Lutz Schaefer

• Led cross-functional teams for successful product development, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to specifications.
• Enhanced overall team productivity with continuous training and mentoring of engineers.
• Reviewed technical documentation for accuracy, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Managed risk assessments during project planning phases, proactively mitigating potential issues before they arose during execution stages.
• Fostered a culture of innovation and continuous improvement by encouraging the sharing of ideas, leading to increased creativity and problem-solving capabilities within the team.
• Evaluated project requirements to identify and mitigate risks.
• Interpreted blueprints and technical drawings to analyze upcoming projects.
• Optimized resource allocation, effectively managing budgets and manpower for multiple simultaneous projects.
• Streamlined communication between departments by establishing regular meetings, improving collaboration on complex projects.
• Improved engineering processes by streamlining workflows and implementing efficient project management techniques.
• Reduced production downtime by developing effective maintenance schedules and procedures for equipment upkeep.
• Implemented use of MS Project to enter project data, analyze and track budgets, evaluate project costs and monitor performance trends.
• Recommended design modifications to eliminate seaming machine and system malfunctions.

Project Management

• Client liaison to understand their needs and provide solutions that support their project vision.
• Develop and implement a quarterly project plan using the MS Project software to forecast work capacity, track progress and ensure deadlines of current and upcoming projects are met.
• Liaise with all outsourcing partners and subcontractors to ensure all targets and deadlines are met.
• Meet with the directors on a weekly and monthly basis to report on the company’s performance.

Production Management

• Create a weekly and monthly production plan
• Facilitate weekly production meetings with supervisors of each department to review and set weekly and monthly KPIs.
• Evaluating if certain parts of the production require outsourcing due to a lack of resource capacity, inefficient machinery technology or to increase the profit margin of the project.
• Ensure that all aspects of the production are running efficiently.
• Identify continuous improvement opportunitied that will increase efficiency to allow to minimise production time and completion time of job and project.

Quality Management

• Lead the development of the quality standard.
• Developed the quality system
• Created procedures and check-off sheets to assist the supervisors to carry out quality control.
• Chairing monthly quality meetings with directors and the workforce to discuss the current status of the outgoing quality, control system and improvements suggestion from staff and clients
• Assist with the resolution of warranty claims
• Analyse warranty and quality control data

HSE Management

• Overseeing all health and safety responsibilities and activities of Concept Solutions
• Report on the health and safety performance of the company at monthly directors’ meeting
• Create and review annual health and safety plan.
• Developed training documents and training matrix
• Oversee all training
• Certify that all machinery in, created and sold to the open market comply with NZ or international health and safety standards, law and regulations.
• Undertake necessary research and evaluation of new HSE trends
• Stay constantly up to date with regulation changes
• Keep the HSE software current and investigate improved software options

Financial Management

• Create and review project quotes.
• Carrying out cost analysis on completed projects.
• Review outsourcing and subcontractor quotes.
• Make financial decisions to improve profitability on all projects and jobs carried out by Concept Solutions
• Support directors in creating a capex plan
• Develop H&S budget
• Develop strategic plans for return on investment
• Negotiate price reduction with suppliers.

Logistic Management

• Organise local, national and international shipping of manufactured goods and consumables. Liaise with our international clients and suppliers from the USA, Canada, Europe and China
• Compare shipping pricing with different brokerage firms and identify what cost and time frame would suit our demand.

Client relationship management

• Contacting on regular basis our clients (local, national and international) to understand demand and potential assistance from our company.

Procurement Management

• Oversee all procurement activities.
• Lead the development and system of the new position.

Training

• Develop and establish the training plan for our staff and apprenticeship group.
• Oversee, review and signoff on all apprentice documentation
• Meet with government industry tutors and mentors to discuss the progress of our apprentices.

Culture

• Creating a working together culture.
• Provide support to the apprentices.
• Develop, mentor and support the junior manager in the design team

HR assistance

• Supporting the Directors with research and advice
• Scoping new talent for the current growth of the company that will fit into the recent developed working together culture.

• Responsible to plan all overtime and approval of leave requests in accordance with Stabicraft guidelines.
• Coordinated outsourcing tasks with subcontractors.
• Acted as the main liaison between the welding areas and the Store to ensure correct parts were received to enable on-time completion to meet production targets.
• Oversaw all quality checks carried out prior to boats being released and handed over to the logistics .department,
• Facilitated the shop floor & team leaders with the required manpower, material & equipment (machine) to stabilize the manufacturing processes.
• Implemented changes and new processes and procedures as required to improve the overall efficiency of the work areas, both from a time perspective and materials wastage.
• Reviewed opportunities for in-/outsourcing of welding tasks, assessed benefits/drawbacks and followed through with implementation after approval was given by Chief Operation Officer.
• Actively collaborated with the Design team on new product releases and ongoing reviews, ensuring that feedback was provided so that improvements could be made.
• Promote, encourage & coach the power of lean thinking and lean tools, throughout welding staff and non-welding staff ensuring full participation and support of the lean manufacturing system.
• Daily management of Green Room meetings.
• Provided leadership and technical support to the welding and non-welding department.
• Managed, lead and coached the teams to ensure continual improvement was happening.
• Conducted staff performance reviews and establish individual professional development programmed for staff.
• Carried out training needs analysis by using the company training matrix
• Monitored and make recommendations of the learning and development needs of the team,

