Jeremy Backer
Waupaca Foundry
Utica,KY
1
Certification
29
years of professional experience
Manufacturing professional with 25+ years of experience in process improvement, new product development, team leadership, and operations management in a foundry environment. Skilled in resolving workflow issues, standardizing operations, and collaborating across departments to exceed manufacturing KPIs while championing continuous improvement initiatives. Looking for opportunities to leverage this hands-on experience in a new role and continue contributing to efficient, reliable operations.
Work History
Planned
7 Months- Coordinated schedules and logistics for successful relocation.
- Supported recovery of elderly, disabled mother following her surgery.
Process Engineering Manager
11 Years- Led improvement projects focused on reducing scrap, improving yield, and stabilizing casting processes.
- Analyzed production data to identify process variation, prioritizing engineering interventions that enhanced process stability.
- Supported new part development by coordinating tooling readiness, sample runs, and PPAP submissions.
- Standardized procedures across departments, reducing process variation and improving repeatability for enhanced operational consistency.
- Worked directly with engineering and quality to address root causes of defects and refine process controls.
- Managed cross-functional team for sample coordination, process documentation, and continuous improvement support, ensuring alignment with project goals.
Production Manager
11 Years- Directed daily iron casting operations across molding, core room, melting, pouring, shakeout, and finishing to meet production schedules.
- Managed staffing, shift assignments, and operator performance to ensure safe, consistent workflow and meet production goals.
- Coordinated with maintenance, engineering, and quality to resolve day-to-day production issues, minimizing downtime and maintaining operational efficiency.
- Responded to day-to-day production issues by coordinating with maintenance, engineering, and quality to minimize downtime.
- Ensured operators followed standardized work, safety procedures, and process controls required for stable casting operations.
- Led teams through tooling, equipment, or process changes, ensuring operators received training on updated procedures for seamless transitions.
Sample Coordinator
7 Years- Managed timelines, requirements, and documentation for customer sample parts and PPAP submissions.
- Coordinated tooling readiness, pattern shop schedules, and gating/riser designs to ensure timely new part development.
- Collaborated with engineering, quality, and production teams to prepare, run, and evaluate sample castings, ensuring alignment with specifications.
- Communicated sample status, risks, and required changes between internal teams and customers.
- Ensured sample castings met dimensional and quality specifications before release to production.
- Identified potential workflow or tooling issues during early-stage process planning to mitigate risks before full launch.
Education
High School Diploma
Skills
Project management
Operations management
Continuous improvement
Lean manufacturing
Workflow optimization
Data analysis
Root-cause analysis (RCA)
SOP development and standardization
Advanced manufacturing
Cross-functional coordination
Team leadership
Certification
- Six Sigma Green Belt (Waupaca Foundry Certified)
- Waupaca Foundry — Tell City, IN | 2012
- Training included root-cause analysis, waste reduction, process control, and leading continuous improvement initiatives in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
Timeline
Planned
Career Break
01.2026 - 2026Read More
Process Engineering Manager
Waupaca Foundry
01.2014 - 01.2025Read More
Production Manager
Waupaca Foundry
01.2003 - 01.2014Read More
Sample Coordinator
Waupaca Foundry
01.1996 - 01.2003Read More
Tell City High School
High School Diploma
Read More