Meet Andrew Durrer

Andrew Durrer                       

Senior Mechanical Engineer II, EO Mechanical Department, Space and Airborne Systems – Raytheon Company

Andrew V. Durrer, Senior Mechanical Engineer II, Engineering Leadership Development Program – Class of 2019 within Space Systems EO Mechanical Department at Space and Airborne Systems.  Durrer was first hired in 2011 as a Raytheon Summer intern and was hired as a full-time employee within the Test Fixtures and Equipment Section in the Hardware Engineering Center.  Durrer was recently awarded Technical Honors by his peers in February 2019. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2017 sales of $25 billion and 64,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Space and Airborne Systems (SAS), headquartered in McKinney, Texas, is a supplier of integrated sensing solutions for advanced applications in aviation and a leader in space-based sensors. Some key programs within SAS’ portfolio include: Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, multispectral targeting systems, and space-based sensors.

Before his current role in Test Fixtures and Equipment, Durrer had three summer internships with Space and Airborne Systems.  First, iTracker process improvement and CMMI Audit preparation team. Second, Tooling and Fixtures Group working on the design of tools and fixtures.  Third, obsolescence and parts management support and cabling and drawing support.

The Senior Mechanical Engineer II is responsible for understanding and performing research, design, development, and test of a product.  Durrer is within the EO Sensor group in the Space Systems Business area.  He is the responsible engineer for the Draco program Imported and Exported Shock test event.  As such, he is responsible for the development, design, characterization, and test of the entire shock system. This shock testing system is a new arena for SAS in El Segundo, California. This test event influences requirements that will sell off the prime system.

Rotating job tasks has given him confidence in identifying the “real” problems before rushing to solutions.  Durrer is a strong supporter of Raytheon Diversity and Inclusion goals. He is the Finance Director for Southern California Disability:IN.  Disability:IN is a long-term partner of Raytheon Company.  In addition to his work at Raytheon, he is a Second Lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol in Santa Monica, California.  He is co-founding a FIRST Robotics team in San Pedro, California.

Durrer is an advocate for Mechanical Engineering Best Practices. He consults on the community of practice initiatives to assist in the pursuit of Model-Based Engineering.  His initiative is to retain and train other engineers in the fundamentals of engineering design and best practice to meet the customer’s needs and improve Raytheon’s position in the Aerospace Industry.

Durrer earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) with honors at Clarkson University.  His thesis project was entitled Drag Reduction of a Luge Sled in Ground Effect Using Passive Flow Control.  The goal was to reduce the drag on a luge sled by 1-2% by tripping the boundary layer to turbulent flow such that the wake region at the back of the sled could be reduced thereby reducing the overall drag. This project was in partnership with USA Luge based out of Lake Placid, New York.