Andrew Norton Beng(Hons) Email & Phone Number

Led this scale-up company’s 30 strong R&D department split between UK and Ukraine to develop new, or improve existing, UAV systems/technologies, preparing them to be released either to specific customers to meet their use case, or to the market.Project management of all R&D department’s projects formulating and executing the plans to achieve the objectives. Took direct actions to resolve blockers, pre-emptive actions for imminent threats and opportunities, and developed contingencies to maintain momentum of progress. Performed as the central point of contact to key high priority customers and partner companies Ownership, and improvement of, support operations, processes and procedures including logistics, procurement, test flight operations, customer demonstrations, and incident investigations, as well as line management for all six R&D team leaders.Enabled projects and support operation through the synchronising, prioritising, and deconflicting the finite resources of people, equipment, materials, pilots, R&D aircraft, and flight field to ensure the success of the department’s outputs.Key Achievements:• Acted as voice of military expertise within R&D department to guide product requirements and design direction• Network Rail; autonomous remote BVLOS UAV infrastructure inspection and intruder detection project.• Border Force; x5 Sky Mantis with MPU5 radio system and autonomous RADAR ship landing system project.• New UAV systems; Nano system, Sky Mantis V2 system, FPV autonomous kinetic strike drone.• New payloads; MWIR thermal, LWIR thermal, 61MegaPixel autonomous mapping, Radiometric IR & EO dual camera.• Flight safety; mid-air disarming fault, “toilet bowling” flight fault, fly away fail safes, R&D test flight safety procedure.• UN38.3 compliant 712Wh Sky Mantis V2 aircraft battery project.

Guildford, England, United Kingdom

Responsible for managing the programme of developing the company’s new ISO8 (class 100,000) and ISO5 (class 100) cleanroom satellite payload production facilities and integrate them into the company to realise the benefit.Captured user requirements and use cases to define and execute a programme to deliver a new facility and full suite of support services, getting payload production back on schedule, and putting engineers back to normal working hours to solve burnout. Defined and formalised the departments new methods of working including a new policies, processes, and training packages.Proactively identified blockers and threats to payload production to also define projects for the portfolio able to deliver further benefit to the company, often solving issues the company had been trying to resolve for 10 to 20 years.Key Achievements:• Delivered 2 new ISO5 (class 100) cleanrooms and repurposed existing facilities to introduce the company to a new overarching production methodology using manufacturing cells resolving the company’s previously inefficient operations.• Implemented a new system of policy, procedures, processes, and training so staff could work to understood standards and behaviours in the cleanrooms removing behavioural blockers to payload production.• Modernised tools, equipment, measuring instruments, IT infrastructure, machinery, and information resources to improve product quality by moving away from using outdated and degraded resources during production. • Overhauled the department into Health and Safety Legislation and ISO9001 compliance passing audits for both these aspects.

White Waltham, England, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Working with client Pharmaceutical Companies to develop their Validation plans and protocols for facilities and equipment to meet product manufacturing quality requirements.

Didcot

Provided engineering expertise to build and develop £multi-million high power lasers systems, requiring several years to build.Acting as primary engineer on the ground during project builds leading on planning, management, and completion of highly complex technical tasks across project technologies and systems, ensuring functional and quality requirements were fulfilled.Collaborated with designers, senior managers, scientists, and other engineering disciplines to provide engineering feedback and recommendations on suggested courses of action.Carried out the heavy lifting/ moving operations using overhead cranes, forklifts, and other mechanical systems to enable the logistics, support tasks, and heavy engineering tasks during the laser system build.Provided scientists with expertise in engineering, planning, and course of action execution to help them ensure the viability and success of their contribution to the laser system build, and with their other research projects.Key Achievements:• Led the build and commission on the 3 year, £15million D100X high power laser project.• Planned and executed the pack and ship phase of D100X project for deployment to European XFEL in Germany, leading c.20 engineers and scientists, ensuring traceability for re-commissioning upon delivery to customer facility.• Collaborated with the control systems engineers to develop the S11 projects automated electro-pneumatic system.• Prevented loss of £300k and 6 months production time by spotting critical design fault in 2 x 250Kg sub-systems before their purchase.

Royal Air Force

Conducted engineering work on military aircraft, Chinook and Puma2 helicopters. Covering wide spectrum of activities from low-level inspections and maintenance through to highly complex fault diagnosis and heavy rectification on the aircraft systems.Conducted responsive short-notice reactive work to keep aircraft operational on the flight-line and conducted the scheduled large-scale depth maintenance or modification programmes on the aircraft.Safely conducted engineering work in safety critical environments such as hangars, workshops, airfields, and warzones where poor work behaviours would highly likely result in serious injury or death.Carried out airfield operations with the aircraft such as aircraft ground handling/ moving, refuelling, marshalling, pre-flight preparations, and post flight recovery. Provided leadership to teams of engineers during the large and complex tasks, carrying out the planning, organisation, consultation of technical documents, close-down, and final works documentation.Key Achievements:• Ensured completion of engineering works despite interruption from enemy attack or following emergency dispatch/ recovery of battlefield casualty evacuation aircraft.• Sustained 24-hour availability of critical helicopter assets during 2 operational tours in Afghanistan.• Working 90-hour weeks for 6 weeks to support the release of an aircraft to service 4-weeks earlier than expected to replace the fatal loss of an aircraft in Afghanistan.• Delivered high levels of technical training for junior technicians and new supervisors, providing accurate information and guidance to support progression.• Investigated and identified an illusive crucial fault on a Chinook that had kept it grounded for 2 months, initially overcoming a great deal of resistance in diagnosis.

Lancing

Joined this plastics manufacturer initially as a Technician, becoming one of two pioneers to create and establish the Post-Moulding department to support business growth and quality objectives.

Beng General Engineering

Semta Advanced Apprenticeship