Christopher Downing Email & Phone Number

Detroit, Mi, Us

Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, De

Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, De

Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, De

Senior Cost Engineering Manager

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Supplier Quality Leader- GM Powertrain Engineering OperationsLeader for staff of quality engineers which address pre-production supplier quality issues for all new engines and transmissions in development. Oversee 3rd party warehouse for part storage and address ongoing quality, packaging compliance, and delivery issues.

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Direct report to executive director of GM Powertrain global purchasing and a “catch all” position with a broad spectrum of roles & responsibilities. These include: implementation of supplier cost reduction ideas, leading advanced engineering projects with suppliers, leading engineering & purchasing through critical material supply constraint situations, working with specific engine/transmission program teams to reduce cost, and heading the department’s bi-monthly supplier communications meetings.

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Responsible for GM Powertrain Global Valvetrain & Connecting Rods/Pistons systems/components procurement. Managed global staff of senior buyers and supplier development engineers. Total APV (Annual Purchase Value) $1.5 Billion annually. Focused on piece cost savings, quality, supplier consolidation, and monitoring/actions for financially troubled suppliers. Generated $15M annual savings through the economic downturn.

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Responsible for conducting and supervising activity based cost engineering projects at GM Powertrain & Vehicle Operations. Lead staff of supplier development engineers. Managed projects to support purchasing and finance in supplier negotiations on current/new products. Worked international assignment at Opel in Ruesselsheim, Germany from 8-1-06 thru 4-19-07 to reduce steering system costs from 2 major vehicle platforms. Part of initiative lead by group VP to reduce material cost by 20% in 3 years. Won group Chairmen's Honor Award in 2006.

Worked with venture capital start up team to develop & commercialize multi-axis CNC laser cladding with closed loop vision control/feedback. Developed & managed operating procedures for engineering, manufacturing, & sales. Managed work assignments, manufacturing schedules, and gate reviews for service projects and machine builds. Supervised indirect & direct labor relative to customer demands & corporate parameters. Established working burden rates for operations and coordinated equipment capacity, inventory, and labor workloads to ensure projects were on schedule. Regular interface with sales, investor management, and customer clients. Conducted & lead research & development to support sales globally.

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Mechanical Engineering

Education record