Vice President Quality Operations

CAREER SUMMARY

• Executive Strategic & Quality-Focused Leader with proven background in aerospace and automotive sectors and leveraging 20+ years of experience in composite and metallic design, manufacturing, research and development and quality, renowned for driving innovation, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and leading teams to develop world- class products and processes.

• Authored technical proposals that secured $43.8M+ in new business, including contracts for Embraer 450/500 ECS Ducting program, ACA2763-Meggitt VFG Engine Thrust Recovery Duct Program, Lear 85 Engine Inlet Composite Duct program, and Honeywell A320 APU Composite Plenum program, Lockheed Drone Blade and Boeing Space Panel programs at Hartzell Aerospace and TIGHitco.

• Secured critical certifications and customer approvals, including Hawker Beechcraft approval for BS23771 and BS20615 composite manufacturing specifications, NADCAP qualification for composite fabrication, bonding, and special processes and AS9100 -certification.

• Led a unique project for Lockheed to develop a drone blade to support the war in Ukraine, collaborating to design and balance 30 prototypes, and designed an innovative $10K balancing fixture that reduced costs from $500-$2M, securing the production contract and showcasing strong technical acumen and creativity.

• Managed technology roadmap in collaboration with Boeing, developing an acoustic space panel and using a nimble pricing approach to achieve 95% asking price, resulting in 420% margin

• Recruited by a $100M composite producer to oversee quality operations for Aberdeen, SD, Morganton, NC, and Monterrey, Mexico, managing 15 direct reports with oversight of 125+ quality personnel and responsibility for $600K budget.

• Designed new method for estimating costs for company products and bids/proposals, playing a key role in Hartzell and TIGHitco being awarded a contracts from Embraer and Boeing, respectively. PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

E. CURTIS CONSULTANTS – VICTORVILLE, CA

Founder & Chief Engineer 2022 – Current

• Provide hands-on expertise in advanced composites materials and process engineering, advanced quality systems implementation, and technical management services, delivering practical solutions for the aerospace and automotive industries.

• Transformed a struggling supplier into a top performer by developing corrective actions, conducting SWOT analysis, and implementing innovative solutions, resulting in improved on-time delivery from 30% to 85% and eliminating ~$700K in annual scrap. TIGHITCO, INC. – LADSON, SC

Vice President of Engineering & Technology 2021 – 2022

• Promoted to direct strategies for delivering innovative engineering processes and enhancing the effectiveness of engineering organizations within the Aerostructures divisions, supporting corporate objectives through new technologies, services, and systems.

• Managed a team of 25 direct reports across South Carolina and Connecticut, overseeing quality and ensuring alignment with organizational goals, while managing a $3M budget and influencing P&L.

• Led a unique project for Lockheed to develop a drone blade to support the war in Ukraine, collaborating to design and balance 30 prototypes, and designed an innovative $10K balancing fixture that reduced costs from $500-$2M, securing the production contract and showcasing strong technical acumen and creativity.

• Utilized data from initial blades to identify commonalities, control material variability, and refine weight balances, establishing a streamlined manufacturing process that significantly improved on-time delivery. Sr. Director of Engineering & Quality 2018 – 2021

• Managed diverse team through critical phases of programs and projects, overseeing engineering, quality, testing, R&D, and new technology introduction.

Eric S. Curtis

Victorville, CA 760- 684- 3046 **************@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/eric- curtis- 96074510

Composite Design & Manufacturing

Quality Assurance & Control

Estimating & Cost Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

Corrective Action Systems

Statistical Process Control

Product & Process Innovation

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Regulatory Compliance

Engineering Team Leadership

Aerospace Industry Expertise

P&L Responsibility

Strategic Planning & Execution

Technical Proposal Writing

FAA & NADCAP Certifications

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Enhanced design and manufacturing capabilities by implementing peer and technical review processes with less-experienced team, significantly improving efficiency and output.

