Alexander Alvarado

Winter 2023 -- Present

Glenair

Arcadia, CA

Product Design Engineer

• Owned end-to-end product lifecycle for high-power MIL-DTL-38999 circular connector product line, managing new product introductions, design development, qualification testing, and sustained production for aerospace and harsh-environment applications.
• Drove manufacturing innovation through in-house 3D printing of assembly fixtures (FDM/SLA), freeing up our machinist and reducing job lead times from 4-6 weeks to 2-3 days.
• Built internal tooling infrastructure by developing 20+ custom SolidWorks VBA automation scripts, eliminating manual drawing tasks and reducing engineering design cycle time by 20-40% team-wide.

Winter 2021 -- Spring 2023

HiRel Connectors

Claremont, CA

Test Engineer

• Led qualification testing program for aerospace circular connectors, completing 20+ environmental and performance tests (thermal cycling, vibration, shock, salt spray) across multiple product lines to meet MIL-DTL-38999 requirements.
• Supported design and production teams by presenting test data, explaining test methodologies, cross-sectioning samples, and addressing technical questions during First Article Inspection (FAI) audits.
• Executed high-voltage automated testing and programmed test sequences, identifying product defects, documenting non-conformances, and providing engineering disposition to resolve quality issues.
• Authored technical documentation including test procedures, non-conformance reports, and disposition recommendations, ensuring traceability and compliance with AS9100 quality management systems.

Spring 2024 -- Present

SaaS Startup

Sweeps LLCCo-founder & CEO

• Bootstrapped and scaled a browser automation SaaS platform to 1,000+ active users and $50k+ ARR in 6 months, achieving profitability through product-led growth.
• Engineered full-stack infrastructure from scratch using Node.js, React, TypeScript, and PostgreSQL, integrating payment processing (Stripe), workflow automation (n8n), and authentication (Supabase) to deliver a seamless user experience at scale.
• Delivered measurable ROI to customers by automating repetitive browser tasks, saving each user an average of 3+ hours per week and receiving dozens of positive Trustpilot reviews.
• Cultivated high-engagement community of 1,200+ Discord members, keeping a pulse on user sentiment through direct customer relationships, rapid support ticket responses, and community-driven product development.

Sweeps dashboard showing automated bonus collection across 6 platforms

Fall 2023 -- Spring 2023

Independent Project

Grow BuddyProduct Engineer

• Partnered with a solopreneur to develop a consumer-grade hydroponic system, iterating through 4 prototype cycles from concept to final design.
• Developed multi-functional enclosure incorporating natural drain outflow geometry, tube mounting interface, float valve mounting boss, and NPT valve threads, eliminating 3 separate components and reducing assembly complexity.
• Validated water-tight seals by tapping NPT threads directly into FDM-printed material, eliminating the need for separate metal fittings.

SolidWorks CAD cross-section showing internal reservoir, net cup, and float valve

3D-printed prototype with honeycomb texture and embossed logo

Custom fixture holding NPT taps for threading 3D-printed parts

Fall 2019 -- Summer 2020

UC Irvine -- Lavernia Research Group

Student Researcher -- MaterialsStudent Researcher

• Processed and characterized 20+ iron-cobalt alloy samples via spark plasma sintering (SPS), mapping microstructure to magnetic strength relationships for next-gen high frequency transformer cores.
• Performed microstructure and magnetic property analysis using SEM and XRD, establishing relationship between grain size and magnetic performance.
• Authored and secured a ~$5K research grant funding new equipment and powder metallurgy to continue student-led research.

Hi-rel connectors and magnetic domain vector map from electron holography

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) setup schematic

B-H hysteresis loop showing saturation, retentivity, and coercivity