• Ensured that all equipment used was fit for purpose and safe
• Investigated and reported all hazards, accidents and near-miss incidents and reported the findings to the Chief Operations Officer.
• Conducted risk and hazard analysis and implemented improvements if required.
• Led monthly Health and Safety committee meetings.
• Reviewed the H&S Manual and Policies and if necessary proposed changes and improvements to keep the policy updated.
• Mentored and supported staff in identifying and implementing procedures and practices to protect and keep workers safe.
• Leveraged statistical analysis to improve awareness, change behaviour and drove continuous improvement in programs and processes.
• Supported interaction with local emergency response agencies and responders to coordinate work site safety requirements.
• Developed recommendations to reduce hazards by improving gear, behaviours and procedures.

Leadership, communication and business development

• Overall responsibility for the production of all Yunca heating and Yunca engineering products throughout the four divisions of the Yunca group-Yunca Invercargill, Yunca Gas (Dunedin), Procote Industry (Dunedin) and Yunca India (India)
• Reported directly to CEO and provide provisional cover when CEO is absent.
• Reported on business operations to the board and CEO including making recommendations for operational improvements on a weekly and monthly
  basis.
• Gave recommendations to the board during meetings for the LPH Energy and Energia Potior joint venture.

Business development of new and existing revenue streams.

• Led regular progress meetings with management teams of various departments (Sales, HR , H&S , IT, Design, Supply and Workshop).
• Worked in a constrained and limited resources environment and overcame daily challenges to produce cost-effective and on-time delivery.
• Effective and open communicator.
• Liaised with suppliers and supply manager on a daily basis for a smooth operations. Tasks involved negotiating on prices of goods, and working alongside
  the Supply Manager to seek out new suppliers locally, or overseas, in order to lower production costs.
• Traveled overseas to seek new contracts with multiple international Aluminium Smelters.

Project, production and financial management

• Project management of joint ventures with Auckland University (Energia Potior) (EnPot) project) and Callaghan Institution (LPH Energy (Electrolyser) project).
• Production Management of a multimillion dollar Engeria Potior contract with a German Aluminium Smelter working to specific production and delivery times while ensuring that financial budgets were not exceeded. Outsourced part of the production to elevate growth margin profit for the company, if required.
• Created yearly production schedules for the heating division of Yunca, ensuring that production targets were met. Utilising MS Project software and daily 10 minutes (green room) staff meetings to ensure highly efficient production and on time delivery of finished product.
• Investigated causes, developed action plans and communicated to staff where delays or problems in production were existing.
• Managed the maintenance contract for the Tiwai Smelter (NZAS) this included working to a monthly financial budget given by multiple divisions of the
  Smelter, assisting in R&D project and forming strong relationship with senior management of the Smelter.
• Creating yearly budgets for production, Health and Safety, and plant and vehicle maintenance, ensuring budgets were met.

Human Resource Management

• Ensured a positive and open culture existed in the workplace by leading by
  example
• Human resource management throughout the four divisions of the Yunca Group including hiring, performance reviews, and contract management for all new and current staff (30 staff members in Invercargill, 7 staff members in Dunedin and 15 staff members in India).
• A keen understanding (working closely with legal adviser) of how to manage
  personal grievances and other human resource related legal issues.

Health and Safety and Risk Management

• Health and Safety management ensured that staff are following best practice guidelines in the industry. Managed any accidents and communicated with
  Work Safe, managed the compliance of all Yunca's factories.

Design

• Led the design work for all Engeria Potior projects
• Oversaw the design team and set weekly and monthly KPI's

• Fabrication of the major part of the Aluminum boat by using TIG and MIG welding techniques
• Additional duties included tutoring assigned apprentices in welding and fabricating of Aluminum boats.

• FARRA STAINLESS
• Industrial fabrication of dairy plant accessories and brewing equipment, pipe and pressure pipe welding

• Fabrication of stainless steel, aluminum, brass and copper art sculptures for various artists, fabrication of handrails, and stainless steel polishing.

• Replaced damaged, missing or defective parts with new and refurbished components.
• Performed diagnostic and troubleshooting procedures to find and identify root causes of mechanical issues.
• Completed full vehicle inspections to check for leaks, damage or other issues of concern.
• Inspected and tested vehicles and completed preventive maintenance such as engine tune-ups, oil changes, tire rotations, wheel balancing and filter replacement.