PAUL MAERTENS

248-***-**** Highland, MI ***** ac8w93@r.postjobfree.com

PRODUCT ENGINEER

Product Design Client Service Compliance/Regulations Global Program Management

~ Lead engineer for patented automotive designs and manufacture, releasing the market’s first passenger airbag cushion ~

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

15+ years in automotive engineering for Tier 1 global supplier and OEM manufacturing operations. Released designs for cargo box management system, running boards, airbags, instrument panels, and steering wheels for Chrysler, GM, Nissan, Tesla, and Ford programs. Geared services toward customer need, quickly initiating proposals in response to specifications and special requests.

Led cross-functional, global projects, managing resources in North America, Europe, and Asia to develop project roadmaps, define steps, and evaluate regional designs and processes.

Lead product engineer for GM Cargo Box management system & Nissan exterior running board.

Principal product engineer for Ford passenger airbag & curtain airbag programs.

Lead application engineer for GM O1SL/C1UL driver airbag programs.

Regulating airbag program design across multiple 2011 Chrysler platforms (WK, JK, KJ, MK, LX).

Reducing design time for common OEM components, tooling, and assemblies by 80% for use in multiple platforms.

Supplier Management Feasibility Studies Process Maps C-level Presentations Globalization

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

JAC Products Pontiac, MI 6/2017-1/2019

$500M Tier-1 Supplier Pontiac, MI Exterior Trim and Cargo Systems

Product Engineer 6/2017 – 1/2019

Lead engineer responsible for design, validation, and release of GM 2019 Cargo Box management system and Nissan 2020 exterior running board application. Demonstrated leadership in addressing customer and supplier concerns related to design feasibility, proposing and negotiating designs based on design constraints. Able to effectively multi-task between different customers and designs. Hands-on approach to root causing issues from testing and customer builds. Supported manufacturing builds and addressed concerns for assembly.

Completed cargo box system design, acquiring knowledge of plastic blow molding processes.

Released design of die cast running board, acquiring knowledge of die cast process.

Responsible for supporting and presenting engineering deliverables through Gate review process.

Responsible for design and drawing release, GD&T definition and tolerances, tolerance stacks, DFMEA. & DVP&R.

Ability to work within a team with other support groups for successful completion of project.

ZF TRW Washington Twp., MI 3/2016-6/2017

$30B Tier-1 Supplier Safety Restraint Systems Automated Driving Electrical Components

Principal Product Engineer 3/2016-6/2017

Lead engineer responsible for design, validation, and release of Ford passenger airbag & curtain airbag systems. Main engineering contact between OEM, designers, suppliers, and manufacturing. Support customer design requests and present design proposals to Ford instrument panel and headliner engineering teams based on feasibility assessments.

Completed development of multiple Ford airbag systems, releasing components and assemblies to suppliers and manufacturing plants.

Resolved design issues relative to airbag module fit within instrument panel environment and headliner environment.

Led team through sample build requests with multiple variations of product for root cause analysis.

Takata Auburn Hills, MI 12/1998-3/2016

$5B Tier-1 Supplier Safety Restraint Systems Electrical & Interior Components

Senior Application Engineer 7/2015-3/2016

Complete design, release, and validation of GM O1SL/C1UL driver airbag module assemblies. Led team with root cause analysis on design issues and initiate design / test actions for issue resolution. Main engineering contact between OEM, designers, suppliers, and manufacturing. Responsible for support and transfer of knowledge to Takata China engineering team for design requirements and implementation of design changes. Support customer design requests and present design proposals to OEM based on engineering feasibility assessments.

Completed development of driver airbag leather wrap and painted cover assemblies.

Resolved design issues relative to fit and finish issues between the driver airbag and steering wheel.

Developed driver airbag and steering wheel design proposal for GM studio based on engineering feasibility studies.

Senior Development Engineer 11/2011-7/2015

Design and validate new airbag components and assemblies, perform root cause analyses, create customer and internal presentations, and define quotes, testing, project timelines, and required engineering functions. Technically guide project engineers and resolve design concerns. Collect and communicate customer design requests, integrating functionality into product costs and manufacturing. Oversee a $300K budget for new cost-controls and future technology initiatives.

Applied GD&T and tolerance methods; developed DFMEA and test plans based on customer specs; supervised sample builds and utilized 8D/5D problem-solving analyses.

Steered a global process re-engineering effort that standardized drawings and dimensions; decreased required designer time 50% for component drawings.

Senior Application Engineer 12/1998-11/2011

Released driver, passenger, and head side airbag design as the main application engineering contact between OEMs, system suppliers, and manufacturing plants. Supported APQP activities, developed new concepts based on federal regulations, OEM specifications, and low-cost initiatives. Generated product definitions to support sales quotes and presented designs to customers. Met deployment objectives and release timing for all assigned projects.

Rewarded with the Global Application Engineering Best Practice Award for service contributions.

Led reviews with Chrysler to determine project feasibility for packaging and design.

Developed and released the industry’s first patented aluminum cover for airbag applications in the Ford Mustang.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

BS – CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, University of Detroit

AS – SCIENCES, Oakland Community College

Technical Skills

MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, & Project; AutoCAD; Minitab

Knowledge and use of Solidworks, NX, and AutoCad

Professional Development

GD&T (Geometric dimensioning & tolerancing); Six Sigma Green Belt Training; DFMEA; DRBFM

PATENTS

Passive Airbag Venting (#8,152,199), April 2012 Airbag Module Cover (#8,091,919), January 2012

Passive Airbag Venting (#8,020,889), September 2011 Airbag cushion (#7,878,537), February 2011

Head Side Airbag Cushion Fold (#7,059,630), June 2006 Airbag Fabric Diffuser (#6,945,556), September 2005

Airbag System within Impact Countermeasures (#6,217,061), April 2001

Instrument Panel Assembly (#5,516,145), May 1996

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