John "Harrison" Burke
Hardware Engineer at Amazon Robotics
BS in Mechanical Engineering
Phone:
774-271-2233
Email:
Location:
Boston (willing to relocate)
LinkedIn Profile:
A Bit About Me
Hi! I am John Harrison Burke, but I go by my middle name, "Harrison." You can blame my parents for any confusion. I am currently a Hardware Engineer at Amazon Robotics in Westborough, MA. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northeastern University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering on the 5 year program. I tend to be drawn towards fast-paced work environments with a multitude of revolving projects so as to always stay hands-on and busy. I've found that the most rewarding setting thus far has been design oriented, with both engineering and customer-facing responsibilities. Further, I have a longtime interest in both robotics and the future of automation and efficiency.
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I first stumbled upon my passion for engineering when I was working at Burr Brothers Boatyard, where I helped the mechanics repair marine engines. From there, I was able to accrue the skills to work on my family boat and to start investing my own money into broken outboard engines, repairing them, and flipping for a profit. It was the strong sense of satisfaction from identifying the correct issue, studying it, then properly rectifying the problem that would lead me into an engineering career years later. This experience was the first on a path of hours of studying course content, garnering meaningful experience, learning from mentors, collaborating on NASA sponsored Mars rovers, and eventually leading the development of multi-million dollar products.
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Beyond academics, I spend a lot of time being active. Growing up I devoted a lot of hours to playing on the Olympic Development Team (ODP Region I) team for soccer and got similar satisfaction from honing my skills with hours of hard work. A lot of the lessons about discipline and determination that I apply to my engineering career have been learned from coaches and teammates on the field. Now that I'm a bit more washed up, I like to play pick-up soccer or basketball whenever I can with friends and will spend my remaining active time at the gym. I also like to play the piano, compose music (electronically or not), and go skiing whenever the weather allows.
Work Experience
May 2024 - Present
July 2023 - May 2024
May 2022 - July 2023
July 2021 - February 2022
May 2018 - May 2022
June 2016 - June 2021
Hardware Engineer, Amazon Robotics, Westborough MA
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Modeled a dynamic rotary table powered by servos and planetary gears to simulate an autonomous robot’s motion within a gantry system. Integrated the gantry and rotary table with the robot’s motor control logic, enabling unified execution and precise motion simulation in a controlled environment.
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Executed 100+ test runs to support robotic vehicle safety certification testing. Wrote scripting and developed hardware fixtures to demonstrate obstacle detection for third-party witness testing.
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Devised custom tests for prototype sensors to verify proper operation and rated capacity. Authored Python libraries to enable sensor data acquisition with documentation and prebuilt commands for future team use.
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Mechanical Engineering Co-op, Square Robot, Marlborough MA
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Designed a custom automated purge and pressurizing controller package to seal robot electronic housing and mitigate risk of ignition. Wrote C++ script to the main PCB to control all solenoid valves, sensors, and 3D printed parts. Rolled out use after testing and saved field operators 30 minutes with autonomous operation.
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Produced underwater system to test echosounder design, with pitch, roll, and yaw functionality. Created custom fixture with dynamic features to disperse signal feedback and diminish data noise by 32%. Coordinated pressure and torque sensors to test environmental backpressure against efficiency.
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Constructed a dynamic restraining system and custom mobile carts to secure robots during transport and job site hoisting. Created 150+ unique BOM items for the design and fixture to validate against shock and vibration, ensuring stability across all six degrees of freedom.
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Mechanical Engineering Co-op, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Plainville MA
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Designed a digital tracking system to manage equipment and display their variable location by barcode
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Headed new Engineering Subdivision for Parts and Procurement Operations. Responsible for creating a risk assessment program encompassing 1,100+ systems with 10,000+ unique spare parts
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Managed PO creation for all engineering expenses in ARIBA which require multi-department coordination
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Secured a continuation and promotion after my contract expired to assist part-time while at school
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Mechanical Engineering Co-op, Demand Management Institute, Needham, MA
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Developed Excel/VBA-based calculator for Eversource on multi-million-dollar contract to analyze electric, gas, and oil savings for grocery stores in MA, CT, and NH. Built weather-dependent bin-model analysis for refrigeration, HVAC, and other add-on retrofit energy conservation measures for use over the next 10 years
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Performed nearly 150 technical reviews while working closely with small business owners and contractors to identify over 10 million kWh in possible savings and 5 million dollars in potential incentive
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Created 3D energy modeling takeoffs in eQuest and interpreted Massachusetts building codes (IECC, ASHRAE) to advise new construction clients on high-performance practices including HVAC, lighting, and insulation
Launch Operator, Burr Brothers Boats Inc., Marion, MA
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Captained offshore vessel to transport hundreds of customers to moored boats throughout the season
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Operated dock to help customers dock, refuel, rent company mooring, and provided other customer service
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Obtained Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from Department of Homeland Security and Merchant Mariner Credentials from the U.S. Coast Guard to qualify for position
Engineering Intern, JMB Associates, New England
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Collected field data, tabulated results in Excel, created maps and visualizations for client reports
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Shadowed licensed PE on civil design and construction oversight of multi-million dollar building projects