be the ASTOR Ground Segment IPT Lead, supporting the last stage of the Contract
negotiations and then working for the first nine months as the Ground Segment IPT Lead. Thereafter, I was asked to
undertake the role of the UK’s Chief Engineer for ASTOR and seconded to Raytheon AIS (now L3 Comm IS), Greenville,
Texas, to support the ASTOR system design, with Design Authority responsibility for the following systems:
a. The synthetic aperture radar system
b. The wideband, narrowband and Link 16 data links
c. The aircraft airframe, avionics and electrical systems modifications along with all the mission systems installation,
including the mission planning system, radios and CRYPTO systems, the Defensive Aids System and its associated
EW system.
d. The mobile ground control mission systems and it’s connection to the external C4
I Battlefield data and voice
communications and CRYPTO systems.
e. The mobile Air and Ground Mission systems computers, networks, workstations (Windows client sever
application) and its interfaces to the Avionic system ARINC 429 and military 1553B data buses and the mission
planning system.
f. The development of the Mission Systems software, it’s interface to the mission planning system and the associated
CSCIs.
g. Translation of FAR 25 and D0 160 requirements to meet the DEF STAN 970 requirements for the aircraft
certification.
h. The DAOS certification of the aircraft to DEF STAN 970 requirements.
i. Military Aircraft Release (MAR) for the Sentinel R1
j. The certification of the Ground Stations and their vehicles to military and civil ground vehicle requirements.
k. The integration and test of the mobile ground, aircraft and ground/air links command and control systems.
l. The ILS aspect of the full development and in-service life cycle.
m. Adherence to US MIL STD and UK DEF STAN for aircraft and mobile ground systems.
n. Use of a DOORs database for the definition of the requirements and the tracking and verification processes.
o. The implementation of the risk review process for the engineering aspects of the programme.
p. Using MS project for sub-project plans and Primavera P3 with the Project planners.
q. Customer SRR, PDR, CDR and TRRs
In 2001 I was appointed UK Head of ASTOR Engineering, with functional responsibility for all the RSL UK ASTOR
engineering design staff, who were both located in the UK and at Greenville, Texas, for the ASTOR Programme. This work
involved the management of a team of 14 very senior UK aircraft, hardware and software systems engineers that were
seconded from the UK to the USA, with all the implications of working in a foreign country under different tax and security
rules. It also included the .monitoring and reporting of progress to the Company Directors/VPs. My prime task was the
development of the Mission System architecture for both the aircraft and ground systems which also included responsibility
for achieving successful Customer System Design reviews (SRR, PDR and CDR). As the senior Raytheon engineer at major
Sub-conductor design reviews I was required to determining the suitabilility of the sub-system’s design and maturity at these
gate reviews and determine whether they should be allowed to proceed. Furthermore, my task involved writing the Test Plan
for the Ground Stations, integration of the sub-systems into a ‘system-of-systems’ in the Systems Integration Laboratory, then
testing each of the systems on the aircraft and in the Ground Station. Thereafter, I was the Test Director for the initial
acceptance testing of the ground stations in the UK during early 2005.
Freelance Systems Engineer & Technical Project Manager. Mar 1994 – Sep 1999
Working as freelance Consultant for my own Ltd Company; initially working as a Software Verification and Test Consultant
at Pitney Bowes. Then on completion of that Contract I was asked to undertake the task of preparing a Cardinal Points
Specification (CPS) for a new ground control Precision Approach Radar (PAR) system for all three UK armed services, by
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3. RAF Signals Engineering Establishment (RAFSEE). On completion of the second activity (the first task still continued, but
at a very low level) I was asked by BAe, at Warton, to undertake the role of the Radar Systems IPT Lead for the Nimrod
MRA4 Programme. My task here was to provide Technical and Programme Management support for the procurement of a
new Searchwater radar from Boeing Aerospace/ Racal Radar, install it in the Nimrod MRA4 and manage the whole life cycle
development, installation, integration, flight test, trials, acceptance and qualification of the latest maritime airborne radar
system. During the early part of 1999 I accepted, on behalf of BAe, the first new Searchwater radar, which was the delivered
to the Nimrod Weapon Systems Integration Laboratory well ahead of all the other Nimrod weapon and avionic systems. It
should be noted that at that time the radar was considered to be the highest risk system in the Nimrod Programme.
Programme Manager Feb 1994 – Mar 1994
Working in the Naval Systems division of GEC Marconi Sensors, initially as the Bid Manager for a multi-million pound
proposal to supply of an EO system to the Royal Danish Navy, then with responsible for a £1 Million Project Definition
phase of a state of the art the Infra Red/Electro-Optics system for the Seawolf guided missile radar system.
Senior Project Manager Dec 1989 – Dec 1994
Working at Marconi Radar Systems with Profit and Loss responsibility for the Malaysian Air Defence System Contract.
Responsible for the profit and loss of a ₤170 Million contract, this included the allocation and management of all the
budgets, the risk contingencies, the configuration control and project processes.. As the Project Manager I formed the
primary interface to the Customer’s in-plant team and their senior management and reported the health of the project to the
Marconi Radar Board and the Customer on a monthly basis for all the deliverable products. The products delivered on this
programme (each of these was treated as a separate project with its own project manager) and included: -
a. Air Transportable long range early warning radars with their internal control and display systems and their
integrated voice and data network.
b. The design and development of 2 transportable real-time Sector Operations Centers (SOC) with their command
and control systems, V/UHF and HF radio systems, a new digital voice communications system and their interface
and integration into the existing air defence system’s voice and data networks along with a remote, mobile, C3
I
headquarters facility.
c. The design, development and manufacture of a new digital telecommunications switch network, which included
voice and data recorders, video recorders and fiber-optic communication links. This included the interface and
integration with the existing Telecommunications system.
d. The provision of 3 tactical microwave line-of-sight links (6 Terminals and 10 repeaters).
e. The design and development of a new, 6 position, Air Defence simulator.
f. A $22 million hardware and software upgrade to the existing Hughes Air Defence SOC
g. The Civil Engineering Requirement Specification, and all of the site ancillary equipment including fixed site
masts, antennas, radomes, UPS systems their diesel power generation and UPS systems, Volvo tractors, 40ft ISO
trailer units and cross site cables.
During the latter part of this time I was also the Test Director, working with the On Site Customer Team, for the delivery
and acceptance of the new Early Warning 743D radars and the Sector Operations Centers to be delivered to Malaysia. This
task has also included all of the export shipping, Marine Insurance, Certificates of Origin and export license control.
Furthermore, I was extensively involved in establishing a procedure that limited the Company's liability under the dual
taxation agreement. Moreover, my project team provided a complete Integrated Logistics Support package of spares (£13.5
million), a Central Repair Facility for repair to component level, training, maintenance and software documentation to
support the Customer's 1st, 2nd and 3rd line maintenance policy.
Programme Manager Jan 1987 - Dec 1989
Initially responsible for the development of a Local Area Network fiber-optic multiplexer and subsequently as the Programme
Manager for the TXEE upgrade to the TXE4 telephone exchanges. In this area I was responsible for the initial planing with
Customer, the programme implementation, delivery and commissioning of some 240 BT telephone exchange updates
(average rate of 6 exchanges a week). This programme was fully implemented on time and exceeded the expected profit
margins during the period I was Programme Manager.
Project Manager Sep 1984 – Jan 1987
Working in the Naval Division, of Marconi Radar Systems. Responsible for the Project Management of 3 contracts (totaling
in excess of £100 million) for the development of the Vertical Launch Seawolf guided missile radar system. During this time
I also acted as the primary interface to the 3 Customers, BAe, MoD (PE) and Yarrow Shipbuilders, while my staff managed
the 2 major multi-million pound sub-contracts with Ferranti for the radar computer and its software, and MCCS for the 2nd
radar system. At the end of Nov 86 the prototype radar was tested and delivered to BAe to meet the missile trials programme.
Moreover, the Development Contract, which I had spent almost a year putting together as a firm-fixed price proposal and
negotiating the scope of work, was finally signed with BAe.
RAF's Engineering Officer at Marconi Instruments Ltd.
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4. At MI, I represented the RAF's Engineering interest during the design, development, delivery and commissioning of the
Nimrod Mk 2 Full Mission Flight Simulator. My prime, responsibility was to determine the RAF's in service support policy
for the simulator. Here I formed the day-to-day engineering interface between MI and MoD (Air) and advised them and MoD
(PE) on the procurement of the services necessary for the implementation of the simulator's support policy (these ranged
from buildings and works services through to training and manpower skills for technical staff, maintenance manuals, tools
and test equipment, software support tools and the associated software documentation including all source code for the 5
interconnected VAX 11/70 computers). The total contract value for the simulator exceeded £25 million. My last role here
was to witness the simulation integration, test and then accept, on behalf of MoD PE and the RAF, the first simulator at RAF
St Mawgan.
Head of the Synthetic Trainer Engineering Department
Responsible for the daily availability of 11 flight simulators and their digital computer systems, departmental policy,
administration, technical competence, discipline and personnel management of my department. In addition to my main task,
my department of 50 multi-skilled personnel, located on 2 dispersed sites, also provided specialist engineering advice to the
simulator users (the Multi-Engine Pilot Training School, the Air Navigation School and the Air Electronics and Air
Engineers School) and the 5 major civilian contractors that had Post Design Support (PDS) contracts for the hardware and
software associated with the flight simulators.
Rapier Guided Missile Engineering Staff Officer
Working in the RAF Headquarters in Germany. Here I was responsible for allocating engineering resources between the RAF
and the Army units and recommending Engineering Policy to the RAF and Army Chiefs of Staff. I also provided the day-to-
day engineering advice and the Staff interface to the engineers on each of three Rapier Squadrons and making
recommendations for the improvement of the Rapier system to MoD (Air).
Head of Engineering on a Rapier guided missile squadron.
Responsible to the Squadron Commander for achieving the daily operational availability of the Rapier systems. For this task
my staff of 35 multi-discipline personnel covered all aspects of the repair and routine maintenance of 8 Rapier guided missile
systems and their associated computer and electro-optic systems, the supply logistics, vehicle maintenance, administration,
discipline, and personnel aspects of the engineering department. This also included all engineering preparations and
equipment checks in readiness for the annual missile firing camp where 25 Rapier missiles were launched each year.
Air Electronics Operator on 201 Squadron
RAF Aircrew with over 1600 hours flying time. During this time I was responsible for the 'Dry' sensor team in a Nimrod Mk
1 maritime patrol aircraft crew, with responsibility for the operation and management of the sensors (radar, radio, ESM) and
the HF radio communications systems during in-flight operations.
Shift supervisor
Responsible for a 4 man radio/radar servicing team responsible for carrying out the repair and routine maintenance of all the
radar, radio and electronic navigation systems on an RAF airfield during the shift period.
Head of ground radar field service installation and commissioning team
Responsibilities for installing, setting to work, commissioning and providing support for the calibration and flight trials of
air traffic control radar systems in Europe, Cyprus, Malta, North Africa, the Middle East and the Far East
Salesman
Working in a retail store while awaiting my RAF apprenticeship commencement date.
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5. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
Professional Qualifications:
FRAeS Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
MCMI Member of the Chartered Management Institute
I Eng. MIIE Member of the Institute of Incorporated Engineers
RAF Engineering Officer
RAF Aircrew on a Nimrod Maritime patrol aircraft
Training:
Aug 14: Prince 2 course & associated Prince 2 qualification.
Aug 10: Enterprise Architect Modeling software course at GE Aviation.
Feb 03: ASTOR Wideband Data Link manufacturer’s course at L3 Comm West Salt Lake City.
Nov 02 Global Express aircraft manufacturer’s training at Bombardier, Montreal.
July 96: Project Risk Management within GEC Marconi - 2 day course by Dunchurch
Apr 96: Project Lifecycle Management within GEC Marconi - 1 day course by Dunchurch
Apr 95: Health and Safety at work for managers.
Sep 88: STC Advanced Management Programme - 2 week residential course in strategic business planning and the
management of change, conducted at the Cranfield School of Management.
Mar 88: Advanced Presentation Techniques, 3 day course for Senior Management Staff required to give
presentations at board level.
