Experience
2017 — Now
San Francisco Bay Area
Led end-to-end product lifecycle, including defined requirements, drove engineering, design, manufacturing, and operational support to accelerate transition to large-scale production. Successfully facilitated manufacturing of 500+ X-series robotic stores and Swyft products worth $8.5M.
Improved operational uptime from 80% to 98% by enhancing remote monitoring capabilities, implementing advanced fault identification, and eliminating key operational bottlenecks; directly reducing overall product cost of ownership.
Directed product launches and production transitions; aligned leadership, cross-functional teams, and global/local vendors to ensure seamless migration from prototype and small-scale builds to full-scale manufacturing.
Championed firmware and robotics innovation by leading continuous improvement of robotic motion control, integrating new sensors, and deploying computer vision techniques to improve diagnostic accuracy, reliability, and robotic performance.
Accountable for continuous operational excellence — defined and tracked KPIs across design, cost, support, and performance; drove ongoing improvements in efficiency, maintainability, and scalability of both hardware and software systems.
2015 — 2016
San Francisco Bay Area
Assisted in leading design, development and engineering of automated machine PurePress for producing fresh almond milk targeted at commercial use. This included
• Define product design specifications, systems requirements, performance requirements, standards specifications, user requirements, ergonomics and safety requirements.
• Define process and systems flows, systems interactions, user interactions, and critical parameters for almond milk making process.
• Lead research of different techniques for blending /mixing, basic working principles, governing theory and select the optimum.
• Define and establish technology, design, and product development strategy.
• Develop different ID and system concepts for different construction strategies.
• Lead product engineering for selected concept – i.e. product architecture definition, part definition, component selection, critical systems and subassembly definition, component design, component integration, structure & casing design , DFMA, CAD development, Bill of materials generation, selection of manufacturing and fabrication processes.
• Identify vendors for fabrication of proof of principle prototype.
• Coordinate & monitor manufacturing development of working prototypes.
• Work with external resources to procure components and resolve product engineering and quality issues.
2012 — 2014
Assist in developing and establishing two PG level courses M.Des in Engineering Product Design and MBA in Business Innovation & Strategy at the institute while acting as course coordinator for the said courses. This included development of course content, syllabus and learning outcomes for both programs
Mentor and Teach masters and bachelors level students subjects Design Research, Design methodology, Basics of Innovation, Service Innovation, Ergonomics (Physical & cognitive), Information synthesis, User Interface Design , Automotive User interface, and mobility service systems.
2011 — 2012
Ahmedabad Area, India
Oversaw company’s design research and industrial design operations by devising project strategies in compliance with client business needs, supervising activities of team members, and facilitated establishment of new design research & strategy service vertical for the company
Led design research initiatives by defining research tools and techniques, directing fieldwork, design strategy and creation processes, reviewing product proposals, estimating project costs, developing product/brand strategy, and monitoring alpha productions.
Owned storyline and content development for projects across different verticals including coordinating and leading strategy-heavy pitches, and maintaining strategic value and integrity of project proposals.
Exhibited design strategy & industrial design expertise by successfully leading and completing more than 20+ projects for clientele in both local and international markets. Key clients included: GSK, Godrej (Ezee & Goodnight), Engrid Global, Clear2O, Borosil, Bigtech Ltd, Orient fans and EI.
Supported staff development and met user and clients’ business needs by providing creative workshops to enable industrial design teams to sharpen innovative capabilities and discover and ideate new, original opportunities and solutions.
Contributed to efficiency of design research operations by aiding in creation of best practices standards for addressing areas of improvement.
Worked closely with Business Development Team; assist in drafting statements of work, pricing project opportunities, leading material and part procurements, establishing supplier networks, creating expense estimates and constructing invoicing schedules.
Demonstrated strategic & systems design expertise for complex projects by consistently honing and applying knowledge in leadership, design research, strategy and innovation processes.
2010 — 2011
Mumbai, India
Design educator at Mumbai office of this Singapore based educational institute; teaching bachelor’s and advanced Diploma level students. Subjects inclusive of- design research, product aesthetics, design management, Furniture design, electrical design, computer rendering, manufacturing technology, materials selection, model making, and major studio.
Education
California College of the Arts
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Delft University of Technology
M.Sc.(Eng)
University of Liverpool
M.Sc. (Eng)
Shivaji University