Piero Sobral

Strategic innovation project coordination and leadership within a university-industry partnership, focusing on energy storage for electric mobility. My role covers the full lifecycle, from conception to managing development based on Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), aiming for TRL 6 (functional prototype) by the end of 2026. I manage the university-industry cooperation, facilitating technology transfer and aligning objectives between a multinational automotive firm and an R&D center. I lead the technology roadmap (TRL 1 to 6), conducting international benchmarking to ensure competitiveness. I develop the commercialization strategy, including feasibility studies, business modeling, risk analysis, and intellectual property strategies. I articulate partnerships for the certification phases (TRL 7-9) and analyze business models, such as the creation of spin-offs. My experience covers innovation management in complex projects, from applied research to market entry planning, integrating R&D, business strategy, and institutional relations.

Sr Design Release Engineer Design, development, implementation, and validation of Roof & Vision systems and components. Activities: Engineering design concept and evaluations for new programs. Perform DFMEA, PFMEA and support CAE activities including Safety Performance and Design assessment to manufacturing processes. Manage supplier activities including CAD models, Drawings, DFMEA, ICDs, etc. Work cross-functionally with other vehicle systems and stakeholders. Manage project deliverables and business imperatives.

Responsible for design, development and validation of Front and Rear Suspension and Powertrain Mounts. Key responsibilities: Leading Product Development Team: Taking charge of tasks and deliverables related to the specified systems, showcasing leadership and coordination skills. Design Direction: subject matter expert to ensure strict adherence to design requirements, standards, and best practices. Program Milestones: Successfully meeting program milestones while effectively balancing program imperatives for the assigned component or sub-system. Ensure correct and efficient information flow and reporting at all levels during project development phases. Technical Understanding: Demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of technical specifications for the assigned system/component. Supplier Management: Effectively managing technical definitions with suppliers throughout the product development lifecycle. Issue Resolution: Tracking, addressing, and resolving issues over the development process, including root cause definition. Document Management: Ensuring completeness and availability of all engineering documents necessary for timely sourcing to support program deliverables. Ensuring Technical Feasibility: Guaranteeing the technical feasibility, design robustness, and manufacturability of components, while ensuring compliance with technical documentation. Identifying Critical Issues: Identifying critical issues or infringements of Design/Test Standards and recommending actions to meet assigned targets. DFMEA Management: Managing DFMEAs execution, performing risk assessments, and providing support during process FMEAs execution.

Responsible for Body and Exterior engineering warranty issues tracking and resolution improving customer satisfaction. Key responsibilities: - Represent Body & Exterior Engineering at cross-functional meetings with quality, manufacturing, aftersales, etc. - Coordinate and lead discussions related to Body&Exterior quality issues resolution with all stakeholders. - Analyze and prioritize engineering team activities for warranty issues resolution by data categorization, compile and tracking. - Lead warranty data review and meetings with the stakeholders to communicate issues resolution's plan of action and status. - Tracking warranty trends and prioritizing issue resolution. - Compile and understand in-plant data to identify and contain emerging issues before they reach the field.

Lead Design, Development, Release and Validation activities for powertrain transmission from concept through production. Project Management of sub-system level activities related to bringing transmission hardware into production by leading cross-functional Product Development activities including Supplier development, Quality, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Service, etc. Coordinate on-time prototype development, fabrication and delivery for validation activities at pre-production operations as well as engine/transmission assembly plants. Lead "root cause" analysis for program issues as well as field issues, along with support cost and warranty reduction efforts.

Responsible for robustly executing the vehicle launch process from the standpoint of supplier quality to ensure meeting launch metrics. Ensure engagement of key stakeholders throughout the launch and work collaboratively with peers and cross-functional partners to identify and mitigate risks associated with supplier quality. Key Tasks include: Drive the Supplier Quality& Development organization to meet program Launch metrics. Implement and tracking risk mitigation tools and process. Coordinate, assign, and schedule Executive Reviews with key suppliers. Communicate Supplier Quality Status through bi-weekly/weekly Launch Reports and Build Issues status summary Represent Supplier Quality Team at major reviews and problem resolution meetings. Prepare and present Supplier Quality Deliverables at Program Quality readiness reviews.

Advanced engineering team representative in a cross-functional development team. Responsible for engineering activities coordination and program engineering deliverables execution. Key Tasks include: Advanced Engineering feasibility studies` coordination prior to the program approval; Support new Program approval process as product engineering representative; Coordination of program content definition's studies across the engineering; Reports program evolution status (engineering) in a regular basis via a range of communication channels including project team meeting; Engineering work load simulation for new projects; Coordination of Engineering expenses estimation; Lead engineering Cross-Functional issues resolution based on robust engineering tools; Support program framework definition based on program content. Special Assignment: Vehicle Definition & Balance Coordination.

