Quality and reliability
leader with over 15 years of experience driving robustness, failure mode avoidance, and
complex problem-solving across the automotive industry. I specialize in bringing clarity to
ambiguous technical challenges, mentoring cross-functional teams, and holding suppliers
accountable to rigorous standards. I am looking for a hands-on leadership role where I can
build proactive quality cultures, guide engineers through deep-dive root-cause analysis, and
permanently eliminate failure modes.
2023
– Present
Lead Problem Solving Engineer & Prevent
Recurrence
(2023 – Present) Drive complex, high-visibility problem-solving investigations (30-day
timelines
for safety, 48-day for non-safety) to identify root causes and execute permanent
corrective
actions. Regularly present project deep-dives to executive leadership.
Leadership Style:
Assertive,
data-driven, and unflappable. I thrive in high-pressure situations, cutting through the
noise to
align global suppliers and internal teams on hard data. I do not accept surface-level
answers
and routinely challenge teams to dig into the systemic "Whys."
Leadership Examples: *
Navigating
Conflict & Demanding Data: During an investigation into a complex moving interior
mechanism, I
met heavy supplier resistance regarding dimensional characterization tests. Instead of
accepting
their baseline, I stood my ground, insisted on physical measurements to prove out the
noise
factors, and personally traveled to the supplier's lab to oversee the testing and ensure
data
integrity.
Driving Systemic Root Cause: Led a highly compressed safety
investigation for a missing critical fastener on a new EV braking system platform. In
parallel,
during an exterior lighting investigation, I rejected the initial root-cause findings
and drove
the engineering team to answer the deeper, systemic "Whys" regarding bypassed
requirements and
incorrect ground planes, ensuring the true root cause was addressed.
2019
– 2023
Global Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA) Coach &
Design
Assurance (2019 – 2023) Coached vehicle program teams, core engineering, and Tier-1
suppliers to
execute critical FMA deliverables prior to major production milestones.
Leadership Style:
Mentor-focused
and strategic. I lead by empowering others, providing the exact tools and frameworks
they need
to succeed, and taking the initiative to create roadmaps when standard procedures don't
fit or
direction is unclear.
Leadership Examples: *
Leading in
the "Gray Area": Stepped into an ambiguous launch environment with a new international
audio
hardware supplier that lacked any foundational FMA processes. With no clear direction
from
management, I developed and pitched a highly compressed 45-day turnaround plan. To
execute it, I
brought physical training materials to their facility, walked their global team
step-by-step
through OEM expectations for DFMEAs and Control Plans, and successfully brought their
design
robustness up to standard.
Proactive Test Improvement: Independently reviewed supplier
test
specifications for a critical fluid module and identified missing environmental noise
factors
(such as extreme voltage and temperature variations). I drove the engineering teams to
characterize the components dimensionally and create "Best of Best" (BOB) and "Worst of
Worst"
(WOW) physical combinations prior to validation testing, significantly improving the
robustness
of the test plan.
1999
– 2006, 2014 – 2019
Function Owner & Product Development Engineer
(1999 –
2006, 2014 – 2019) Managed full-lifecycle design, development, and quality delivery for
driver
instrumentation and steering column control modules. Led cross-functional teams to meet
strict
program quality metrics.
Leadership Style:
Proactive and
collaborative, focusing heavily on upfront planning to prevent downstream warranty
issues.
Leadership Example: Owned
the core
DFMEAs for multiple interior modules, ensuring that all cross-functional inputs from
studio
design, ergonomics, and hardware engineering were translated into robust, measurable
validation
tests. Additionally, I co-created a strategic core DFMEA addressing systemic battery
drain
issues and cascaded this standard across the top 10 module owners.
2007
– 2011
Directed electrical system issue resolution and
reliability modeling (DFMEA, RAM-D analysis) for complex military and commercial vehicle
platforms.
Leadership Style:
Process-oriented
and accountable. I believe in systemic fixes over band-aids and building supplier
relationships
based on verified capabilities rather than promises.
Leadership Example:
Rebuilt our
supplier quality pipeline by developing a comprehensive reliability demonstration
program from the
ground up. I directed the Corrective Action Review Board (CARB), conducted on-site
supplier
audits, and trained design-responsible partners in robustness tools to ensure their
hardware
could survive extreme environmental noise factors.
2006
– 2007, 2011 – 2014
Built a strong foundation in hands-on physical
testing,
data acquisition, and performance evaluation.
Procured test bench hardware, ran Minitab data analysis, and
diagnosed physical failure modes for commercial air disc brakes and automotive shock
absorbers,
which directly informed later career in systemic failure mode avoidance.