• Led sessions and training on heat and mass transfer, reducing scrap from 50% to 10% with forecast to further reduce to 3%.

• Managed the technology roadmap in collaboration with Boeing, developing the acoustic space panel program and using a nimble pricing approach to achieve an 95% asking price, resulting in a 420% margin.

• Introduced a drill inspection fixture concept for high-precision hole positioning, reducing inspection time to 10 minutes and increasing overall productivity.

• Designed a new method for estimating costs for company products and bids/proposals, playing a key role in the company being awarded the Boeing acoustic space panel program.

MOLDED FIBER GLASS CORPORATION – ABERDEEN, SC / MORGANTON, NC / MONTERREY, MEXICO Manager of Quality 2016 – 2018

• Recruited by a $100M composite producer to oversee quality operations for Aberdeen, SD, Morganton, NC, and Monterrey, Mexico, managing 15 direct reports with oversight of 125+ quality personnel and responsibility for $600K budget.

• Developed root cause and corrective action systems, statistical analysis techniques, and metrics for monitoring manufacturing and quality system effectiveness, ensuring compliance with customer and regulatory requirements, and successfully took over additional facilities in Mexico and North Carolina, leading 3 divisions.

• Successfully managed GE's audit at the South Dakota facility, conducted a SWOT analysis, and recommended appointing a Quality Manager to enhance the QMS and technical acumen, leading to improved client relations.

• Implemented mandatory root cause and corrective action training for quality engineers, production leads, and engineering heads, achieving best supplier status from worst, reducing scrap by $1M, and demonstrating corrective areas to the customer.

• Led quality improvements across multiple facilities, significantly reducing high CPK, and ensuring the effective execution of quality initiatives and continuous improvement programs.

DUCOMMUN BONDED COMPONENT SOLUTIONS – MONROVIA, CA Director of Engineering, Estimating & Quality 2014 – 2015

• Recruited by a $90M producer of contoured metallic and composite aerostructures to plan and manage engineering, estimating, and quality activities for the Monrovia facility, providing technical expertise for products, and overseeing all quality functions including inspection, metrology, and quality inputs to manufacturing processes.

• Assured regulatory and accreditation compliance to aerospace industry requirements, and developed and implemented a strategy to drive excellence across all products and overall systems within the company.

• Troubleshot and resolved manufacturing issues for the Bell helicopter blade and panel program, C-17 program, and Boeing spoiler program, as well as implemented an FAA repair station conforming to 14 CFR Part 145 and obtained certified repairman status. COBHAM MISSION EQUIPMENT – DAVENPORT, IA

Program Engineering Manager 2012 – 2014

• Hired due to expertise for $110M producer of air-to-air refueling equipment and fuel tanks to manage the design and development of the KC-390 metallic fuel tank, overseeing P&L, determining material and bonding systems, and securing the development of composite coating for tank ballistic protection.

• Assessed structural applications of high-strength composite materials for future fuel tank programs, managing structural design engineering, materials and processes engineering, reliability engineering, fuel system design engineering, and test engineering. HARTZELL AEROSPACE – INDUSTRIAL TUBE COMPANY – PERRIS, CA Director of Engineering & Quality 2006 – 2012

• Enhanced expertise in composite design, quality, manufacturing, and estimating for $8M producer of composite and elastomer aerospace structures, focusing on analyzing emerging technologies and trends to develop new systems and processes.

• Developed a process for curing carbon fiber-phenolic resin composites and introduced the use of carbon fiber-bismaleimide resin composites for high-temperature ducting, replacing stainless steel, as well as implemented CATIA design and modeling software.

• Designed a new method for estimating costs for company products and bids/proposals, playing a key role in the company being awarded the Embraer 450/550 composite and metallic ducting program. Additional Experience: Ducommun Aerostructures: Director of Engineering; Engineering Manager; Chief Engineer EDUCATION AND AFFILIATIONS

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering – Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Society of Materials and Process Engineers (SAMPE) American Society for Quality (ASQ) American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

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