Mechanical Engineer Project Management

John D. High, M.Eng.

Stanfield, NC 704-***-**** *******@*****.*** LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johndhigh PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Accomplished Senior Mechanical Engineer with 20+ years of experience specializing in mechanical and electromechanical systems, prototyping, and R&D project leadership across defense, automation, and manufacturing sectors. Proven track record in designing and developing custom test equipment, electromechanical devices, and mechanical systems. Expert in SolidWorks and other CAD tools, with extensive hands-on experience in system design, prototyping, and product development. Passionate about transforming innovative concepts into practical, scalable solutions while collaborating across multi-disciplinary teams. CORE COMPETENCIES

• Mechanical & Electromechanical Systems Design

• Extrusion & Tooling Design

• Process Optimization & Troubleshooting

• Project Management & Cross-functional Collaboration

• CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, AutoCAD, Fusion 360)

• Lean Manufacturing & Six Sigma

• R&D, Product Development, & Automation

• Supplier & Vendor Management

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Research Engineer

United Protective Technologies, LLC – Locust, NC December 2019 – January 2025 Advanced Thin Film Coatings and DoD R&D Contractor

• Directed R&D projects for electromechanical systems and advanced coatings, contributing to the development of innovative technologies for defense applications.

• Managed cross-functional teams to produce beta units, conducting iterative testing and ensuring compliance with performance specifications.

• Developed and submitted successful DoD proposals, resulting in two SBIR programs. Managed a total of five phases for these two programs.

• Utilized SolidWorks for the design of electromechanical systems and components, ensuring accurate modeling and performance validation.

Senior Project Engineer & Manufacturing Engineer

Fiberon Decking – New London, NC March 2018 – December 2019 Manufacturing and Product Industrialization for Composite Decking

• Led and coordinated a multi-disciplinary team for an $8M product launch, overseeing equipment upgrade planning and initial production runs for an extruded composite product.

• Managed the integration of a fire suppression system for wood fiber silos and provided troubleshooting and technical support for production equipment.

• Collaborated on developing automated stacking systems for the composite deck board extrusion lines. Project Industrialization Engineer & Temporary Program Manager – Welding ALEVO – Concord, NC January 2017 – August 2017

Utility-Scale Battery Systems Manufacturer

• Spearheaded improvements in production processes. Tests showed a potential to increase yield and uptime for automated welding machines by 300%.

• Developed strategies to ramp up production by 1,500% for automated welding systems, improving operational efficiency and minimizing downtime.

• Coordinated a rapid improvement team to enhance production processes, increasing throughput and yield. Applications Engineer

ATS Automation – Rock Hill, SC August 2014 – October 2016 Design and Builds Automated Assembly Machines

• Developed conceptual designs and proposals for automation systems sold to clients in industries such as automotive and energy.

• Worked closely with clients to define system requirements and presented proposals for custom automation systems, including designs for turbocharger and fuel injector assembly lines.

• Led the development of a $7M+ proposal for an electric oil pump assembly line and provided technical support to the machine design team, ensuring a successful project handover.

• Used SolidWorks and AutoCAD to create models of custom automation systems, ensuring design accuracy and providing visual support for customer proposals. Machine Design Engineer & Manufacturing Engineer

Preformed Line Products – Albemarle, NC February 2006 – August 2014 Manufacturer of Hardware for Power, Telecom, and Solar Industries

• Led the design and integration of an automated production system, increasing throughput by 50% and reducing headcount by 25%.

• Designed and optimized extrusion tooling for various manufacturing processes, including wire coating and PVC rod forming, using Creo.

• Applied Lean Six Sigma principles to reduce downtime and improve product quality, including reducing setup time for a PVC rod-forming machine by 83%.

• Integrated ABB robot and wire forming machines into an automated cell improving throughput 125%.

• Identified $400K in potential annual savings for the Extrusion Department by analyzing the impact of an automation project.

Extrusion Process Engineer

Cooper-Standard Automotive – Rocky Mount, NC May 2000 – June 2001 Extrusion and Molding of Automotive Window Seals

• Redesigned extrusion die components to reduce part warpage and improve material consistency, leading to improved production quality.

• Developed new die design methodologies and training for other die design engineers.

• Worked with technicians and suppliers to implement process solutions, contributing to reduced scrap and higher production rates.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), North Carolina State University, 2015 Concentration: Engineering Leadership, Product Management, Electromechanical Systems

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, North Carolina State University, 2012

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.), North Carolina State University, 1997 3.5 GPA, Garland Duncan National ASME Scholarship

SKILLS & TOOLS

• CAD & Modeling: SolidWorks, PTC Creo, AutoCAD, Fusion 360

• Simulation & Analysis: ANSYS, MATLAB, Simulink

• Statistical Analysis: Minitab

• Automation: PLC Programming, Robotics, Motion Analysis

• Manufacturing: Extrusion Systems, Tooling Design, Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement

• Project Management: Budgeting, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Risk Mitigation NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• Led an $8M product launch in the composite decking industry, overseeing equipment strategies and initial production runs at Fiberon.

• Increased production yield and uptime for automated welding systems through team collaboration and process stress testing at ALEVO.

• Successfully managed a multi-million-dollar automation proposal project, improving the lean system design and securing the equipment order for ATS.

• Developed extrusion tooling and automated systems that significantly improved manufacturing throughput at Preformed Line Products.

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