Certification Blog

The Systems Engineering Society of Australia (SESA) is a technical society within Engineers Australia and is also the INCOSE chapter within Australia. Candidates for CSEP and ESEP in Australia may apply through SESA and have their applications reviewed by Certification Application Reviewers within Australia. 

Candidates who already have their Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) have a streamlined path to CSEP through the Chartered Australian Systems Engineering (CASE) path. These individuals have reduced application documentation and references compared to those who apply directly for CSEP. 

https://www.sesa.org.au/certifications/

Once a set of university courses is approved for academic equivalency, students who do well in that coursework may apply for ASEP and CSEP certification without having to take the INCOSE knowledge exam. Academic equivalency is an alternate way to meet the knowledge requirement for these two certification levels.

A student whose name is submitted to INCOSE as having qualified via academic equivalency is recorded in the INCOSE certification database. That student has 12 months to apply for ASEP or CSEP certification and use their knowledge equivalent. This application process starts with joining INCOSE as an individual or student member, then paying the application fee. These are the only steps required for ASEP. CSEP applicants will also submit individual application forms, proof of education, and references.

Members of INCOSE's UK chapter may apply for INCOSE Certification through the INCOSE UK chapter or through INCOSE Central. When they apply through the INCOSE UK chapter, they complete their individual application and references through an online form. The review of their application is also completed by Certification Application Reviewers from the INCOSE UK chapter. Notification of certification approval is delivered from the INCOSE UK chapter. 

Individuals certified through the INCOSE UK path renew their certification through the standard earning of Professional Development Units (PDUs).  

More about INCOSE UK Certification 

The Object Management Group (OMG) created its OCSMP certifications in coordination with INCOSE. To encourage individuals to get both certifications, the programs offer a discount. Applicants who already have one certification should notify the other organization of that status when they apply. They will then get a 10% on the application fee (INCOSE) or exam fee (OMG) for the second certification. 

https://www.omg.org/incose-omg-mutualrecog/

INCOSE's German chapter, Gesellschaft für Systems Engineering (GfSE), developed the SE-ZERT Certification. SE-ZERT has three levels, each of which roughly corresponds to a level of INCOSE's Certification Program.

Individuals who earn an SE-ZERT Level C Certification from GfSE may apply for INCOSE ASEP certification without having to retake the INCOSE knowledge exam. They will have to meet the other requirements for ASEP, being individual members of INCOSE and paying the ASEP application fee. 

Individuals who earn an SE-ZERT Level B Certification from GfSE may apply for INCOSE CSEP certification without having to retake the INCOSE knowledge exam or submit education, experience or reference materials. They will have to meet the administrative requirements for CSEP, being individual members of INCOSE and paying the CSEP application fee.

Once they become ASEPs or CSEPs, all individuals will have to renew their certification through standard methods. 

The relationship between INCOSE's Certification Program and SEZERT extends back to 2013, when it was INCOSE's first equivalency. 

If you have a SPRDE or Engineering certification from the US Defense Acquisition University (DAU), you may be able to bypass some of the steps in the path to ASEP or CSEP certification with INCOSE. It does not matter what date you earned your DAU certification, but it does have to be in the SPRDE or Engineering category.

Those with a Level II or Level III DAU Engineering or SPRDE Certification may bypass the INCOSE knowledge exam with proof of certification. Qualifying individuals can simply become INCOSE individual members and complete the ASEP application and payment to become ASEPs. They may also apply knowledge exam results toward earning their CSEP.

Those with Level III DAU Engineering or SPRDE Certification get a streamlined path to CSEP and do not need to take the knowledge exam. They also do not need to document their qualifying degree, as DAU has already confirmed that. The remaining technical requirements – for experience documentation and references – will be addressed in a short application form. Qualifying individuals will write a single narrative description of their work experience that is signed by their current supervisor, with no additional references required. This application, proof of DAU certification and the CSEP application fee will qualify INCOSE members to become CSEPs.

The DAU has recently announced a transition to a new certification in Engineering and Technical Management (ETM). This certification is significantly different from the prior certifications. There are no plans to provide a streamlined path from ETM certification to INCOSE certifications. DAU is currently developing a system engineering credential that will likely map to INCOSE certification. Learn more about the DAU changes in their Back to Basics materials here: https://www.dau.edu/back-to-basics/pages/resources.aspx 

INCOSE notifies candidates of their progress toward certification by sending them emails. You may also check the status of your application, references, and exam results through your member profile on the INCOSE website. 

