Career Path of a Mission Assurance Manager at Boeing
Mirwaise's passion for math, cultivated since childhood, led to a mechanical engineering degree and a senior design project involving a "hybrid electric vehicle," sparking an interest in engineering. A GE operations management leadership program provided diverse experiences—in supply chain, engineering, and operations—culminating in a technical innovation award and eventually a move to the aerospace industry in Southern California, fueled by a "quarter-life crisis" and a love for the area.
Engineering, Leadership Development, Supply Chain Management, Quality Assurance, Aerospace Industry
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mirwaise Masroor
Mission Assurance Manager
Boeing
Virginia Tech
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Engineering - Mechanical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Early fascination with math and numbers, leading to a mechanical engineering major.
2. Participation in a competitive senior design project (hybrid electric vehicle) which provided valuable hands-on experience and insights into engineering.
3. Completion of a two-year rotational leadership program at General Electric, offering exposure to various roles in supply chain, engineering, and operations, and highlighting the benefits of such programs for career exploration.
Transcript
Could you walk me through a career path starting with why you chose your major in college? Tell me about your experience in college, and any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
Absolutely. Growing up, I was always a math nerd. I loved working with numbers and would even create extra math problems after finishing my homework. My mom was a teacher, so there was pressure for me to be good at math, and I was in a double accelerated program, always two years ahead of my peers.
This fascination with numbers, combined with growing up in Virginia, led me to Virginia Tech, a top 15 engineering school. I also loved their football team, so it just made sense for me to go there. That math and mechanical mindset really got me started.
Once I got to school, a senior design project called the Hybrid Electric Vehicle team truly shaped my understanding of what I wanted to do long-term. It was a four-year competition with 16 top engineering schools, where we built a hybrid electric vehicle and competed at the end of the year.
My first internship was after my sophomore year. I did a co-op with General Electric's appliance business in Louisville, Kentucky, taking a whole semester off. I returned for two more summers, and after graduating, I applied for their operations management leadership program.
This two-year program is a fast track to leadership, offering exposure to various roles like supply chain, engineering, and operations. I highly advocate for rotational programs like this, as they allow you to explore different fields and discover your interests.
During the program, I traveled across the country. My first rotation was in Ohio, working in supply chain management and operations. Then, I moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, for a technical engineering role. I was a young kid welding in a lab, conducting design experiments, and the project I put together earned me the GE 2018 Technical Innovation Award.
These opportunities allowed me to work on valuable, impactful projects. My last rotation was in Richmond, Virginia, my hometown. I worked as an operations leader for a machine shop that repaired gas and steam turbines.
After graduating from the program, I loved the beach town of Wilmington and moved back. I worked as a lead supplier quality engineer for the first shop there. What eventually brought me to the West Coast was my senior design project in 2016.
The final competition was in San Diego, California, and I absolutely fell in love with Southern California. I promised myself I would move there. At 25, I called it my quarter-life crisis, realizing that if I didn't move then, I never would. So, I started applying for jobs out there and landed in the Aerospace industry in Los Angeles.