Mar 87: Marketing Principles Course for Senior STC management staff. - 1 week full time course run by the
Cranfield School of Management.
Jun 84: Advanced Business Management Course for Service Officers. - 5 week full time course run by the
Polytechnic of Central London.
Jan 82: Officers Command Course - 4 week residential course in management techniques, communications skills,
RAF Law and Staff procedures at a RAF Staff Tanning College
Sep 76: RAF College Cranwell - 1 year's technical, engineering and management training, at BSc level, for RAF
Aero-systems Engineering Officers. (Subjects: Aero-dynamics, aircraft engines, aircraft structures, flight
control systems, radio and telecommunications systems including the RAF’s satellite communications
system, air and ground radar systems, avionics and aircraft navigation systems, electro-optics, IR and
guided weapons, computer systems and programming languages), with an A2 Pass.
Jun 76: RAF Officer training - 3 month course in leadership and man-management techniques, culminating in a
Permanent Commission in the RAF.
Dec 74: Fortran programming - 1 week residential course at Bristol University.
Sep 70: RAF Aircrew training, 1 year's training resulting in the award of Air Electronics Operators wings.
Jan 62: RAF Apprenticeship - 3 year's full time training, to Higher National Diploma level, in electronics, radio
and air traffic control and ground radar systems.
NATIONALITY and SECURITY STATUS
UK citizen with current UK SC security clearance
PC SKILLS
Comprehensive understanding in the operation and the use of:
MS Word
MS Excel
MS Access
MS Visio
MS PowerPoint
MS Outlook
MS Project
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6. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
Professional Qualifications:
FRAeS Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
MCMI Member of the Chartered Management Institute
I Eng. MIIE Member of the Institute of Incorporated Engineers
RAF Engineering Officer
RAF Aircrew on a Nimrod Maritime patrol aircraft
Training:
Aug 14: Prince 2 course & associated Prince 2 qualification.
Aug 10: Enterprise Architect Modeling software course at GE Aviation.
Feb 03: ASTOR Wideband Data Link manufacturer’s course at L3 Comm West Salt Lake City.
Nov 02 Global Express aircraft manufacturer’s training at Bombardier, Montreal.
July 96: Project Risk Management within GEC Marconi - 2 day course by Dunchurch
Apr 96: Project Lifecycle Management within GEC Marconi - 1 day course by Dunchurch
Apr 95: Health and Safety at work for managers.
Sep 88: STC Advanced Management Programme - 2 week residential course in strategic business planning and the
management of change, conducted at the Cranfield School of Management.
Mar 88: Advanced Presentation Techniques, 3 day course for Senior Management Staff required to give
presentations at board level.
Mar 87: Marketing Principles Course for Senior STC management staff. - 1 week full time course run by the
Cranfield School of Management.
Jun 84: Advanced Business Management Course for Service Officers. - 5 week full time course run by the
Polytechnic of Central London.
Jan 82: Officers Command Course - 4 week residential course in management techniques, communications skills,
RAF Law and Staff procedures at a RAF Staff Tanning College
Sep 76: RAF College Cranwell - 1 year's technical, engineering and management training, at BSc level, for RAF
Aero-systems Engineering Officers. (Subjects: Aero-dynamics, aircraft engines, aircraft structures, flight
control systems, radio and telecommunications systems including the RAF’s satellite communications
system, air and ground radar systems, avionics and aircraft navigation systems, electro-optics, IR and
guided weapons, computer systems and programming languages), with an A2 Pass.
Jun 76: RAF Officer training - 3 month course in leadership and man-management techniques, culminating in a
Permanent Commission in the RAF.
Dec 74: Fortran programming - 1 week residential course at Bristol University.
Sep 70: RAF Aircrew training, 1 year's training resulting in the award of Air Electronics Operators wings.
Jan 62: RAF Apprenticeship - 3 year's full time training, to Higher National Diploma level, in electronics, radio
and air traffic control and ground radar systems.
NATIONALITY and SECURITY STATUS
UK citizen with current UK SC security clearance
PC SKILLS
Comprehensive understanding in the operation and the use of:
MS Word
MS Excel
MS Access
MS Visio
MS PowerPoint
MS Outlook
MS Project
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