We have a partner, Accredible, that will email you a link to view your certificate once you complete the certification process. When your certification expires, that will be noted on your certificate at the link Accredible sends you. 

All SEPs are also listed on the INCOSE website.  The current SEP list is updated twice monthly and uploaded to the Certification page on the INCOSE website.

INCOSE's Certification Program hires two student interns each year. The ideal candidates have completed at least two years of engineering school, have strong written communication skills, and have experience living or working in more than one country. Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply for this paid internship. There are no residency or citizenship requirements and all work will be performed remotely. 

Past intern work has included:
* analysis of large data set
* gathering content to populate change request log
* writing paper that was submitted to INCOSE International Symposium
* presenting INCOSE webinar, virtual chapter meeting, and at SE cafe
* creating INCOSE certification videos, illustrations, and power point presentations
* emailing with INCOSE members to get contact for the Certification Blog
* performing trade study of tools
* creating Google Forms

Interested candidates should apply for this paid internship through the INCOSE Volunteer Opportunity Board: https://www.incose.org/about-incose/volunteer-opportunities/vo-request

Applications are due on 5 November for the internship from December 2021 through February 2022. The next deadline will be early April 2021, for internships from May through August 2022. 

The INCOSE knowledge exam is a multiple choice test based on the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook.

The exam contains 100 scored questions. It may have 0, 20, or 50 additional questions that do not count toward the candidate’s score. These are beta questions, which are being evaluated for the future. The exam duration is 1 minute per question, including both scored and unscored questions. If you qualify for special accommodations - most commonly due to a native language other than English - you will be given additional time. 

A 120-question exam is the standard version offered online, and lasts 120 minutes. A candidate who qualifies for extra time will be given 30 minutes extra, for a total of 150 minutes. 

Most in-person, paper exams contain 100 questions. The standard time for these exams is 100 minutes. Those candidates who qualify for extra time will be given 30 minutes extra, for a total of 130 minutes.

The least common exam format is 150 questions. This exam has a standard duration of 150 minutes and a special accommodations duration of 190 minutes. 

Unless you are told to expect otherwise, your in-person exam will contain 100 questions and your online exam will contain 120 questions.

We would love to include you in our SEPtember 2022 blog posts. If you are a SEP who wants to participate, please answer our interview questions in this form: https://forms.gle/KdMBknkBdtNibWuy9 In June or July 2022, our intern will reach out to everyone who has submitted a form response. 

Are you a student who would like to be our next paid intern? Look at the INCOSE Volunteer Opportunity Board to see the listing for position CER-007. We hire interns twice per year, with the resume submission date listed at the Volunteer Opportunity Board site. https://www.incose.org/about-incose/volunteer-opportunities/vo-request 

The Volunteer Opportunity Board is where we list other volunteer opportunities, too, including creating exam questions and volunteering as an application reviewer. 

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

My current position is Technical Fellow for Systems Engineering at Embraer. Performing CONOPS, Requirements and Functional Analysis.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?  

My proudest professional accomplishment is to implement Systems Engineering at Aircraft Early Stages Development at my company.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?   

My biggest challenge as a Systems Engineer is to implement Systems Engineering in Brazil. We almost do not have this knowledge in our Engineering Schools. Just two or thee learning opportunities. I recognize the importance of INCOSE in my career.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?       

Touch the ground. A good systems engineer has a passion for understand systems behavior in his operational environment!

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?    

I participate in INCOSE working groups, webinars and INCOSE IS.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?      

The next career goals that I want to achieve is to participate as Systems Engineer in the development of a systems that gives a high contribution to society.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of work?          

I study history. I have a special interest in woodworking

Q8: Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

The reason to get my SEP Certification is the opportunity to inspire the practitioners of my country to perform a really engineered founded approach to complex systems development. It is not only to improve my career it is a way to improve engineering in my country.

Q9: How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

Systems Engineering is very broad and when I put into practice my knowledge there exists a sense of recognizing by the Community that this knowledge is well-founded in international practices.

Q10: What has surprised you in the past five years related to systems engineering?    

Systems Engineering is spreading to many different domains!

Q11: What job titles have you had other than Systems Engineer?        

I had the job title of Stress Analysis Engineer

Q12: Are there any other final comments you would like to make? Include here if you are the first SEP within some group, like your chapter, company, or country.

