Derek Okonkwo

Profile

Senior Manufacturing Engineer with 9 years of experience in high-volume automotive and industrial components manufacturing, specializing in lean process design, tooling optimization, and quality systems. Reduced scrap rates by 34% across three production lines at Tier 1 supplier Hallmark Precision Parts. Six Sigma Black Belt with a track record of delivering capital projects on time and under budget.

Work Experience

Senior Manufacturing EngineerMar 2019 - Present

Hallmark Precision Parts, Greenville, SC

Redesigned stamping cell layout using value-stream mapping, cutting WIP inventory by 41% and reducing cycle time from 28 s to 17 s per part.
Led $1.2 M press-line upgrade project — coordinated 6 contractors, delivered 3 weeks ahead of schedule, and achieved 99.1% OEE within 60 days of launch.
Implemented SPC monitoring across 4 critical-to-quality dimensions, reducing customer PPM from 620 to 88 over 18 months.

Manufacturing Engineer IIJun 2016 - Feb 2019

Vantara Industrial Systems, Spartanburg, SC

Developed PFMEA and control plans for a new brake-bracket product line, enabling IATF 16949 certification audit with zero major findings.
Optimized CNC fixture design for a family of 12 aluminum castings, eliminating secondary deburr operation and saving $210 K annually in labor costs.
Mentored 3 junior engineers in DMAIC methodology; all three completed Green Belt projects within 12 months, yielding combined savings of $340 K.

Manufacturing Engineer IAug 2014 - May 2016

Cornerstone Plastics Group, Anderson, SC

Supported launch of 7 injection-molded interior trim components for a Big Three OEM, achieving PPAP Level 3 approval on first submission for 6 of 7 parts.
Reduced mold changeover time by 27% by standardizing quick-release clamp system across 14 presses, adding 4.5 hours of productive capacity per shift.
Analyzed scrap data using Minitab regression, identified gate-temperature root cause, and implemented corrective action that cut regrind usage by 19%.

Skills

Six Sigma Black Belt (ASQ) · Lean Manufacturing / Value-Stream Mapping · SPC & Minitab Statistical Analysis · PFMEA & Control Plan Development · IATF 16949 / ISO 9001 Quality Systems · GD&T & Tolerance Stack-Up Analysis · AutoCAD / SolidWorks · CNC Machining & Fixturing · PPAP & APQP

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