John R.

Merrell
719.432.8877 (cell) 719.594.8779 (home)
jm1004c64@westpost.net
Current Title: Principal Senior Space Systems Engineer
Clearance Level: TS/SSBI (adjudicated summer 2010)
Education: MS, Electrical Engineering, Colorado Technical University, 1998
MA, Space Systems Management, Webster University, 1988
BGS, Business Administration, University of Nebraska - Omaha, 1981
Total Years of Experience: 42 years
Years Experience Functional Areas
DoD Acquisition Practices - 22 years
Requirements Definition - 20 years
Concept Development/Definition - 20 years
Systems Engineering - 15 years
Design Reviews - 10 years
Training Systems Design and Development - 10 years
Architecture Development - 5 years
Major DoD Clients
Air Force Space Command - 26 years
SPAWAR Systems Center - 12 years
Space and Missile Systems Center - 2 years
Professional Experience Summary
More than twenty years experience working DoD Acquisition Practices as a Program
Manager and Program Element Monitor with the US Air Force, and as a Systems Eng
ineering and Integration/System Engineering and Technical Analysis (SE&I/SETA) P
roject Manager and Lead Engineer with several commercial companies. Far reachin
g experience, with an emphasis in Requirements Allocations and Concept Developme
nt/Definition coupled with fifteen years of Systems Engineering and five years A
rchitecture Development for communications systems experience, with a particular
focus on military satellite communications. Ten years of experience in conduct
ing design reviews, developing training systems and conducting training. Added
to this extensive experience is five years of recent experience with Architectur
e Development supporting various programs and organizations in the Protected Sat
ellite Communications, Satellite Communications Terminals, and Unprotected Satel
lite Communications arenas. Responsible for the development of training systems
, as well as the classroom presentation of training materials. Rounds out exten
sive acquisition/system engineering experience with a number of supporting and l
eadership roles in the operations and user communities. Contributed to every maj
or MILSATCOM development program over the last thirty years and participated in
several key architecture studies. Has experience with requirements development e
fforts for large stakeholders, architecture development, and detailed terminal d
esign and integration activities. Supported several government satellite communi
cations programs (AFSATCOM, UFO, DSCS III, MUOS, TSAT, and EPS) through source s
election efforts, early acquisition milestones and transition activities to foll
ow-on systems.
Specific Experience
SERCO-NA, INC, Senior Principal Systems Engineer 03/2009 - PRESENT
Enhanced Polar System (EPS) Program
Functions as the Lead Systems Engineer, supporting the Air Force Space Command W
eapon System Lead for the Enhanced Polar System (EPS). Provides technical evalu
ations of program office designs against stated operational requirements. Deve
lops alternatives and assists in the establishment of command positions. Leads
Technical Interchange Meetings between the EPS Program Office, and the requireme
nts/operational communities. Provides engineering expertise, coupled with opera
tional experience, to evaluate satellite communications ground system designs an
d to develop proposals for the integration of ground system components into an o
perational system to meet specified needs. Functioned as the secretariat/commun
ications system engineer for the Technical Analysis Working Group (TAWG) of the
High Data Rate Airborne Terminal (HDRAT) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) team, ev
aluating the technical merits of alternatives that could meet the requirements f
or a high data rate airborne satellite communications terminal.
Booz Allen Hamilton, Senior Space Systems Engineer 06/08 - 03/09
Enhanced Polar System (EPS) Program
Supported the EPS Systems Engineering and Integration Team (SEIT). Key member o
f the Systems Integration (SI) Integrated Product Team (IPT), leading the functi
onal analyses and requirements definition/allocation efforts needed to achieve t
he overall Systems Requirements Review (SRR) and System Design Review (SDR) prog
ram milestones. Assisted in the development of the operational and system archi
tectures that were required to assess the compliance with the Net Ready-Key Perf
ormance Parameter (NR-KPP) and overall system interoperability. Brought extensi
ve experience with system integration and requirements traceability to the Test
and Evaluation Working Group, conducted test assessments to ensure requirements
were testable, as well as assisting with the risk management of the test and eva
luation effort.