I am the first SEP of Brazil.

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

Kerry is currently a Country Engineering Director / Chief Engineer at Thales Australia, based in Sydney. In this role she provides technical leadership and governance on bids and projects, delivers technical training programs, and participates on the Technical Board of Thales Australia.  She often undertakes personal intervention in different business units or on projects as required and is strong in forming and animating networks of key stakeholders, engaging with relevant actors at country level, Group level and external to Thales. In addition to this role, Kerry is currently the President of INCOSE, completing the 2nd year of her two-year term, after serving as the Asia-Oceania Director and President-Elect in the preceding years. Kerry is a Fellow of Engineers Australia with a status of Engineering Executive and Chartered Professional Engineer, is a member of IEEE, and is a certified INCOSE ESEP.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

Kerry was quite excited to have been the first individual certified as an INCOSE ESEP in Australia. Additionally, she served as the INCOSE Symposium Chair in 2001 when it was held in Australia. Kerry described this experience as being fun and rewarding having run a conference for 500-900 people over the course of 3 ½ days. Reinforcing the significance of this career highlight, Kerry was recognized (over the phone) by one of her ESEP panelists as having been the 2001 INCOSE Symposium Chair! Another example of accomplishments was the development and delivery of complex Data Centers in Sri Lanka and Thailand, where Kerry was able to have a significant impact on the organization, management, total systems engineering, and risk mitigation approaches resulting in a successfully deliver a working system to her customers.

But at the top of the list was the honor to serve as President of INCOSE.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?

Kerry explains that, quite frankly, the biggest challenge being a Systems Engineer is that most people don’t understand what a Systems Engineer does, and hence the importance of such a role to facilitate a successful outcome in delivering a system solution.  Likewise, it is not a role that can be largely taught in educational institutions.  Yes, the foundations and many problem-solving approaches and techniques can, but to be a good Systems Engineer takes more than that. It takes education and experience to get everyone on the same page with respect to systems engineering. Finally, although the term “Systems Engineering” was primarily conceived out of the Defense world, many who practice the core Systems Engineering processes and disciplines don’t know they are actually doing systems engineering.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?

Kerry believes Systems Engineering is a good field with lots of opportunity. Based on the trends within industry and advancements in technology, there are many more integrated systems these days and/or going that way in the near-future. For individuals starting their career as Systems Engineers, Kerry recommends focusing on a depth or expertise in a specific engineering discipline first. Once proficient, they should then expand with other disciplines that interest them to help become aware of other facets of the system. That being said, Kerry feels that acquiring experience is essential to build from a formal educational basis. Additionally, she also cautions Systems Engineers from getting caught up being a specialist and getting pigeon holed in only one or two Systems Engineering work areas – one should not lose focus of the entire system when considering any one aspect. Kerry also advises that disruptive technologies are always those items that pop up out of the blue and a good Systems Engineer must think how they will impact / disrupt modern systems. Therefore, a Systems Engineer must stay current with emerging trends in the industry and be prepared to work hard. Finally, a Systems Engineer must have soft skills in addition to technical skills as there are many situations where one must work with groups of people with all types of backgrounds, expertise, and interest in the overall system.

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?

In addition to her career commitments and responsibilities, Kerry also enjoys volunteering in INCOSE and also in the Australian Chapter, the Systems Engineering Society of Australia (SESA), where she served as President from 2008-2009.  Kerry also reads as much as she can (e.g., INCOSE’s website, publications, Working Group minutes / deliverables) to stay current on technology and the latest SE practices, and looks for opportunities at work to be part of a larger technical community.  What can be discussed and learned from colleagues worldwide can be very insightful.  Kerry also makes time to simply talk to specialists, experts, and others in the industry as that typically yields the most beneficial insights to helpful and relevant SE practices. Kerry also attends lectures, conferences, and technical / industry group events as much as her busy schedule allows.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?

Although extremely accomplished in her professional career, Kerry hopes to one day make time to write a novel but weave through it a systems perspective – matching fiction with fact with future. She would also like to continue holding technical leadership roles at the senior/executive level and tackle difficult problems. Similarly, loving her roles as a Technical Leader, Kerry wishes to someday give back to the younger generation through mentoring, supporting educational programs and providing expert guidance on one or two key technical challenges of the future. Kerry will eventually and gradually retire someday.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interest outside of work?

