IPN Spotlight: Tahir Merali (Project Management Engineer at the Canadian Space Agency)
Mr. Merali is a Project Management Engineer with the Canadian Space Agency‘s (CSA) Enterprise Project Management Office where he works with teams to implement project governance. He also performs systems engineering activities related to Canada’s contribution to Lunar Gateway program.
Prior to joining CSA, Tahir worked across aerospace, energy & automotive industries, including as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of the Canadian Space Commerce Association (CSCA), formerly Canada’s trade association for space. He has presented innovative strategies to Fortune 500 executives. He previously worked at European Space Agency (ESA), as an astronaut instructor. He developed and delivered training for crew on International Space Station (ISS) systems and operations. He has also reported on the nanosatellite market as a business analyst with a Dutch start-up.
His work experience gave him the opportunity to visit several countries. Tahir offers unique perspectives having spent 10 minutes in “weightlessness” aboard a parabolic flight and developed 2 microgravity life-science experiments that have flown aboard the ISS. He is a strong advocate for space awareness and education, and has been peer-review published alongside several conference proceedings and panels. He has been recognized across industries by superiors & peers for excellence and leadership. In 2018, he was awarded globally as a Top 35 Under 35 of the space industry, selected by a panel of industry movers & shakers for his achievement, dedication, outreach and contribution to the space business.
Tahir is a graduate of the International Space University (M.Sc Space Management) and the University of Toronto (B.A.Sc Mechanical Engineering). He is a licensed professional engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP), and is a PADI-licensed Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver. Tahir was ranked qualified (Top-163) in the 2016 Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. Follow him @kulfispace!
What skills have helped you in your career?
Working in the Space industry requires using multi-disciplinary skills and while it may seem odd, skills learnt from my various leadership roles from different industries whether it was serving on nonprofit board, or engineering experience from the auto industry all acclimated and were useful to me in my current profession. One similarity is satellite manufacturing and in today’s NewSpace environment, how it is beginning to mimic models which are used and leveraged more commonly in auto manufacturing. Apply skill sets learnt, even if acquired in one industry because interpersonal skills and the ability to problem solve remain foundationally applicable across various industries.
What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
My professional career and engagement with the Canadian government requires me to be able to continuously update my ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders and so currently I am strengthening my French.
Serving on various directorship boards have enabled me to gain insight into different skill sets like financial budgeting and strategic planning which can then be reapplied in some capacity in my personal or professional life.
It is important to keep a vision for lifelong learning; work in a volunteer capacity, find opportunities to expand your own horizons, get uncomfortable, and be open to grow the necessary skill set.
What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Don’t be discouraged if your plans don’t turn out the way you expected them; I wish I had known earlier in my life that its OK if plans change.
Very early on in my career I was given an opportunity and a challenge to move halfway across the world to Germany as an instructor to astronauts. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined I would pursue this path, but it was the most memorable and enriching experience of my life. Learn to be flexible in your plans, don’t focus on one “typical” path to success – what is important is to realize there are numerous ways to achieve the same objective.
The best thing that I did differently was pursuing a non-conventional path for my undergraduate degree. Being able to work for a year enabled me to gain insight into how theoretical courses taught were applicable to solve real-life problems. But more importantly it provided me with the opportunity to realize what I was and was not passionate about pursuing as part of my future career.
What is next for you in your career?
I am extremely fortunate that my passion for the space sector and interest in project management both intersect in a way whereby work is an absolute joy for me. We are living in an age of historical space achievement with exciting programs like the international lunar Gateway, and companies like SpaceX, and so for the next phase of my career, I would like to lead and contribute to future projects where various stakeholders, academic institutions and government engage to shape Canada’s space initiatives.
Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Career and leadership mentorship and guidance for space industry
• Opportunities for connecting researchers to network leads for knowledge sharing
• Creating opportunities to explore new possibilities
Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Tahir Merali
Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]
Region:
Montreal, Canada
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