Erik Gartner

• Leading a long-term community project for the construction of a new fire station, managing all phases from planning to implementation within a five-member project team.
• Main responsibilities include task delegation, organizing and facilitating weekly project meetings, creating timelines and reports (Excel), supervising on-site progress, and maintaining communication with the municipality, contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Reviewed contractor proposals, negotiated pricing and contract terms, and ensured cost-effective decision-making.
• Actively contributed to fundraising efforts, successfully securing financial support from the municipality, local businesses, and private donors—exceeding initial fundraising expectations from individuals.
• Prepared project presentations and contractor overviews for the fire department’s executive board; collaborated on official committee reporting.
• The new fire station will become a central hub for the village, enhancing both safety and community engagement through regular public events.

Key skills gained: project management, stakeholder coordination, meeting facilitation, documentation and reporting, basic financial oversight, negotiation, teamwork, and community leadership.

On-site Leadership and International Field Coordination

• Supported high-tech industrial projects for major European pharmaceutical clients, managing all phases from planning to delivery within a confidential and highly regulated environment.
• Acted as a communication point between internal departments (design, production, logistics), external vendors, and clients.
• Led 2 smaller projects, managing 2-person teams in design, coordinating with 2 individuals in production, and indirectly liaising with 5 others to ensure alignment and timely execution.
• Created project timelines using MS Project, tracked progress and costs through SAP
• Mentored 2 team members within my department and actively assisted in the onboarding of new project engineers, ensuring knowledge transfer and seamless integration into projects.
• Managed day-to-day production issues, including material losses: verified stock levels, contacted suppliers for delivery dates, and decided on actions (e.g., reordering or checking with project manager for higher-value issues).
• Maintained clear communication with clients, informing them of any potential delays caused by material loss, and ensured that solutions were found without significant impact on project timelines.
• Managed over 30 emails per day, including internal coordination, vendor updates, and client correspondence; prepared presentations and SOPs to support ongoing process improvement initiatives.
• Successfully replaced the Project Manager on critical projects, including a 14-day period on a high-priority project, ensuring smooth progress and issue resolution during his absence.
• Acted as Site Lead during 10+ field visits across the EU, overseeing urgent repairs and installation modifications — often working 12-hour shifts to meet tight client deadlines.
• Independently managed all logistics and compliance: permits, travel, accommodations, site access, and special work conditions (confined spaces, working at height).
• Coordinated Brinox field teams, delegated tasks, monitored execution, and resolved issues in real time with on-site client stakeholders and internal departments.
• Communicated directly with client engineers, HSE staff, and senior managers to ensure clarity and alignment throughout on-site activities.
• Earned consistent positive feedback from clients due to hands-on coordination, timely execution, and ability to adapt to unexpected challenges.

Key achievements:

• Successfully led smaller projects, ensuring timely delivery and client satisfaction, even with limited resources and tight deadlines.
• Proactively handled production delays, material shortages, and communicated effectively with clients to ensure their expectations were managed and satisfied.
• Demonstrated strong leadership by mentoring colleagues and assisting with the onboarding of new project engineers, promoting a collaborative team environment.

Key skills gained: project leadership, cross-functional coordination, ERP (SAP), planning and scheduling (MS Project), client communication, problem-solving, mentoring, stakeholder management,on-site project coordination, technical problem-solving, team supervision, client communication, HSE compliance, adaptive decision-making, field logistics.

• Supported the prototype department in all phases of production and optimization of cast components.
• Repaired and modified castings for simulation purposes and contributed to process improvement through hands-on experimentation and feedback.
• Collaborated with development engineers to improve casting geometry based on simulation results, achieving better material flow and reduced cycle time in the casting process.
• Designed clamping fixtures for prototype manufacturing and coordinated their production; ensured usability and fit for machining operations.
• Worked directly in the prototype workshop – from raw part reception, machining, deburring, leak testing, measurement, to final packing and shipment.
• Assisted development technologists with technical drawings and 3D models using Creo, supporting design iterations and documentation.
• Coordinated with subcontractors and performed quality inspections at their facilities.

Key skills gained: CAD design (Creo), prototype development, process optimization, simulation-based improvement, hands-on manufacturing, technical documentation, supplier coordination, teamwork in R&D environments.