Special interests outside of SE include walking her dog Max, reading the occasional fiction novel, camping, playing the piano, cycling, swimming, body surfing, scuba diving, and many other outdoor activities in the vicinity of the beach.

Q8:  Are there any other final comments you would like to make?

Systems Engineering can have many different meanings to other professionals.  It is very broad in its adaptation across different industries and can be very complex. But because of this it can open many doors for the individual to progress through his/her career. No other technical field can provide the exposure to other technical fields in different domains across various industries.  It is a great field to either progress in or to use as a jumping board to move into another area of expertise.

Q9:  Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

Kerry had been considering to apply for SEP certification but the catalyst was actually through her employer Thales. At that time, Thales was looking to put through a number of candidates from around the world to strengthen the organization’s expertise in systems engineering and to be recognized as holding this expertise. As a result, Kerry moved forward with her application, initially for CSEP level but while gathering all her material to support her application she realized she could qualify for ESEP, and the rest is history.

Q10:  How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

It is not clear if the SEP certification has impacted Kerry’s career.  It certainly has not had any negative effect, quite the opposite.  The SEP qualification often has to be explained but it is always well received.  As a result, Kerry is starting to see the recognition grow in Australia. It does place you apart from your colleagues, so that is positive.  And for Kerry it was great to be the first person in Australia to obtain this qualification.

Q11:  What has surprised you in the past five years related to systems engineering?

What has surprised Kerry over the past five years is that there is a growing need for better system solutions with the increasing inter-dependencies and inter-connectedness, yet we are still having the challenge of being recognized for our expertise to work these system solutions.  They are opposing elements in the same ecosystem. It is almost as if there is an identity crisis for Systems Engineers.  Kerry noted that in-roads are being made and our position has improved over the five years but she thought we would have advanced further by now.

Q12:  What job titles have you had other than “Systems Engineer?”

• Systems Design Lead
• Systems Engineering Manager
• Principal Systems Engineer
• Chief Systems Engineer
• Systems Project Manager
• Chief Engineer
• Technical Lead
• Technical & Engineering Director
• Technology General Manager
• Engineer Grade 1
• Engineer Grade 2
• Software Quality Engineer
• Engineering Manager
• Project XYZ Engineering Manager
• Engineering Process Manager
• Joint Architecture Group Leader
• System Architect
• Solution Engineering Manager
• Project Design Authority

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

As a Pre-Sales Engineer, I facilitate the sales productivity and flow by delivering the right system design solution and ensuring technical feasibility in complex solutions based on the company's products.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?  

Being a presales engineer requires a lot of coordination and constant teamwork which has led me to meet the customer requirements and therefore, deliver efficient system design for any complex problems. This is what I feel is my proudest accomplishment as it leads me to apply the principles of systems engineering.
For this constant hard work, I was recognized twice by my current employer as a TOPBOT, which is basically a way to appreciate the employees in my organization for their hard work and efforts.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?   

The biggest challenge I face as a systems engineer is to consolidate all the information and manage the consistency between knowledge shared across various departments. Documentation is, most of the times taken for granted, when in fact it shouldn't be.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?       

For someone starting a career as a SE, i'd recommend that it always starts with a WHY.

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?    

As a budding systems engineer, I never miss out an opportunity to connect with the industry experts who have a lot to offer. Also, being an avid reader and learner, I keep enhancing my knowledge by reading books on various SE subjects and the tools used.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?      

I want to be recognized as an expert systems engineer.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of work?          

Sports specially badminton, music, traveling, reading

Q8: Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

I have always been a person who loves to reason out everything. That particular ability of mine made me want to learn more about how to apply my thinking into something more grand whilst staying focused on the problem.

Q9: How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

I try to exercise my new skills in my current role by providing detailed methods of application and examples of SE working in practice.

Q10: What job titles have you had other than Systems Engineer?        

Presales Engineer/Design and Estimation Engineer

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

Currently, I am working as Systems Engineer in Health care domain.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

I am happy to share that I was a winner of the 2020 Women in Engineering - RD&E award from the Industrial domain in my previous organization based on my technical achievements and contributions to make an impact on products and processes.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?

I would say in my experience, traceability among various artifacts and managing design input changes became challenging in later lifecycle phases in complex system development.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?

Personally, I got a great experience by learning the SE approach and gaining practical experience on the job and as part of the INCOSE working group by driving better solutions through a holistic understanding of the problem. Thus, I would suggest starting with a similar approach to get a better understanding.

