Senior Technical Program Manager

Ford Creighton

Aerospace engineer and hardware program leader who scales complex systems from the front lines — NASA Mission Control to the factory floor.

Startup-minded Bias for action Boots on the ground
Purdue Aerospace Engineering Boeing / NASA Teledrill WWT International Amazon Leo

About

I build and scale complex hardware — and I've done it from both ends, from real-time flight operations in NASA's Mission Control to the contract-manufacturing floor.

I started as an aerospace engineer at Purdue, then spent three years at Boeing supporting NASA human spaceflight — running guidance, navigation & control operations for the International Space Station and Space Shuttle from Johnson Space Center. From there I spent 15 years building and commercializing advanced electro-mechanical hardware in demanding, regulated environments, rising to VP of Engineering and becoming a named inventor on a granted U.S. patent.

Today I'm a Senior Technical Program Manager at Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper), where I manage the contract manufacturers building the phased-array antennas at the heart of a satellite broadband constellation — driving yield, quality, and capacity as the program scales.

I'm a startup-minded operator with a bias for action — equally at home writing the plan and on the floor solving the problem in front of me. I want to bring that blend of aerospace fundamentals, hands-on hardware leadership, and manufacturing-at-scale to the new-space and defense-technology companies building what's next.

Experience

Senior Technical Program ManagerAmazon Leo (Project Kuiper)
Jan 2026 – Present

Manage contract manufacturers producing PCBA phased-array antennas for a satellite broadband constellation. Own the CM relationship end-to-end — yield improvement, quality, capacity planning, and new-product introduction across multiple sites.

Technical Program LeadBlackFox Oil Tools
Jan – Dec 2025

Led product and system architecture for a rugged downhole tool in high-temperature environments. Owned project planning, test strategy, vendor sourcing, BOM cost, and full-system validation across mechanical and electrical design.

Lead Product Development EngineerWWT International
2021 – 2024

Drove development and commercialization of high-reliability electro-mechanical tools deployed globally. Led a team of three, ran cost-down and design-reuse initiatives, and presented proposals to international clients including Aramco and ADNOC. (Houston & Abu Dhabi)

VP of Engineering / Acting GMTeledrill
2014 – 2021

Owned the full product lifecycle for advanced downhole tools and sensor platforms (Intelli-Pulser, HydroHammer). Directed engineering, operations, and business development, and negotiated major IP-licensing deals across North America and the Middle East.

GN&C Systems Engineer (NASA Contractor)The Boeing Company
2008 – 2010

Supported International Space Station and Space Shuttle operations from NASA's Mission Control at Johnson Space Center. Served as group lead for multiple Shuttle flights, performed flight-rule assessments and real-time anomaly resolution, and used MATLAB/Simulink to evaluate spacecraft behavior.

Patents & Recognition

Named inventor on two patented downhole technologies

U.S. Patent 10,907,421 B2 — "Drill String Applications Tool" (granted 2021).  View PDF ↗  · Patent record

WO 2019/068081 A1 — "Coiled Tubing Applications and Measurement Tool" (international PCT publication; European grant, U.S. counterpart not pursued).  View PDF ↗  · Patent record

Earlier real-time downhole data technology was an industry "Technology of the Year" runner-up.

What I do

  • Technical program & product management
  • Contract-manufacturing management & vendor oversight
  • PCBA & electromechanical hardware NPI
  • Yield, quality & process improvement
  • Design-to-cost & supply-chain planning
  • Cross-functional leadership in regulated industries

Education & credentials

B.S., Aerospace Engineering
Purdue University
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified
Finance for Non-Finance Professionals
Rice University
High-Risk Public Trust Position — DCSA
Prior (expired)

Contact

Open to conversations in new-space and defense technology.