Design Integration Engineer with focus to Powertrain Integration and Front vehicle compartment development. (CAD-based activities) Lead engineer criteria development, balance, and release to provide Design Studio with enough information for proper course-to-fine Studio Surface development across Product Development Process; Define the list of design criteria to be released to support Design Studio Surface execution; Examples: PedPro criteria release, Head Lamp Package and Serviceability criteria’s, etc. Provide Integrated Design Execution Sections to support design surface release; Lead advanced design feasibility studies to support program content definition and update when required; Lead design models integration and balance to provide proper math data for CAE Simulations;

Design release engineer responsible to design, development and validation powertrain integration components (Exhaust systems, Air Induction, Driveline and Driver Interface) through a supplier cooperative approach. - Lead component development timing plan within a cross-functional team including supplier and manufacturing. - Generating and executing technical engineering solutions for assigned components, including CAD&CAE analysis; - Lead and execute design quality tools (i.e FMEA, DFA, DFM) for the assigned system. - Working cross-functionally to implement process and product improvements and to support prototype and production build activities. - Balancing component-level business imperatives, including, but not limited to cost, mass, and timing. - Build Statement of Requirements (SOR), System Technical Specification (SSTS). - Lead System Peer Review Process: Conduct high-quality deep dive design reviews with program DRE’s to ensure all GM executions are technically accurate and aligned with program strategies. - Benchmarking for Quality, Innovation, Cost, Mass and Technical Correctness; Understand Global Customer Markets; Support Field Actions Analysis; Facilitate Closed Loop Learning Globally; Ensure competitiveness of components and sub-systems.

Responsible for developing engine and transmission mounting systems, including powertrain mounts and battery mounts. Works across a range of vehicle types, including passenger cars, pick-ups, and trucks, leading engineering projects from concept to validation. Key Responsibilities: Design and validate powertrain mounting systems with focus on NVH performance, durability, and safety. Define validation plans and DVP&Rs for new components. Lead cross-functional teams (purchasing, costing, engineering, quality, and program management) to define project scope, suppliers, timelines, and deliverables. Oversee prototype testing and validate production processes (PPAP). Lead the application of quality tools in new projects (DFMEA, lessons learned, Six Sigma, SCCAF). Evaluate new technologies and lead innovation projects focused on performance and cost reduction. Coordinate technical teams in troubleshooting and in the development of analytical methods.

FW1000 PROGRAM – A New Frontier in Autonomy Applied to Urban Mobility (portal da transparencia) https://portaldatransparencia.gov.br/convenios/1AAPSV?ordenarPor=tipoEmenda&direcao=desc Project funded by: FINEP Executing Company: XMOTOS Scope of Activities – Preliminary and Conceptual Design Phase | Technical Coordination of Partners and Co-Executor Conceptual design of electric and hybrid propulsion architectures for urban mobility applications. Technical feasibility studies focused on energy efficiency, sustainability, and system-level performance. Conceptual simulation and assessment of electric motors, control systems, and propulsion strategies. Technical coordination of R&D activities carried out by project partners and co-executors, ensuring system coherence and alignment with project objectives, including: Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU): development of a high-performance coaxial VTOL propeller; Giafone: development of an on-board motor-generator; Imobras (Co-Executor): local development of a Brushless DC (BLDC) motor. Definition of technical requirements, design assumptions, and performance envelopes to support subsequent detailed design phases. Planning and execution of early-stage tests and conceptual validations. Preparation of technical documentation to guide detailed engineering and industrialization phases. Strategic Contribution This role focused on establishing solid technical and organizational foundations for the project by integrating academia, industry, and national suppliers. The work directly contributed to strengthening Brazilian engineering capabilities, technological autonomy, and local industrial capacity in advanced electric mobility systems.

Team member in manufacturing engineering in support to production machine development by 3D modeling (SolidWorks) CAD drawing execution and calculation. Assembly line layout (CAD) and design,

Product/Manufacturing Engineering team member (Trainee) for Refrigeration Division.

The Energy Program aims to train Masters and PhDs in the areas of planning, policy, teaching, design, and use of energy in complex systems. Future professionals and researchers will have competencies and skills related to information, understanding, application, analysis, and evaluation applied to the energy sector, so they will be able to systematize, innovate, propose policies and optimize energy transformation and end use systems.

The Design for Customer Value and Market Success Graduate Certificate focuses on all the issues an engineer needs to understand about product design as an integrated process. Incorporate aesthetic and emotional factors into product design Build product quality into design (Six Sigma) Account for production costs in the design process Exert effective management control without squelching creativity Understand the impact of the design process on other production systems Analyze areas for product design improvement that may impact production systems, even for products that are the best in their market Plan for change and risk at the beginning of the design process Optimize concurrent design and development Understand market differences on a global scale