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?

Beyond my current responsibilities as a Systems Engineer, I am part of the MBSE Local Working Group in INCOSE India Chapter, which gives me an excellent opportunity to continue learning and adopting best practices guided by professionals from various industries and work on exciting problems statements and develop systems using MBSE methodology.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?

I would like to obtain extensive practical experience and understanding to become a Certified SEP and a functional leader to guide the team of Systems Engineers.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of work?

Nowadays, during my free time or on weekends, I explore indoor interests of playing musical keyboard and designing web based systems (understanding programming).

Q8: Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

I decided to apply for SEP certification to gain exposure to broad Systems Engineering knowledge. The main purpose was to learn and develop systems thinking skills and understand the systems approach applied to engineer systems.

Q9: How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

SEP certification had a significant impact on my career to expand my exposure to systems-level programs, get recognized, and able to dive into more responsibilities as a Systems Engineer. In addition, the journey towards SEP certification truly helped me understand deeply to bring in a holistic approach from a systems perspective to drive improved solutions.

Q10: What has surprised you in the past five years related to systems engineering?

I think transitioning to the MBSE approach is really emerging to deal with the limitations of the traditional document-based approach. Being one of the pioneers to explore and adopt MBSE in organizations, I have experienced the value that MBSE offers to improve quality by reducing the risks early.

Q11: What job titles have you had other than “Systems Engineer?”

Requirements Engineer

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

I am a Technical Supplier Manager: managing supplier technical issue, support supplier transfer project (supplier change) and support company audit team during supplier audit.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

At the beginning of the ramping up COVID-19 test-instrument production:

• The supplier delivery consumable with barcode issue. I have supported a team to provide an official solution for the customer within a few days.
• Prevent production stop several times by solving supplier quality issue in timely manner, mainly by making them understand how we use their parts on our instrument.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?

Implement system engineer processes together with non-system-engineering understanding stakeholders who strictly follow their own processes or way of work.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?

Identify experts, learn from them, be creative and experiment system engineer in your daily work, even in a small task.

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?

Learn from experts around me. Experiment, pick up a good thing from success and learn from mistake. Working with in different teams, suppliers and project bring many opportunities to grow. Reading or watching engineering project presentation, for example the cleaning-up Costa Concordia project.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?

I have a private project but I have not even started to plan. This private project is my next career goal.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of work?

Growing up in Bangkok, I am a typical big-city foodie. I love checking out good/famous restaurants, especially French or Asian fusion food.

Q8: Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

My company provided an interesting workshop introducing System Engineer. It was interesting and made me feel that it will add value to my work. I did not need to travel far for the exam as the company organized it to be at our campus and it was free of charge. It was easy for me to decide to get the certificate.

Q9: How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

I do not know whether this certificate helps me get this new position as a technical supplier manager or not, but I do believe having a CSEP certificate provides a good reference beyond other work reference.

Q10: What has surprised you in the past five years related to systems engineering?

No matter how much we learnt, we still make mistake and even repeat the same mistake.

Q11: What job titles have you had other than “Systems Engineer?”

Software developer, Test engineer, Customer case handling in Global quality and regulatory department.

Q12: Are there any other final comments you would like to make

For me, System Engineering is like a religion. I believe in it and live with it: even a private trip planning, it can be my next system-engineering project.

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

Tim’s current position is as a Program Manager leading a team of systems engineering experts performing acquisition integration, test, and launch for satellite programs for the U.S. Government.  In this role he applies his Systems Engineering knowledge to satellite requirements, assembly, test, and launch integration activities.  He leads a team of 40+ people who conduct requirements definition for satellite systems, they then assist the government program office in guiding the programs through design, assembly, test, launch and on orbit activation.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

One of Tim’s proudest professional accomplishments was working in the Government program office for the Space-Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) system where he, as a member of a smaller organization, was a key member of satellite launch requirements and launch campaign execution.  Tim successfully worked across engineering disciplines and multiple contractors to manage all launch requirements.  In this technical advisory role he managed the acquisition of launch sites, satellite processing facilities as well as communications and data requirements at the launch site.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?

One of the challenges Tim encounters is to balance “ideal” Systems Engineering principles and cost.  In the satellite programs, there might be an “ideal” flow of systems integration and test events to develop the required functionality and minimize risk; however, this is not always feasible due to cost and schedule constraints. 

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?

