Steven Wells Email and Phone Number

Nectar provides contract R&D services for Medical, Lab & Scientific, and Industrial markets. Focusing on User-Centered Design, Integrated Product Engineering, and Design Transfer to turn user needs into manufacturable products. Managed a multi-disciplinary, multi-geographic development team, created and maintained ISO13485 documentation systems (DCF and DHF), and created regulatory plans. The key metric is to ensure client satisfaction with the products developed and team performance. To succeed, we constantly improved the facility, tools, processes, and methods for more efficient project management.

The Signet development group was split into Sensor R&D and Electronics/Software in order to better serve our employees and customers. There continued to be significant collaboration between the groups. All sustaining activity was moved to the operations group. My team consisted of PhD chemists, technicians, mechanical engineers and project leaders. Hiring and training ramped up to increase growth via transformational development and adaptations of existing products for adjacent markets. Hired mech and software engineers, a PhD chemist, technicians and project leaders during this period. This process included 2 years of involvement with the Harvey Mudd College Clinic program. I mentored a team of 6 students in yearlong projects to research topics of interest to Signet. Training and guiding these students resulted in interesting, creative products and 2 new hires. They created an innovative inductively coupled pH preamp and a radar level sensor. Lean Development efforts reduced 80 days from the development cycle with improved quality. Began a systematic, lean approach to front-end innovation using Design Thinking combined with Sprints (a rapid prototyping methodology). The optimized program increased product development impact from $3M per year to >$8M per year of products under development by 2019. Launched 3 sizes of a Full Bore Magmeter, a platform product, in 2019. 6 patents are in process with the USPTO and internationally.

Led development team of 15+ including scientists, compliance, mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to develop sensors, electronic hardware and software. I hired Mech and Software Engrs during this period. As the Development Process owner, I streamlined and updated the stage-gate development process which served to increase transparency and velocity. A significant amount of development resource was spent upgrading the 9900, a single parameter, multiple instrument platform during this period. Signet also released the 9950 platform, a dual parameter instrument in 2016. Budget responsibility of $2.5 Million. Fifty percent of sales was due to products launched in last 5 years. Developed 10-year strategic and product roadmaps to meet automation goals. In 2013, implemented cost savings projects to reduce product costs over $400k per year on an ongoing basis.

Managed scientists, technicians, mechanical, electrical, and software engineers. Restructured group to focus 1/3 of the group on sustaining engineering and product quality improvements while the rest were focused on new product development. Focused effort enabled improvement in both areas. In 2012 and 2013, delivered 2 platform products (9900 SmartPro Transmitter and Optical Dissolved Oxygen sensor), 5 derivative products (2734 pH/ORP Electrodes, Chlorine Dioxide sensor, preamp, transmitter and a dissolved oxygen transmitter). There were also multiple product improvement projects to enhance quality and productivity. Built strong teams of technicians and engineers through a combination of hiring and training. Hired a PhD Chemist, Mech and software Engrs. Implemented project tracking tools to monitor and control resource costs. Strong history of ending year within overall budget projections.

Created an analytical lab from the ground up at Signet. Built a chemical test laboratory and developed formulations, methods and test procedures for pH/ORP and analytical sensors. Multiple technicians were trained in analytical chemical methods and safe laboratory practices. Primary focus was the design and development of analytical sensors, which included competitor benchmarking. The first major project brought pH/ORP manufacturing in-house which resulted in improving margins from 22% to >45%. I led the project team and developed a novel pH/ORP sensor for which five patents were granted. Another major project I led was the development a free chlorine system. This represented the first complete system for Signet and makes start-up much easier for customers. This project required development of the sensor, sensor electronics, instrument and flow cell. The flow cell for this system was patented. Designed and deployed multiple LabView based test systems including an R&D pH test system, production pH test system, temperature cycling system, inverted sensor test system, high purity water conductivity and a system for hot, harsh chemicals. Each of the test systems monitored half-cell potentials compared to master reference cells. Test system benefits include improved product quality, increased longevity and detailed application information to aid in product marketing.

Endress + Hauser Conducta is a leading global supplier of process and laboratory instrumentation. A significant responsibility involved coordination of in-house technology and development programs with related programs at corporate headquarters in Germany.I was the Lead Scientist and Project Leader on technology and product development projects. Led cross-disciplinary teams in the development of pH and ion specific sensors from conceptual design through prototype testing, verification and commercial production. Sensors developed included ultra-pure water pH, wastewater pH and differential pH/ORP sensors. All are still in production today. Development included competitor benchmarking, chemical formulations, mechanical design, verification and validation testing, initial and serial production.