Jose's interest for the automotive business and innate mathematical skills led him to the shopfloor of the DRӒXLMAIER plant site in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as an intern in 2012.

"I've been good at math since I was a little kid," he says. "I knew early on that something like history wasn't for me, so that easily led me toward engineering."  

With a degree in industrial engineering and business management, it comes as no surprise that Jose moved quickly through the ranks at DRӒXLMAIER . After just six months of interning, he was hired as a manufacturing engineer and soon after promoted to a supervisor in Industrial Engineering. After experiencing the production side of manufacturing, he eventually ventured to the project side as a process planner.

In 2019, he accomplished his life-long dream of working in the United States and relocated to South Carolina to work at the DRӒXLMAIER plant site in Duncan.

"As a manufacturing engineer, I had the chance to work in Duncan for six months on a project," he says. "I loved the area and the production site, so I knew I would be back one day."

Fast forward to today: Jose is leading a team of 15 engineers. As the head of Technical Planning, he is responsible for the strategic planning of the two DRӒXLMAIER production sites in the U.S.  

How did your collegiate background lay the foundation for a successful career?

My industrial engineering degree prepared me for the workforce, but my bachelor's degree in management is what provided a solid administrative profile − and that gave me the confidence to lead a team early on in my career.

Can you explain  your role as a head of Technical Planning?

I am responsible for the disciplinary and technical development of engineers in four departments: process planning, equipment planning, industrial engineering and change management. Essentially, I support and guide my team through the planning, procurement and launch stages of the production processes at the Duncan and Livermore sites. In addition, I am part of the global technical planning team that optimizes and develops standards within the department.

How important is continuous improvement within your department?

Every time we have a project, we need to have a strong economic way of thinking. Lean manufacturing plays an important role in this thought process. One of the opportunities I have as the head of Technical Planning is providing engineers in my team with internal and external trainings. I always encourage my team to be ready, open and flexible to change. With today’s market, we need to constantly find new ways to innovate and bring new technology that will provide the greatest profit to the company.

What leads to a successful project launch?

Definitely having clear expectations with your team and keeping the lines of communication open with both your customer and suppliers. With three parties involved, it’s important to be transparent and to make sure everyone is on the same page. Also, always being proactive and having an eye on the launch dates. We always have alternative solutions that can be implemented instantly.