James A.

Experience

• Owner / Designer Kuiper Relics LLC · Self-employed Mar 2023 – Present 3 yrs 2 mos NC, United States Dark avant garde jewelry and accessories inspired by futurism and scifi. The Kuiper Relics brand embodies a tour de force in the application of precision manufacturing, unconventional materials, and sculptural-mechanical design to create otherworldly statement objects.
  
  Designing my own product line is one facet of this entrepreneurial journey, where I also take on: marketing and promotion, seeking and vetting manufacturers and suppliers, product and fashion photographer, and most importantly, customer service.
• PROJECT ENGINEER Flowserve · Full-time Jan 2022 – Mar 2023 1 yrs 2 mos NC, United States Revised, modified and configured designs and assembly layouts for valves used in the nuclear power industry. Used Solidworks and Creo to perform drawing revisions, translate legacy drawings to CAD, and generate models and drawings for updated configurations. Designed a test fixture for high pressure control valves.
• Mechanical Design Engineer Med Associates Inc · Full-time Oct 2018 – Jun 2021 2 yrs 8 mos VT, United States Mechanical design of products for behavioral psychology research, such as accessories for mazes and operant chambers, syringe pumps, and vessel chambers. Used Solidworks for design, operated a 3D printer, and worked closely with CNC machinists to improve and develop products.
  
  In response to a longstanding issue where single-pellet feeders frequently destroyed food pellets, I designed and demonstrated a pellet feeder concept which eliminated pellet breakage, reliably delivering whole pellets and paving the way for the development of the VeriFEED Pellet Dispenser.
  
  Worked with the electrical engineering team to design cheaper, quieter, more reliable auto-doors, reducing assembly complexity and eliminating obsolete/rare parts.
• Equipment Engineer GlobalFoundries · Full-time Feb 2018 – Oct 2018 8 mos VT, United States Responsible for a group of “surface prep” tools which clean and prepare silicon wafers between layer-building processes for semiconductor manufacturing. Worked as a liaison between tool operators, maintenance technicians, process engineers and tool vendors to identify the causes of performance drops and tool failures, and coordinate repairs.
  
  Sourced rare and discontinued replacement parts for vintage tools, and oversaw the installation and calibration of 5-axis cleanroom robots.
• Marine Science Technician US Coast Guard Reserve · Contract Mar 2010 – Mar 2018 8 yrs MA, United States Inspections at shipping, oil, and chemical handling waterfront facilities, and on board commercial vessels, to ensure compliance with laws and regulations with the mission of protecting the environment and public health.
• PRODUCT DEFINITION DESIGN MODELER & DRAFTER PRATT & WHITNEY · Internship May 2014 – Aug 2014 3 mos CT, United States Revised and planned object paths for assembly/disassembly and maintenance of high bypass turbofan engines.