Engineer Engineering

Nicholas Christopher Bell

Clermont, FL

www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-bell-75638511/ • 202-***-**** • ********@*****.***

Materials / Research Engineer

Experienced, focused, and quality-oriented professional with an extensive background in engineering principles, project leadership, and the effective application of research in technology companies. Possess extensive experience in performing research on product development processes and offering solutions and alterations to improve safety and effectiveness. Adept in working with engineers and management at multiple levels to utilize research data effectively and achieve optimal results.

Engineering Principles / Strategic and Tactical Planning / Team and Project Leadership

Complex Problem Solving / Research and Development

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Sr. Armor Research Engineer–Ballistics Development Team (2020) Galvion, Montreal, QC

Contributed to engineering and research activities toward the creation of new products, as well as ongoing updates/improvements of existing fielded products. Led the entire project management lifecycle for the development and manufacturing of new combat helmets and technology, from initial concept through to delivery.

Key Achievements:

Introduced guidelines to save millions of dollars in wasted materials, testing, and time through the design of robust helmet solutions; ensured adherence with performance (environmental, mechanical, and ballistic) requirements and government regulations.

Sr. R&D Armor App. Engineer–Performance Materials and Technologies (2018 – 2020)

Honeywell, Colonial Heights, VA

Formed strategic partnerships and collaborated with Sales, Marketing, and Technology organizations; discussed and assessed customer needs and identified starting points for hard armor applications. Monitored engineering project schedules, client expectations, and regulatory requirements and launched ballistic testing strategies which aligned with these. Represented company and provided technical support during customer facing sales meetings and trade shows; delivered solution development and applications testing.

Key Achievements:

Contributed to armor designs and the sale of $20M+ per year worth of Honeywell Spectra Shield ®.

Engineering Program Manager–New Product Development (2016 – 2018)

The Protective Group, A Point Blank Company, Miami Lakes, FL

Spearheaded and launched armor programs, both commercial and military; monitored project progress and confirmed all requirements (cost, quality, safety, and schedule) were met or exceeded within an AS9100D environment. Wrote research proposals, tracked engineering project research conducted (both internally and externally funded) and created budgets around $2.0M to meet requirements. Developed and implemented QA acceptance criteria for new and legacy body armor plates, identified non-conforming parts, determined the root cause of the issues, and corrected the area of concern resulting in decreased scrap and rework.

Key Achievements:

Acted as Principal Developer for all hard body armor related programs in New Product Development, including a design that resulted in $200M+ DOD contracts.

Sr. Design Engineer–Ballistics Engineering Services (BES) (2015 – 2016) / Ballistic Engineer – BES (2013 – 2015) The Safariland Group, Ontario, CA and Jacksonville, FL

Actively directed design team activities and ensured adherence with NIJ and international standards throughout the design and creation of hard armor solutions (body armor, helmets, shields, etc.). Performed Phase Gate and Design reviews as part of the Life Cycle Management (LCM) process; identified potential areas of non-conformance and performance concerns. Designed, developed, and introduced new forms of concealable and tactical body armor solutions which comply with NIJ, military, and international standards. Analyzed and improved ballistic armor vest drawings and conducted statistical analysis on both worn and new designs to identify ballistic limit criteria and ensure that designs are articulated and communicated between BES and Operations.

Key Achievements:

Reduced armor development cycle time by 30% through the creation of a database to enhance metric assessment capabilities of BES Laboratory.

Ballistics Engineer–Technology Department (2010 – 2013) Plasan North America, Woburn, MA

Performed, completed, and oversaw numerous feasibility studies including the latest technologies and materials to develop advanced solutions for vehicle, maritime, and body armor systems. Contributed technical expertise related to ballistic materials and the creation of associated experiments with the international Personal Armor Systems Integrated Product Team (IPT). Participated in the entire project lifecycle and partnered with production engineers in the implementation of key strategies and tooling; achieved a smooth transition from coupon design to final product. Drafted and completed technical documentation specific to the new or updated armor systems.

Key Achievements:

Reduced the raw material cost of a composite armor solution by 25%, while maintaining the ballistic limit and increasing the strength two-fold.

2012 Employee of the Year

Additional experience as an Armor Development Engineer – Research and Development (2006 – 2008) with Ceradyne Inc. and a Process Engineer (2005 – 2006 / 2008) with M Cubed Technologies Inc.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Master of Science, Concentration in Materials Science and Engineering

University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

Bachelor of Science, Concentration in Materials Science and Engineering

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

Technologies

AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Stat-Ease, MATLAB, Solidworks, Adobe Illustrator

Contact this candidate