Eric Ball

Eric Ball Email and Phone Number

Director - Software Engineering and Product @ Blue Origin
Austin, TX, US
Eric Ball's Location
Austin, Texas, United States, United States
Eric Ball's Contact Details

Eric Ball personal email

n/a
About Eric Ball

Global IT leader with extensive experience in product management, program and project management and supply chain for multi-national Fortune 500 companies. Specialties include supply chain and manufacturing software systems/processes, contract management and supplier management. Industry expertise includes automotive, consumer goods and chemicals. Considerable international experience working as an expat in Europe as well as extensive experience collaborating with Asia-Pacific regions especially in process and software.With a proven track record of delivering transformational results, I excel in matrixed technology and business settings, ensuring seamless integration and execution of complex projects. My expertise spans across IT management, procurement, and process improvement, supported by strong communication and negotiation skills.I am dedicated to designing products and services that delight customers and accelerate business growth. Connect with me to discuss how we can drive innovation together. I am interested in a wide range of industries.Experience Highlights:• Tesla: Leading software strategies, launching innovative products, and managing large engineering organizations.• Whirlpool Corporation: Overseeing IT manufacturing functions, modernizing factories, and implementing I4.0 technologies.• Dow Chemical: Managing IT sourcing, developing software tools, and optimizing contracts.Skills and Certifications:• Fundamental understanding of business process, software dev lifecycle, integrations and infrastructure• Six Sigma Green Belt• Agile, Scrum, Lean, First Principles methodologies• Expertise in technologies such as Jira, Confluence, Splunk, SQL, Excel

Eric Ball's Current Company Details
Blue Origin

Blue Origin

View
Director - Software Engineering and Product
Austin, TX, US
Website:
blueorigin.com
Employees:
10723
Eric Ball Work Experience Details
  • Blue Origin
    Director - Software Engineering And Product
    Blue Origin
    Austin, Tx, Us
  • Blue Origin
    Head Of Product Development, Manufacturing & Systems Technology
    Blue Origin Sep 2024 - Present
    Kent, Wa, Us
  • Tesla
    Principal Product Manager (Senior Manager) - Factory Software
    Tesla Oct 2021 - Jun 2024
    Austin, Texas, Us
    • Accountable for Tesla’s software product strategy in manufacturing, including founding the world's most advanced automotive factory in Austin, TX producing 5000+ Cybertrucks and Model Ys per week.• Led comprehensive software product roadmap definition across all manufacturing functions including materials, quality, planning, process, machine vision, and data. • Designed and launched four new software products from 0 to 1: HMI software, factory digital twin, drone based scanning and mobile data analysis applications.• Directed changes integral to launching Tesla's factories. Increased station throughput, increased warehouse high-bay scanning speeds, eliminated dock-door hand scanning and implemented rule-based recipe definitions that retired legacy platforms. $10M+ in annual savings.• Coordinated with software engineering teams on technical design requirements, integration patterns and related real-world tradeoffs.• Participated in all aspects of SDLC: requirements gathering, user story generation, backlog grooming, sprint planning, development, QA, release and support.• Managed 20 product engineers, supporting all Tesla factories in North America.• Trained staff managers and engineers on methodologies including first-principles thinking, agile, scrum, lean, and risk management. • Attended daily production calls as focal point for Factory Software, met with key customer leads daily.• Synthesized team accomplishments and improvement areas to CIO, SVP of Manufacturing, plant directors and other executives.• Technologies included Jira, Confluence, Splunk, Golang, Swift, React, Angular, K8s, Ansible, Jenkins, Kafka, NATS, Consul, RDBMS, FoundationDB, Clickhouse and more.
  • Whirlpool Corporation
    Senior Manager - Manufacturing Technology
    Whirlpool Corporation May 2019 - Oct 2021
    Benton Harbor, Michigan, Us
    IT MANUFACTURING LEADERSHIP -- Led Whirlpool's IT Manufacturing function and manufacturing execution system (MES):• Supported operations and modernization of 14 factories in the US and Mexico with a $40M budget, saved millions of dollars annually through material optimization, quality and downtime data collection.• Accountable for program leadership, software development, change management, datacenter and network infrastructure, controls engineering. Technologies included Ignition, Sepasoft, Kepware, OSI PI, MSSQL, C#, Nutanix and Cisco.• Built software that supported the production of Powered Air Purification Respirators for healthcare workers during Covid-19.• Coordinated project activities across multiple simultaneous site deployments. • Directed the work of 50+ resources, including ten direct reports across IT and manufacturing.• Consulted on I4.0 technology deployments, across process, software, hardware and data gathering.• Successfully coordinated recovery of manufacturing systems during a major cyber security incident.• Implemented IT & OT security workstream projects related to manufacturing systems.• Presented status updates and strategic roadmaps to executive leadership on topics such as MES, infrastructure and security related to manufacturing.
  • Whirlpool Corporation
    It Program Manager, Emea
    Whirlpool Corporation May 2017 - May 2019
    Benton Harbor, Michigan, Us
    OFFICE OF THE CIO -- Expat assignment, reporting directly to CIO:• Managed the region wide program management office (PMO), including project portfolio management and road-mapping.• Managed overall IT OpEx/CapEx budget (€100M) for EMEA including forecasting, supplier performance management and communications.• Defined PMO processes and directed functional PMO resources.CONTRACT NEGOTIATION AND SOURCING:• Renegotiated and re-planned region wide SAP integration activities, saving over €10M.• Sourced region wide ERP application services, saving €1M annually.
  • Whirlpool Corporation
    It Sourcing Manager
    Whirlpool Corporation Jun 2015 - May 2017
    Benton Harbor, Michigan, Us
    IT CATEGORY MANAGEMENT -- Executed sourcing strategies to enable new business and reduce cost:• Managed end-to-end requirements gathering and RFx for a global re-platform of Whirlpool's eCommerce environment. Negotiated and delivered all relevant contracts, including two global technology platforms, SAP hybris and Adobe AEM, along with an overall systems integration contract. Supported billions of dollars of revenue in B2B and B2C.• Delivered fifteen software and service contracts for Whirlpool's upgrade to SAP HANA and led multiple sourcing activities simultaneously. Included the selection of Whirlpool's final delivery partner. • Delivered contracts key to the deployment of SAP at Whirlpool's recent acquisitions, and supported Whirlpool Enterprise and HR portal deployments globally.• Delivered time sensitive projects which consolidated vendors both in SAP application support and contact center solutions, saving tens of millions of dollars over term.• Led other sourcing managers and analysts.PROCESS IMPROVEMENT -- Led procurement process improvement using Six Sigma methodologies:• Championed Whirlpool's transition to eSignatures for contract management. • Developed project inflow tools in ServiceNow and the Google Apps platform for entire procurement organization.
  • Dow Chemical
    It Sourcing Manager
    Dow Chemical Apr 2013 - Jun 2015
    Midland, Michigan, Us
    CONTRACT MANAGEMENT:• Managed over eighty telecom contracts including: internet, legacy and wireless telephony, cabling, satellite, radio and more. Responsible for renewing contracts, negotiation, signing new agreements and advising IT clients.• Identified global opportunities to optimize pricing, capacity, and technology in Dow’s telephony landscape.• Reviewed existing contracts and spend data to prioritize and target specific vendors and services.• Responsible for North American sourcing strategy and executionPROJECT SOURCING:• Created proposals for sourcing strategy company-wide and execute those strategies through client collaboration and Dow’s integrated procurement process. • Supported project teams with purchase execution for hardware, software and connectivity solutions. Help provide direction to clients and peers through supplier evaluations.IT RECRUITER:• Presented topics on Dow IT; recruited, interviewed and hired both interns and full-time candidates.
  • Dow Chemical
    Software Developer
    Dow Chemical Jun 2010 - Mar 2013
    Midland, Michigan, Us
    SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT:• Developed VBA, Oracle SQL and ASPX reporting tools for time record tracking and maintained documentation. • Supported applications including Cisco Request Center, Tivoli Identity Manager and Niku.• Automated role change requests from partner teams, updated roles and security access for GRC and legacy SAP systems.• Led design and development of collaboration tools in SharePoint 2010, supporting 10,000 users in North America and Latin America.ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE -- Worked with IT System Architects to evaluate new technology including: • Satellite systems for WAN connectivity in disaster situations• Roambi, SAP reporting software for iOS• Software upgrades: Citrix XenApp 6, Sharepoint DUET, Newsgator• Alternative methods for Dow’s internet connectivity; shared conclusions with companies such as BP, AstraZeneca, Cargill, Kodak, Dow Corning, GE, Unilever and others