Tim has two pieces of advice for individuals starting a career as a Systems Engineer:  1) Every time a requirement is written always identify how that requirement is going to be verified. This will ensure the requirements are executable; and 2) Do not underestimate the value of building a network of people that one can go to for advice and help.  Building relationships is key to performing one’s job well as a SE.

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?

Tim continues to learn about Systems Engineering by taking technical classes in various areas of interest.  He interacts with other engineers at different technical forums and symposiums and exchanges experiences with different people across disciplines and agencies.  Additionally, Tim has enjoyed being a guest lecturer on SE topics at local universities and other groups.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?

Now an ESEP, Tim continues to lead teams who are at the fore front of SE to build the next generation of launch vehicles or satellites.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interest outside of work?

Outside of work, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.  His oldest daughter is studying Commercial Music at Liberty University.  His other daughter Megan is entering her junior year and is a member of the National Honor Society.  He son Joel is in middle school and Tim helps lead the his sons Trail Life USA Troop where he leads many backpacking and other outdoor activities.

Q8:  Are there any other final comments you would like to make?

Tim enjoys being an ESEP and is thankful for his connection with INCOSE. This has helped him in his career and understanding of Systems Engineering.

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

My current position is principal engineer at Roche Diagnostics International. This position is a matrix leader position, where I need to coordinate the work of my colleagues from different specialties. I am also a technical lead, with the responsibility of defining best practices, architecture and conceptual solutions for our projects.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

My two proudest professional accomplishments were the development of a sensory feedback for myoelectrically controlled prostheses system during my PhD and the successful lead of a complex features encompassing the need to coordinate the work between chemistry, electronics, software and system integration to be implemented in several of our instruments for automated diagnostics.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?

The biggest challenge I face as a Systems Engineer is the communication between our very diverse stakeholders in our projects. Finding the right communication channels to be able to transmit the right level of complexity and technical detail is one of the biggest challenges I find in my work.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?

I will recommend patience, since systems engineering covers different disciplines and topics, and it requires time to be able to get the understanding on how everything is connected in the lifetime of a system.

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?

I continue educating myself on different topics regarding System Engineering. I am particularly interested in systems architecture, and the tools that help to manage complexity. Since one of the challenges is communication, I am studying Model Based Systems Engineering, to be able to encapsulate the complexity of our systems with different levels of abstraction, so that I can address the right level to the right audience.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?

One of my personal goals is to become a Lead Systems Engineer/System Architect at my work, to be able to contribute with the tools provided to have very successful projects, such that we can continue improving people lives through our automatic diagnostics instruments.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of work?

I love reading, technical and non-technical literature. Depending on the mood, I might spend my time learning new technical topics, or spend some relaxing time reading fantasy or Science fiction books.

Recently, I enjoy going to the forest with my wife and daughters.

Q8: Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

I learned about system engineering through a colleague who happened to be very enthusiastic about the topic and a CSEP. He explain to me what a system engineer does and the positive impact it has on systems development. Since I had a broad spectrum of responsibilities in my work, becoming a system engineer looked to me as the next logical step in my career.

Q9: How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

The CSEP certification helped me to position myself in my company as a person with the required know-how to help us handle the complexity in our projects. Besides the certification, the possibility to exchange ideas with like-minded people has open several doors to my professional development.

Q10: What has surprised you in the past five years related to systems engineering?

Our systems have increased use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, software as a differentiator, and a closer interaction between intelligent machines and their users. All these factors increase the complexity for the management and development of the systems. Therefore, I am most interested in the evolution of the Model Based Systems Engineering discipline, and its impact on managing the increase complexity of our systems.

Q11: What job titles have you had other than “Systems Engineer?”

I have held the roles of Software Developer, Lead Software Developer, Research Assistant, Scientist/Project Lead, Senior Embedded Systems Engineer, Software Architect, and recently Principal Engineer.

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

Leader of the Product Definition Team – leading a team which is defining the scope and content for a software update project.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

Together with my team we elaborated the features for the software update project in a very short time. It was a challenging time with many overtime hours, but everybody took part and in the end we made it.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?

Usually the focus of the management is on solutions and they don’t see the need in investing time and effort upfront in understanding the actual problem. So, convincing them of the need to invest enough time/money at the beginning is one of the biggest challenges.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?

Try to see as many different areas of Systems Engineering as possible

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?

At the moment I don’t do anything special outside of work. At work I try to get as many new experiences in other areas as possible.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?