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Senior Systems Engineer 0
7/04 -05/08
Navy UHF SATCOM Development Team Project Lead
Responsible for customer communications requirements definitions and conducting
technology assessments of emerging SATCOM services. Translated operational user
requirements into Capability Development Documents, Capabilities Production Docu
ments, and other requirements documents. He and his team verified requirement a
llocations to design concepts met system requirements and user specifications, a
nd applied systems engineering techniques to execute systems engineering analyse
s, and development of recommendations for system engineering solutions. Develope
d policy and procedures guidance, and defined, documented, and coordinated opera
tions concepts for the employment of SATCOM services and capabilities by US Gove
rnment organizations. Most significant accomplishments were in the systems engin
eering and technical assistance support provided to the UHF SATCOM Demand Assign
ed Multiple Access (DAMA) project office (SPAWAR-SD/PMW-790). In this role, he
conducted trade studies, worked with the information assurance team to resolve s
ecurity issues, performed technology assessments, and developed architectures fo
r future system enhancements. He traveled to operational control sites to resolv
e systems integration and operational employment issues, and to provide operatio
ns and maintenance training/technical assistance.
SI International Engineering, Inc, Senior Space Systems Engineer
02/96 -07/04
Narrowband SATCOM Support Team Lead Space Systems Engineer
Received recognition for a number of DoD organizations as a leading expert on th
e employment and operation of UHF SATCOM systems. As the Lead Systems Engineer,
reviewed and made recommendations for engineering design changes to existing sy
stems, and verified design concepts for new systems met system requirements and
specifications. Developed operations concepts, integration strategies, and tran
sition plans for new and modified satellite communications systems, and conducte
d technology assessments for future architectures. As a narrowband SATCOM Subjec
t Matter Expert, supporting SPAWAR Systems Center-San Diego, designed training s
ystems and materials, as well as maintenance trouble shooting procedures for the
US Navy's Digital Modular Radio (DMR), and then assisted in the systems enginee
ring design and systems integration effort for installation into US Navy shore c
ommunications sites. Led a failure analysis effort on the RT-1771/G UHF SATCOM r
adio, using EMI/EMC analyses and requirements traceability matrices, identified
a design defect, and developed an engineering change proposal that increased ope
rational availability from 0.88 to 0.99.
ETA Technologies Corporation, Space Systems Analyst 01/94 - 02/96
SATCOM Support Team
Developed architectures used to define requirements for military SATCOM systems.
He developed and coordinated the Air Force employment concepts and requirements
documents for the Standardized Tactical Entry Point (STEP) system, and wrote th
e first comprehensive operations concept for the Air Force employment of satelli
te communications systems. Analyzed operational concepts and communications sup
port requirements for evolving command and control centers, and assessed technic
al solutions.
Salem Technical Services/TRW, Senior Logistics Engineer 03/92 - 02/96
Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC) Logistics Support Team
Led the team responsible for the identification and resolution of integrated log
istics support problems associated with the activation of the communications and
computer systems supporting the Air Force's Consolidated Space Operations Cente
r. Ensured training, spare parts, and technical data were available and sufficie
nt to sustain operations. Integrated the logistics efforts of four separate cont
ractors responsible for systems installation, and resolved scheduling and config
uration management conflicts. Functioned as the senior technical advisor to the
government program management office, and as the Government representative for
the evaluation of contractor plans and schedules for training, spares, and techn
ical data.
United States Air Force, Communications-Electronics Officer 09/68 - 03/92
Various communications units and headquarters staffs
Served nearly 24 years in the US Air Force, holding a number of support and lead
ership roles. Chief among these was commander of a military communications main
tenance and operations unit with responsibility for maintaining an operational r
eadiness rating of over 99% for a variety of communications and air traffic cont
rol systems, to include ground to air radio, telephone, land mobile radio, crypt
ographic, wideband, satellite, meteorological observation, and navigation system
s. Served as Program Manager for several high visibility communications acquisit
ion projects with a total value in excess of $200 million (1982 dollars). Took
over a troubled high frequency radio replacement program in danger of being canc
eled due to mismanagement, restructured the program, eliminated unneeded require
ments, saved $40 million in procurement costs, and reduced support staffing by 6
0 personnel. Handpicked to supervise a communications maintenance division with
equipment worth $300 million, 14 work sections, and over 130 electronics mainten
ance technicians where he achieved systems availability rates consistently excee
ding 99%. As a Headquarters Staff Officer, reviewed requirements and plans for s
ystem upgrades and new systems, and provided recommendations to reduce operation
al impacts. Analyzed requirements, developed implementation plans, and resolved
integration issues for a new, securable land mobile radio system used by the sec
urity forces protecting the nation's intercontinental missile fields.