Eric Ball Skills

Procurement Strategic Sourcing Project Management Negotiation Six Sigma Sharepoint Strategy Telecommunications Software Development Computer Architecture Mobile Devices Security Team Leadership Workstations Computer Hardware Microsoft Office Sap Management Microsoft Excel Cross Functional Team Leadership Leadership

Eric Ball Education Details

  • University Of Michigan
    University Of Michigan
    Computer Engineering
  • Michigan Technological University
    Michigan Technological University
    Computer Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions about Eric Ball

What company does Eric Ball work for?

Eric Ball works for Blue Origin

What is Eric Ball's role at the current company?

Eric Ball's current role is Director - Software Engineering and Product.

What is Eric Ball's email address?

Eric Ball's email address is er****@****ool.com

What is Eric Ball's direct phone number?

Eric Ball's direct phone number is +198996*****

What schools did Eric Ball attend?

Eric Ball attended University Of Michigan, Michigan Technological University.

What are some of Eric Ball's interests?

Eric Ball has interest in Science And Technology.

What skills is Eric Ball known for?

Eric Ball has skills like Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Project Management, Negotiation, Six Sigma, Sharepoint, Strategy, Telecommunications, Software Development, Computer Architecture, Mobile Devices, Security.

Who are Eric Ball's colleagues?

Eric Ball's colleagues are Bradley Stocker, Kyle Pearson, Mead Masuda, Daniel Gaviria, Zoe Pesce, Erin Rehm, James Tsai.

Free Chrome Extension

Find emails, phones & company data instantly

Find verified emails from LinkedIn profiles
Get direct phone numbers & mobile contacts
Access company data & employee information
Works directly on LinkedIn - no copy/paste needed
Get Chrome Extension - Free

Aero Online

Your AI prospecting assistant

Download 750 million emails and 100 million phone numbers

Access emails and phone numbers of over 750 million business users. Instantly download verified profiles using 20+ filters, including location, job title, company, function, and industry.