I would like to become a manager with direct reports as this would add a new challenge to the current tasks (currently it’s “only” matrix management without direct reports).

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of work?

Reading, traveling, cross stitching.

Q8: Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

My manager told me about it and I found it a challenge to study for another exam after graduation.

Q9: How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

It was important for my manager and I feel appreciated when I made it.

Q10: What has surprised you in the past five years related to systems engineering?

How complex the development of new systems can become when you have to develop a system that is integrated in a larger environment.

Q11: What job titles have you had other than “Systems Engineer?”

I have never been called a systems engineer, but I have always worked in that field (started as a Test Case Author, then Test Manager, now Product Definition Lead).

This interview was conducted in 2021.

Q1: Describe your current position/role.

I am a Chief Engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton specializing in systems engineering and cybersecurity integration. I lead multiple engineering projects for our Navy clients in the San Diego area providing cybersecurity services and systems engineering expertise for Navy platforms and C4I systems.

Q2: What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

I am extremely proud to have reached the level of Chief Engineer at Booz Allen and get the opportunity to lead, develop, and mentor our engineering experts. I have enjoyed developing as an engineering leader and having the opportunity to grow and learn since starting as an entry-level engineer.

Growing up it was always a dream to work in the space industry, and I am very proud to have had the opportunity to be a systems engineer supporting NASA and the development of the Orion spacecraft, NASA’s next vehicle that will travel to the moon and beyond.

Q3: What is the biggest challenge you face as a Systems Engineer?

Selling clients and projects on the importance of systems engineering. As systems engineers we understand the critical need for quality engineering practices throughout the systems development lifecycle, yet it is a pervasive challenge to show the importance of systems engineering in meeting cost, schedule, and performance demands. I always strive to see this as an opportunity because this means there will always be a demand for high-performing systems engineers.

Q4: What advice do you have for individuals starting their career as a Systems Engineer?

Be willing to learn as much as you can and find areas to grow and develop in each opportunity you get to progress towards your goals. Systems Engineers have the unique capability to provide expertise to a vast spectrum of technical challenges, and opportunities will present themselves if you are willing to challenge yourself, provide leadership through service, and identify where you need to grow.

Q5: How do you continue to learn about SE? What professional development activities do you do?

I strive to find new technical areas where I can learn and challenge myself, and also be willing to ask questions on how we can use or expertise to improve. I enjoy reading and learning as much as I can and speaking with clients and experts about their challenges.

Q6: What are the next career goals you want to achieve?

I’m excited to continue my growth as an engineering leader and look forward to serving as a senior leader at Booz Allen. My goals are to find new ways to tackle our client’s engineering challenges and grow and cultivate engineering talent.

Q7: What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of work?

I’m an avid golfer; I played competitively in the past and now play recreationally. I am a proud graduate of Virginia Tech and am very active in our alumni community, having served as our Alumni Association’s San Diego Chapter President. I enjoy video games and have been a huge sci-fi fan my whole life; my interest in Star Trek as a youth is one of the factors that drove me to want to be an engineer. I love athletics, and at one time was a professional basketball official. Along with my Hokies, I enjoy cheering on my Kansas City Chiefs and am still excited that I got to watch them win the Super Bowl after supporting for many years.

Q8: Why did you decide to get the SEP certification?

I was encouraged by my Booz Allen leadership to pursue the certification. As partners with INCOSE, Booz Allen is an advocate of the certification and I became interested in demonstrating my knowledge by becoming an ASEP. The SEP certification continues to be a differentiator in the engineering community and can help an aspiring systems engineer distinguish themselves. I have since upgraded to CSEP and look forward to the day when I will be eligible for ESEP.

Q9: How does the SEP certification impact your professional career?

It helped establish the foundational systems engineering expertise I possess. Being a SEP enables you to stand out in the engineering community and reinforces that you have the required knowledge and expertise to help a project apply systems engineering principles.

Q10: What has surprised you in the past five years related to systems engineering?

The need for systems engineering remains critically high. Despite the benefits that we know systems engineering provides, it remains one of the core challenges our clients face.

Q11: What job titles have you had other than “Systems Engineer?”

I started my career as an Aerospace Engineer; that was also the field of my degree. I have been a Systems Engineer during my time with Booz Allen, but have had the opportunity to work in several technical disciples including spacecraft development and cybersecurity. I have been able to grow and develop to take on the opportunity to have the title of Chief Engineer.