Richard Knowles's Email Addresses & Phone Numbers

📖 Summary

An experienced Departmental Manager with a proven ability to define strategy, set direction and deliver all business driven criteria. Extensive knowledge of tooling and processes gained through 24 years of automotive related experience at all levels. Experience and the ability to demonstrate a hands on approach have been instrumental to my development and progression to senior management. Excellent man management and inte personal skills have enabled me to develop the department from both a managerial and operational viewpoint. I am ambitious, tenacious and flexible. Focused on personal and team based development to drive continuous improvement.SQA Manager - New Models @ Management of the Supplier Quality Assurance function within McLaren Automotive. Responsible for 3 Section Managers and 15 Engineers. Responsible for all new model APQP and PPAP activity and supplier management from supplier nomination through to mass production launch. Key departmental functions included supplier selection audits, maker layout reviews with cost team to each consensus and fix supply source, design feasibility, project management of tooling and processes, create quality standard, past problem reflection & feed forward, design change cost control, capacity confirmation, supplier audits, complex concern resolution. From January 2014 to Present (2 years) Department Manager Mass Production Quality & Delivery @ Ownership and operational management of 4 departmental sections (1) Supplier Quality Engineering, (2) Supplier Support Engineering, (3) Operational Parts Delivery, (4) Managed Supply Chain with 4 Section Managers and 50 associates. Business plan development / sign off and KPI setting for PDCA, Budget planning (Resource and Op Ex), QPL for complex concern resolution, ensure provision of core competency training and mentoring, final point of contact fo associate disciplinary cases, Daily KPI feedback to Directors and Divisional Managers (1)Responsible for all mass production QD concern follow up and resolution, A grade reduction, mass pro design change, mass pro measurement data trending and PDCA, parts and process audits against quality standard and control plan, mass pro paint introduction, Supplier audits (Mislabel/Paint/Quality/Back to basics), supplier selection audits, (2) top 20 focus supplier management, supplier QMS audits to define constitutional weaknesses, warranty concern follow up and resolution, supplier quality circle convention, supplier TQM planning / execution and PDCA, (3) daily supplier management against manifest, variance management at warehouse, ASN confirmation, ASN set up and verification at new model timing, TPW management, safety / misc orders, (4) tender of contract for MSC service providers, management of new and existing suppliers onto MSC, manage UK and EU collections against set turnaround targets, MSC service provider TQM management and PDCA. From February 2013 to January 2014 (1 year) Department Manager New Model & Supplier Development @ Ownership and operational management of 5 departmental commodity sections (Ext Trim, Int Trim, Electrical, Chassis, Stamping) with 5 Section Managers and 30 associates. Business plan development / sign off and KPI setting fo PDCA, Budget planning (Resource and Op Ex), QPL for complex concern resolution, ensure provision of core competency training and mentoring, final point of contact for associate disciplinary cases, Daily KPI feedback to Directors and Divisional Managers. Responsible for all aspects of new model supplier control from pre nomination through to mass production launch. Key departmental functions included supplier selection audits, maker layout eviews with cost team to reach consensus and fix supply source, design feasibility, project management of tooling and processes, create quality standard, past problem reflection & feed forward, design change cost control, capacity confirmation, supplier audits, complex concern resolution. From March 2011 to February 2013 (2 years) Department Manager Mass Production Quality & Delivery @ Ownership and operational management of 4 departmental sections (1) Supplier Quality Engineering, (2) Supplier Support Engineering, (3) Operational Parts Delivery, (4) Managed Supply Chain with 4 Section Managers and 50 associates. Business plan development / sign off and KPI setting for PDCA, Budget planning (Resource and Op Ex), QPL for complex concern resolution, ensure provision of core competency training and mentoring, final point of contact fo associate disciplinary cases, Daily KPI feedback to Directors and Divisional Managers (1)Responsible for all mass production QD concern follow up and resolution, A grade reduction, mass pro design change, mass pro measurement data trending and PDCA, parts and process audits against quality standard and control plan, mass pro paint introduction, Supplier audits (Mislabel/Paint/Quality/Back to basics), supplier selection audits, (2) top 20 focus supplier management, supplier QMS audits to define constitutional weaknesses, warranty concern follow up and resolution, supplier quality circle convention, supplier TQM planning / execution and PDCA, (3) daily supplier management against manifest, variance management at warehouse, ASN confirmation, ASN set up and verification at new model timing, TPW management, safety / misc orders, (4) tender of contract for MSC service providers, management of new and existing suppliers onto MSC, manage UK and EU collections against set turnaround targets, MSC service provider TQM management and PDCA. From March 2010 to March 2011 (1 year 1 month) Section Manager (Exterior Chassis & Drive train) @ New Model Supplier Development (Chassis Interior & Exterior) Managing team of 7 engineers to achieve all new model SED (Sales, Engineering, Design) targets, Management of 35 suppliers from pre nomination through to mass production start, Responsible for supplier QMS, quality assurance, tooling and processes in line with project targets, Support design change review meetings to simplify tooling/process design and manufacturing disciplines, Execution of the physical styling, grain & gloss approval process, Build event support, Troubleshooting build issues during pre-prod’n From June 2008 to March 2010 (1 year 10 months) Engineering Staff - New Model Parts Development @ New Model Supplier Development Interior / Exterior Trim. Management of 6 suppliers from pre nomination through to mass production start, Responsible for supplier QMS, quality assurance, tooling and processes in line with project targets, Support design change review to simplify tooling/process design and manufacturing disciplines, Responsible for the coordination of new model styling, grain & gloss approval, Execution of the physical styling, grain & gloss approval process, Build event support, Troubleshooting build issues during pre-production phase From June 2005 to June 2008 (3 years 1 month) Engineering Lead @ Japanese Automotive Trim Business Unit. Customer base – Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Denso-Marston, JCI. Manage team of manufacturing engineers, ultimately responsible for part/tool design specification and approval and sourcing decisions. Supplier appraisals, Supplier selection, manage KPI reports, set engineering strategy fo the business unit, strategically review new process and manufacturing techniques + as details in job spec below From December 2003 to June 2005 (1 year 7 months) Manufacturing Engineer @ Japanese Automotive Trim Business Unit. Customer base – Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Denso-Marston, JCI. Tooling / design responsibility, PFMEA & APQP Team member, Implement product / tooling changes, Tooling management from design to mass pro sign off, Tool trial support, Engineering change management, Technical eview meetings with customers & suppliers, implement TPM, Tooling quotes From August 2002 to December 2003 (1 year 5 months) Mould Designer @ Product design and development, Tool design 2D & 3D, 3D Solid generation, tool surfacing and split line development, Moldflow analysis, Rapid prototyping, SLA, LOM, Laser sintering, Design feasibility review (Internal & External), Project management, Supervision of junior members, Tool trial support. From March 2000 to August 2002 (2 years 6 months) Mould Designer @ Product design and development, Tool design 2D, Design feasibility review (Internal & External), Project management, Tool trial support From June 1995 to March 2000 (4 years 10 months) Apprenticeship @ Industry certified training (EITB) gained in all tool making disciplines Machining/Fitting/Tool design From June 1991 to June 1995 (4 years 1 month) Mechanical Engineering @ Leeds College of Technology From 1991 to 1996 Richard Knowles is skilled in: Automotive, Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Supplier Development, Continuous Improvement, FMEA, APQP, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Toyota Production System, Manufacturing