Vance Willis, Pe Email & Phone Number

US

• Reporting to the Director of Technology, having responsibility for research and development of countermeasure product design and manufacturing processes.
• Developed design improvements for countermeasure products to simplify manufacturing and improve performance, coordinating design changes directly with the customer, which was the US Air Force.
• Coordinated large-scale manufacturing process improvement program, funded by the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research ManTech program, resulting in cost savings and improved operator safety.
• Implemented pressure decay leak testing as a replacement for legacy bubble leak testing, improving robustness and removing human error from the process.
• Held a national security clearance, and worked on classified projects for the US Department of Defense.

Lexington, KY, US

• Reporting to the Global Director of Engineering, managed a team of 12 engineers and designers, having product design engineering responsibility for all fans and LED lighting fixtures for industrial, commercial, and.
• Implemented and trained best-practice processes and procedures for Design FMEA and Design Review, increasing the level of rigor and improving the robustness of product designs.
• Led in problem solving and root cause analysis for complex product failure issue involving dynamic balancing of a ceiling fan design, rapidly restoring customer delivery.
• Provided leadership for projects involving mechanical design as well as systems design, involving cross-functional teams such as program management, electrical engineering, and software engineering.
• Contributed heavily to the design of the Sidekick 48” portable barrel fan, including design and patenting of the frame system with outer steel rings and inner injection molded barrel segments.

Charlotte, North Carolina, US

• Reporting to the VP of Engineering, managed a team of 10 engineers, designers, and technicians, having product design engineering responsibility for gas-fired, heat pump, and electric resistance heaters.
• Developed a comprehensive thermodynamic model for simulation of outdoor swimming pool heat loss, including writing of software to use for energy analyses. Solved a decades-old problem of truly understanding equipment.
• Directly managed an external industrial design firm to support the aesthetic design of a new platform product, including bidding and negotiation. Resulted in a striking design where form followed function, and 6.
• Developed an innovative portfolio of advanced diagnostic algorithms using sensors to identify system faults and to predict faults before they occur so they can be addressed with zero appliance down-time.
• Designed, specified, and implemented climate conditioning equipment and control systems to maintain wet and dry bulb air temperatures and water temperature to within 0.4°F, for accurate lab testing of heat pump water.
• Played integral role in reengineering of Hayward's toll gate product development process through cross-functional collaboration and value stream mapping. Reduced steps to improve speed to market, and established.

Charlotte, North Carolina, US

• Reporting to the VP of Engineering, managed a team of 5 engineers, designers, and technicians, having product design engineering responsibility for gas-fired and electric resistance water heaters.
• Designed a product having certification to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, including design of a complex cast bronze water manifold which maintained the hydraulic performance of the incumbent plastic.
• Solved a complex combustion ignition problem in a water heater product, allowing the simple rework and release of over $1M of inventory for sale.
• Redesigned indoor vent attachment configuration on a high-volume product, mitigating a safety issue, reducing product cost, and expanding product functionality to include Category I in addition to Category III venting.
• Supported qualification of alternate vendors for components such as blowers, burners, electro-mechanical devices, gas valves, gaskets, insulation, and paint coatings. Delivering $300K+ annual product cost savings.
• Identified issue with measurement uncertainty of thermal efficiency test procedure. Researched and developed a statistical procedure for determining aggregate uncertainty for a multi-instrument calculated result. Old.

Charlotte, North Carolina, US

• Reporting to the Engineering Manager, having product design engineering responsibility for gas-fired and electric resistance water heaters, underwater LED lights, and pool/spa automation systems.
• Designed and patented an injection molded water manifold and pressure bypass mechanism that resulted in the industry's best hydraulic efficiency of 1.1 PSI head loss at 40 GPM, where competitors were 2.8-6.5 PSI.
• Filled crucial role of applications engineer for pool/spa automation systems which were manufactured and name branded by an external partner. Developed specifications and tests to ensure performance and reliability.
• Key driver in the design of ColorLogic LED underwater lighting products, performing all mechanical designs, managing external electronic design partner, and confirming reliability through testing. At launch, ColorLogic.
• Developed a comprehensive documentation package for underwater lighting products, enabling procurement and production at contract manufacturers. Oversaw on-time launch with contractors in US and China.
• Designed Hayward's first low-NOx emissions water heater, achieving less than 40 ng/J emissions (California requirement), while maintaining product cost and profit margins.

Charlotte, North Carolina, US

• Reporting to the Engineering Manager, having product testing responsibility for gas-fired and electric resistance water heating products, and management of the test lab.
• Implemented NOx emissions testing protocols, including interpretation of standards, purchasing of test equipment, third-party certification, and writing procedures.
• Obtained agency accreditation of the Hayward test laboratory, including ISO 17025 compliance, development of procedures, and record keeping. Resulted in faster speed to market, and $50K+ annual savings.
• Designed and constructed an outdoor life-cycle testing apparatus, using cooling towers to exhaust heat, allowing accelerated duty cycle operation of water heaters. Prior to this, no product life-cycle testing had been.
• Renovated test lab, converting water holding systems to larger volume vertical tanks and valve systems to free up space and obtain better flow control of test apparatus.
• Implemented a distributed PC-based data acquisition system, streamlining testing, and reducing human error related to manual instrument readings.

Washington, DC, US

Infantry Machine Gunner, MOS 0331. Led teams and squads of infantry Marines. Specialized in automatic weapons including M60E3, M240G, MK19, and M2. As a reservist, was attached to India Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Division, based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bs, Mechanical Engineering

As, Mechanical Engineering Technology