Stephanie Pakula Email & Phone Number

Lexington, MA, US

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

• Lead a large team of engineers to develop and execute tests of the multiple software products for an autonomous submarine system. The products include embedded controller software, planning and analysis software for.
• Plan and execute a rapid schedule to deliver software products on time. Track daily progress with JIRA.
• Ensure software requirements are adequate and robust to achieve the system mission.
• Perform a Functional Hazard Analysis of system failure modes, review with Safety experts and government customers, and certify that requirements and tests address all FHA scenarios.
• Develop and manage the System Integration Lab used for testing individual software components and interfaces between software products. Use models to simulate vehicle behavior and determine what capabilities can be.
• Use software tests to identify bugs and work with developers to address issues. Verify software is ready for system testing at sea and improve tests with data feedback from the real environment.

Lexington, MA

• Lead a diverse team of hardware and software engineers to build a prototype free-space laser communication system. Defined program timeline and team priorities to deliver on schedule.
• Worked with multiple organizations to define system interfaces, executed integrated system tests, and validated government customer objectives.
• Continually assessed requirement verification and any impact to system performance. Focused on key performance parameters and maximizing needs of the end users.
• Delivered prototype hardware to various field sites and directed integration activities. Coordinated test equipment and personnel required for field site deployment and testing.
• Achieved customer satisfaction with on-time delivery, exceptional system performance, and technical support for future growth of the prototype technology.

• Performed system trade studies and created key performance requirements for novel laser communication technology.
• Focused on internal and external interfaces to inform integration tests.
• Developed system-level verification and validation tests to assess performance of key parameters such as data rate, pointing and tracking, transmitted and received power levels, and channel error rate.
• Developed operational procedures for the system that covered initialization, mechanical deployments, system characterization and calibration, optical acquisitions, software operations, and contingency operations.
• Optimized concepts of operation based on sensor capabilities and limitations.

Redondo Beach, CA

• Responded to spacecraft anomalies in real time to maximize operational capabilities.
• Led root cause investigation teams for a wide variety of spacecraft issues and created innovative solutions to facilitate the return to operations and decrease impacts to future operations.
• Maximized customer utilization time of assets by improving spacecraft fault response algorithms and standard operating procedures for anomaly response.
• Developed new system concepts of operation in response to sensor and actuator degradation to maintain mission capability.
• Tested and implemented spacecraft software patches to address operational faults.

Redondo Beach, CA

• Created operational procedures and products for the next generation of a complex spacecraft system.
• Maintained and utilized a sophisticated simulator for understanding and optimizing spacecraft operations.

Redondo Beach, CA

• Developed the Concept of Operations document for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS).
• Reviewed requirements and assessed impacts to system architecture and integration.

B.S., Aerospace Engineering

Activities and Societies: Minors in Mathematics and Spanish; AIAA; Alpha Phi Omega

M.S., Systems Architecting And Engineering