Drew Niemi

Experience

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  Contract Professionals

  Aug 2004 - Aug 2005

  Manufacturing Associate

  contracted with General Dynamics C4 Systems prior to being hired full time in August 2005

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  General Dynamics C4 Systems

  Aug 2005 - Aug 2014

  Analysis of RFPs which specify government requirements for product related to the software definable Digital Modular Radio utilizing historical, detailed performance analysis of prior contracts of similar scope.Supporting contract negotiations. Providing material cost history, supplier quotations, and conducting recurring labor cost analysis for internal and external entities.Generating procurement schedules and coordinating related staffing resource requirements utilizing a negotiated contractual budget and delivery schedule.Update and conduct peer reviews for test plans, protocols, assembly drawings, parts lists (BOMs), source control documents, and statements of work. Communicate with outsource suppliers to circumvent and/or reduce defects. Create assembly aid documentation to facilitate mechanical and J-STD-001 production. Show less Leadership: Provide strategy, planning, risk management, resource identification, and mitigation strategies to efficiently achieve business objectives. Generate procurement schedules and coordinate staffing, facility, and equipment resource requirements. Analysis: Providing historical investigation, forward thinking, and lean initiatives to the production manufacturing and depot operations for General Dynamics software definable radios. Direct and participate in technical peer reviews of non-recurring engineering designs and documentation.Proposal manager: Providing professional judgement and utilizing sound methodology to support pursuit of future business for DMR, AMF, TAC-P, and HFDAG programs. Responding to Requests for Proposal (RFPs). Develop of Basis of Estimates (BOEs) utilizing historical performance analysis of prior projects of similar scope. Support contract negotiations. Conduct recurring labor cost analysis for internal and external entities and provide cost history.Execution: Continuously reduce cost with decreasing cycle times, lowering manufacturing / test defect opportunities, delivering ahead of contractual schedules, and reduction of non-value added processes. Historical record of under-running operations budgets and meeting contract delivery well ahead of schedule.The Digital Modular Radio (DMR), AN/USC-61(C), is the first software-defined radio to have become a communications system standard for the U.S. Military. The compact, multi-channel DMR provides multiple waveforms and multi-level information security for voice and data communications. Show less

  • Manufacturing Engineer Senior

    Sept 2012 - Aug 2014

  • Operations Project Leader: Digital Modular Radio (DMR)

    Sept 2012 - Aug 2014

  • Manufacturing Engineer

    Aug 2008 - Sept 2012

  • Operations Specialist

    Aug 2005 - Aug 2008
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  UTC Aerospace Systems

  Aug 2014 - Nov 2015

  Senior Manufacturing Engineer

  Implemented established J-STD-001, Class 3 assembly rework processes, conformal coating, and chemical conversion coating rework to a production manufacturing facility. Guided the creation and application of processes and procedures that will support Nadcap certification for the division.Supported new product introduction through design reviews of engineering drawings, schematics, bills of materials, and customer requirements. Manufactured prototype and stage one development products at a division created to be an engineering center of excellence for all business units. Supported environmental stress screening for production, qualification, and flight test units using thermal and vibration chambers.Utilized SAP for traceability of production assemblies with routers, bills of materials, and quality notifications. Used TeamCenter and NX models to create process assembly instructions. Support external suppliers through Relentless Root Cause Corrective Action (RRCCA) initiatives, leading to shorter lead times and fewer returns. Improve internal processes through facilitation of Define, Investigate, Verify, Ensure (DIVE) mistake proofing activities.Mentor newly hired manufacturing engineer and product quality engineer on soft skills and hard skills, including engineering process, why those processes are important, and how those processes translate into success for the business. Direct certified operators and technicians on daily tasks. Show less

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  Oshkosh Defense

  Nov 2015 - Apr 2017

  Lead a cross-functional team in establishing a new core competency for the business. Implemented new assembly processes for C4ISR equipment integration on a rugged military automotive platform.Communicated status closely with leadership, design teams, production team members, and the external customer. Drove roadblocks to resolution.Directed facilities, maintenance, and contractor teams in the refurbishment of an existing facility; converted a machine shop into an automotive assembly line with ten assembly line stations and five bay build stations.Communicated detailed hours estimates against line drop schedule with a wide variation in product configuration. Monitored contractual updates and helped drive for re-prioritization as needed.Quoted tooling, fixtures, and facilities work against an existing budget. Created purchase orders and reviewed invoices. Maintained spend within fiscal year budget. Provided estimates to support the 2017 fiscal year acquisition request.Set up production routings, tasks, work stations, quality gates, parts coding, and manufactured work orders in JD Edwards. Created more than 800 tasks across four routings. Show less

  • Process Project Engineer (Advanced Operations)

    Oct 2016 - Apr 2017

  • Principal Industrial Engineer (Advanced Operations)

    Nov 2015 - Oct 2016
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  Rogers Corporation

  Apr 2017 - Jul 2018

  Senior Quality Engineer

  Led quality and customer complaint root cause investigations utilizing 8D methodology to determine root cause and implement corrective / preventative actions to prevent future failures. Led manufacturing, suppliers, and customers for improvement to ensure product and processes met requirements. Supported product qualification and implementation projects. Led process and equipment improvement through data collection and analysis. Supported implementation of IATF 16949 systems standard. Conducted studies to stabilize, validate, and improve product and process capabilities.Reviewed, wrote, and approve work instructions, inspection documents, customer specifications, change notifications, deviations, quality alerts, etc. Maintained document control and production process router instructions.Led projects for Poka-yoke enhancements to automated equipment, eliminating inadvertent errors. Show less

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  Mercury Systems

  Aug 2018 - Jun 2019

  Product Engineer

  Lead product engineer for new product introduction and product sustainment for secure storage devices. Translated, documented, and communicated requirements for standard and custom products. Generated and maintained project schedules using MS Project. Guided electrical, mechanical, software, SMT and hi-rel. manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams through preliminary, critical, and final design reviews.Created and maintained documents for product realization, including routers and bills of material, standardizing work instructions and process flows after analysis of best practices. Determined replacements for end-of-life components, implemented manufacturing and test improvements, and tracked and improved product defect rate.Provided product level support to resolve customer issues. Supported failure analysis teams through product evaluations, implementing corrective and preventative actions across multiple products and processes. Show less

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  Viasat Inc.

  Jun 2019 - now

  Operations Program Manager

  Establishing and maintaining strategic deployment initiatives across multiple programs: Mission and vision, Hoshin Kanri X-Matrix, Communication Plan, Management of Change, daily management, and a project training matrix.Leading teams through a period of rapid growth, with a 43% year over year delivery increase.Transforming factories from batch processing to one-piece-flow, leading to 40%+ throughput with no added resources.Keeping new production and returning field return costs to a minimum through continuous process qualification and improvement, defect root cause and corrective action, and coordinating compliance to product requirements.Managing material suppliers and supply chain planning teams to a level-loaded factory build plan while minimizing safety stock inventory to ensure minimized risk to schedule while maintaining low cost of carrying inventory.Improving recurring and non-recurring labor costs, regularly beating monthly hour per unit forecasts by 20%.Develop ROI and “impact reduction” statements to support production test engineering improvements, justifying specialized test equipment upgrades for new features.Government property custodian, responsible for maintaining proper accounting of on-hand assets.Leading Change Control Board meetings, maintaining proper product requirements and inventory dispositions. Show less