Ricardo Rocha
Data Science, AI & Operations Research | Aerospace Engineer
I am passionate about the airline industry and convinced that data and mathematical models are essential for making better decisions. As George Box famously said, “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” My work and studies focus on machine learning, data analysis, and operations research applied to airline and aviation challenges.
- Location
- Zurich, Switzerland
- rmoraisdarocha@outlook.com
- Phone
- +41 77 978 51 30
- Website
- https://ricardoamrocha.com
- Ricardo Rocha
Experience
– present
Machine Learning Engineer Intern – Operations Research & ATM at Swiss International Air Lines
Conducting my MSc thesis in collaboration with SWISS and TU Delft, focused on developing machine learning models to predict missed-connection risk for transfer passengers and support disruption management in hub operations.
Highlights
- Developing ML models to predict missed-connection risk and support disruption management;
- Exploring their potential integration into optimization models and operational decision tools.
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Data Analyst Intern – Operations Research & ATM at Swiss International Air Lines
Contributed to the SESAR CICONIA project, focused on optimizing flight trajectories to avoid regions prone to persistent contrail formation and thereby reduce aviation’s climate impact.
Highlights
- Analysed contrail impact across the SWISS long-haul network using trajectory-based data and statistical analysis;
- Collected and evaluated forecast data to assess forecast stability and support contrail-avoidance operations;
- Supported shadow-mode trials and operational feasibility assessments for integrating contrail forecasts into airline decision-making;
- Collaborated with stakeholders across the European aviation and research community.
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Teaching Assistant at Delft University of Technology
Supported the development of an open-source auralization toolbox for aircraft noise within the Open Your Ears project.
Highlights
- Contributed to the development of an open-source aircraft-noise toolbox using Python and MATLAB;
- Improved simulation accuracy and usability while supporting open-science initiatives;
- Repository: Auralization Toolbox
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Part-Time Student Worker at Subway
Store operations including food prep, customer service, and closing duties (cash counts and inventory checks).
Highlights
- Improved teamwork and time management; learned basic Dutch to interact with customers.
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Head of Avionics Department at ATLAS — Systems & Aeronautics
ATLAS — Systems & Aeronautics is a student project at Instituto Superior Técnico dedicated to designing, building, and operating autonomous UAVs for competitions and applications such as wildfire detection, a major problem in Portugal.
Highlights
- Led the Avionics Department, coordinating 20+ students across Flight Systems, Computer Vision, and Flight Control;
- Oversaw flight operations planning and integration of subsystems;
- Ensured compliance with aviation safety standards and managed external relations;
- Represented ATLAS at industry and academic events.
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Flight Systems Team Lead at ATLAS — Systems & Aeronautics
Led the Flight Systems team in developing avionics and propulsion subsystems for ATLAS UAVs, including preparation for the 2024 Air Cargo Challenge.
Highlights
- Developed a ground control system for real-time UAV operations;
- Coordinated design, testing, and competition standards;
- Placed 6th out of 30+ teams in the 2024 Air Cargo Challenge.
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Flight Systems Engineer at ATLAS — Systems & Aeronautics
Worked on avionics integration and flight-data analysis to support autonomous UAV operations within ATLAS.
Highlights
- Analyzed flight data to improve range and UAV efficiency (energy consumption);
- Built a model to estimate aerodynamic coefficients from autonomous flight tests;
- Integrated avionics, sensors, and telemetry into UAV prototypes.
Education
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Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering (Operations and Environment) from Delft University of Technology with GPA of 8.8/10
Courses
- Air Traffic Management
- Airline Planning and Optimization
- Transport Routing & Scheduling
- Machine Learning for Transport
- Operations Optimization
- Airport and Cargo Operations
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Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico with GPA of 8.6/10
Courses
- Final Project: UAV Conceptual Design for NFC (Grade: 9/10)
Languages
- Portuguese
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Fluency: Native
- English
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Fluency: Proficient
- Spanish
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Fluency: Advanced
Skills
- Technical Skills
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Keywords:
- Soft Skills
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Keywords:
