Kurt Zech
Engineering Manager 2 at Torc Robotics- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Patrick Nagel
I have had the opportunity and pleasure of working alongside and in the supervision of Kurt in two professional settings for enterprise companies. I firmly commend his rigor, commitment, capacity and methods of operation in both environments. Kurt and I first met in a peer capacity and his everyman appeal in getting his hands dirty with the technology, combined with a wealth of tech knowledge was immediately apparent. Someone who works in the trenches is easy to relate to. Second time we encountered each other was in a management setting. We made it easy to look good. Sprint goals, milestones and status reports were all miles ahead of competing teams with open communications to Execs regarding state & schedule. There’s something missing from most young people’s resumes and that’s independent thought and ability to contribute from experience. Kurt has grit and determination in setting his mind to task and in his ability to rally logic and intelligence to his programs. Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to work again with Kurt.
Brandon Harvey
Kurt is a fantastic engineer but an even better mentor and coach. I worked for and eventually with Kurt on several products during my time at Dell. He is a born teacher that will effectively communicate lessons as well as break down large projects into great learning exercises. Kurt patiently guided myself and others through many aspects of software development, agile and waterfall methodologies, scheduling, testing, and working with our extended teams. He was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and work with you through any rough patches. I can't recommend him enough!
Patrick Nagel
I have had the opportunity and pleasure of working alongside and in the supervision of Kurt in two professional settings for enterprise companies. I firmly commend his rigor, commitment, capacity and methods of operation in both environments. Kurt and I first met in a peer capacity and his everyman appeal in getting his hands dirty with the technology, combined with a wealth of tech knowledge was immediately apparent. Someone who works in the trenches is easy to relate to. Second time we encountered each other was in a management setting. We made it easy to look good. Sprint goals, milestones and status reports were all miles ahead of competing teams with open communications to Execs regarding state & schedule. There’s something missing from most young people’s resumes and that’s independent thought and ability to contribute from experience. Kurt has grit and determination in setting his mind to task and in his ability to rally logic and intelligence to his programs. Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to work again with Kurt.
Brandon Harvey
Kurt is a fantastic engineer but an even better mentor and coach. I worked for and eventually with Kurt on several products during my time at Dell. He is a born teacher that will effectively communicate lessons as well as break down large projects into great learning exercises. Kurt patiently guided myself and others through many aspects of software development, agile and waterfall methodologies, scheduling, testing, and working with our extended teams. He was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and work with you through any rough patches. I can't recommend him enough!
Patrick Nagel
I have had the opportunity and pleasure of working alongside and in the supervision of Kurt in two professional settings for enterprise companies. I firmly commend his rigor, commitment, capacity and methods of operation in both environments. Kurt and I first met in a peer capacity and his everyman appeal in getting his hands dirty with the technology, combined with a wealth of tech knowledge was immediately apparent. Someone who works in the trenches is easy to relate to. Second time we encountered each other was in a management setting. We made it easy to look good. Sprint goals, milestones and status reports were all miles ahead of competing teams with open communications to Execs regarding state & schedule. There’s something missing from most young people’s resumes and that’s independent thought and ability to contribute from experience. Kurt has grit and determination in setting his mind to task and in his ability to rally logic and intelligence to his programs. Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to work again with Kurt.
Brandon Harvey
Kurt is a fantastic engineer but an even better mentor and coach. I worked for and eventually with Kurt on several products during my time at Dell. He is a born teacher that will effectively communicate lessons as well as break down large projects into great learning exercises. Kurt patiently guided myself and others through many aspects of software development, agile and waterfall methodologies, scheduling, testing, and working with our extended teams. He was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and work with you through any rough patches. I can't recommend him enough!
Patrick Nagel
I have had the opportunity and pleasure of working alongside and in the supervision of Kurt in two professional settings for enterprise companies. I firmly commend his rigor, commitment, capacity and methods of operation in both environments. Kurt and I first met in a peer capacity and his everyman appeal in getting his hands dirty with the technology, combined with a wealth of tech knowledge was immediately apparent. Someone who works in the trenches is easy to relate to. Second time we encountered each other was in a management setting. We made it easy to look good. Sprint goals, milestones and status reports were all miles ahead of competing teams with open communications to Execs regarding state & schedule. There’s something missing from most young people’s resumes and that’s independent thought and ability to contribute from experience. Kurt has grit and determination in setting his mind to task and in his ability to rally logic and intelligence to his programs. Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to work again with Kurt.
Brandon Harvey
Kurt is a fantastic engineer but an even better mentor and coach. I worked for and eventually with Kurt on several products during my time at Dell. He is a born teacher that will effectively communicate lessons as well as break down large projects into great learning exercises. Kurt patiently guided myself and others through many aspects of software development, agile and waterfall methodologies, scheduling, testing, and working with our extended teams. He was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and work with you through any rough patches. I can't recommend him enough!
Experience
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Torc Robotics
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United States
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Truck Transportation
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500 - 600 Employee
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Engineering Manager 2
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Apr 2022 - Present
Managing the development of autonomous vehicle technology using my background in automation and controls. Managing the development of autonomous vehicle technology using my background in automation and controls.
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Dover Fueling Solutions
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United States
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Automation Machinery Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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QA Manager
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May 2018 - Oct 2021
QA Manager, Software Testing Spearheaded software testing as QA Manager for Payment Software (EPP, EMV). Transformed software testing by decreasing test time and improving quality. With a team up to 5 QA engineers, worked closely with development team to define requirements, debug code, correct errors and troubleshoot any issues. Expertise in applying security guidelines and testing for software. Work closely with Services team to bring high quality to customers. • Redesigned and implemented automated tests and hands-on tests to improve quality and usability of payment and embedded (firmware) software solutions, reducing test time for a full regression by over 50%. • Aligned QA with Developers prior to bug reporting, improving issue reporting and reducing false positives over 30%. • Received awards for Quality and "Above and Beyond" peer support, which resulted in additional product orders ($3M+), customer appreciation, and efficiency improvements in testing. Show less
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Dell Technologies
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United States
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IT Services and IT Consulting
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700 & Above Employee
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Software Development Manager
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Aug 2012 - Sep 2017
Software Development Manager (DM) Transformed Dell's Backup and Recovery Applications (BURA) software and hardware solutions for the Dell/Alienware product lines by delivering successful management of design, development, testing and release of BURA software and hardware solutions for the Dell/Alienware product lines. Performed everything from hands-on troubleshooting and testing to planning and definition of release requirements. Oversaw Enterprise communication and coordination with internal and 3rd-party software developers, internal support teams, and Strategic Business Units (SBUs) on BURA software for multiple PC platforms. • Managed resources, definition of schedules/plans/requirements, testing (QA) and creation of best practices for software development, which reduced release time and costs by over 50%. • Redesigned and reduced amount of backup USB hardware required for entire Dell/Alienware product line over 800%, resulting in a reduction in development and product cost of 80%+. • Designed, created, and deployed Cloud Recovery solution, saving Dell Services $1M to $8M per year with +98% on time delivery. • Defined, developed, and delivered the “Agile Development Process” to Dell Inc. as part of the Tiger Team, transitioning from a Waterfall development to an Enterprise Agile. Show less
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Engineering Manager
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Feb 2003 - Oct 2012
Engineering Manager Led teams to provide on-time and on-budget consulting, engineering development services, and project management for software product development (including embedded) for budgets up to several million dollars for US and International firms. Example project expertise: Windows and Linux software, embedded software development, User Interface (GUI) design, and networking/system development, • Designed and created products, enabling customer to generate millions in sales. • Defined and documented installation procedures that resulted in an 80% reduction in installation time and costs. Show less
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CyberLink
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Taiwan
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Software Development
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300 - 400 Employee
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Senior Program Manager
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Aug 2008 - Oct 2009
Senior Program Manager (PMO) Effective PMO for Windows and Linux software projects from product definition, planning and QA/Testing to release-to-market for clients, including Dell and Alienware. PMO projects supervised included Android handheld (Dell Streak), Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud computing, touch screen software, Media: TV, CD/DVD/Blu-Ray/Video playback/recording, networking (IT), storage/backup solutions and other software. • Created procedures and processes for Austin and remote based program managers, defining plans and project execution time reduction by 50%. • Designed project documentation standards used for all projects, generating clear and concise product requirements resulting in improved quality with no bugs open at release. • Managed delivery of 100% projects at or under budget and on time. Show less
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NXP acquires Freescale Semiconductor
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United States
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Semiconductor Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Product Engineering Manager
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Feb 2007 - Jul 2008
Product Engineering Manager/Technical Program Manager Directed engineering in design, development, testing and release to market for Windows and Linux software projects. Coordinated and led product development/engineering of CodeWarrior software development tools for the Power Architecture line of semiconductors (Automotive, Networking Apps). • Communicated closely with customers, sales, product management and engineering, delivering all projects on time and under budget (100%). • Created "Best Practices" documentation for software development, improving quality with no bugs open at release. • Pioneered first Engineering Project Management position by defining position and training for new engineering project managers. • Nominated for Diamond Quality award Show less
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Fieldbus Foundation
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Austin, Texas, United States
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Director of Operations
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Feb 1993 - Feb 2003
• Manage all engineering products and services for the Fieldbus Foundation (FF) enterprise. Includes software / hardware development and implementation, QA testing / development tools, technical services, training, support, and consulting. • Responsible for: QA, development of software (SaaS and Testing systems), hardware, testing and registration of devices, adherence to specifications, technical coverage of test systems, marketing and sale of test systems, acceptance testing, contracts, project management and coordinating projects with outside vendors at various international locations. o Managed, developed and executed technical and marketing plans for software and hardware development to assure all specifications and marketing requirements were met. o Delivered 100% of all projects on time and under budget. o Received Quality Awards for the development and execution of software, hardware and testing systems. • Manage worldwide education and training courses. o Educational development and instructor at the college and professional level (SAIT, Lee College, Beijing University, Singapore Polytechnic, Infraserv, STC, SIRA, Fraunhofer Institute, IBEW/NJATC and others). o Developed content material, conducted technical courses, developed marketing and sales plans. • Manage legal issues concerning patents, contracts and intellectual property rights. • Technical support for developers and users on digital communication networking technology. Show less
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Education
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science (BS), Electrical and Electronics Engineering
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