Michael Leonoras

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Highly accomplished Senior Engineering and Operations Leader with over 15+ years of experience driving New Product Introduction (NPI) of complex electronics from prototype to high-volume manufacturing. Demonstrated expertise in Surface Mount Technology (SMT), PCBA assembly, and advanced packaging within high-compliance industries including Defense, Aerospace, Medical, and Telecommunications. Proven track record of optimizing manufacturing processes, leading cross-functional global teams, P&L forecasting, tracking and implementation of LEAN principles, reducing cycle times, and maximizing operational efficiency.

CORE MANUFACTURING & TECHNICAL SKILLS

· NPI & Manufacturing: Hands-on NPI, technology transfer from site to site, and high-mix, low/high-volume manufacturing.

· SMT/PCBA Process Expertise: Advanced knowledge of Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) processes, root cause analysis, continuous improvement, and machine selection/acquisition/buy-off.

· Advanced Packaging & Assembly: Mechanical assembly, backend processes, box build assembly, PCB de-panelization, underfill, potting, conformal coating, selective and wave soldering, and laser marking.

· Chip on Board (COB): Solid experience in Class 100 and Class 10K cleanroom environments specializing in wafer saw, adhesive dispensing, die attach, ultrasonic wire bonding, and encapsulation.

· Design for Manufacturability: Hands-on DFM reviews of awarded projects including product feasibility assessments.

· Quality & Regulatory Compliance: Advanced Quality and Regulatory Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), industry-standard validation planning, and statistical methodologies across complex engineering environments. Proficiency in APQP, PPAP, and full lifecycle qualification protocols.

· Risk Mitigation & Statistics: Expert in risk mitigation and process optimization utilizing Design and Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA & PFMEA), Statistical Process Control (SPC), Design of Experiments (DOE), and Measurement System Analysis (MSA).

· Standards: Extensive background in electronics standards including IPC-A-610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies), AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, IATF 16949

· LEAN Manufacturing: Driven to maximize continuous improvement, OEE, cell manufacturing excellence, and root cause analysis (Fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys).

· Project Management: Competent in executing SWOT analysis, PDCA cycles, and Process Mapping to optimize workflows.

· Leadership & Mentoring: Dedicated engineering leader with an excellent record in mentoring, coaching, and training engineers, technicians, and production personnel. Strong liaison between frontline employees and upper management.

· Financial & Budgeting: P&L details, yearly plant budgeting, managing departmental budgets, tracking expenses, and forecasting future costs

Operations Manager - DEC Electronic Assembly LLC (2025-09 - 2026-05) - Managed quick-turn daily production schedules across aerospace, telecommunication, defense, medical, industrial, and computing markets.

• Reduced company overall assembly scrap by 18% by introducing Semi-Auto PCB depanelization instead of Manual cutting, cleaning basket fixture modification and IPC 610 standard refresher training.
• Generated $16K potential cost savings by repairing SMT convection reflow damaged fan and conveyor malfunction, Non-functional ERSA rework system and Aqueous cleaning machines damaged motor.
• Reduced solderability rejects by 25% via introducing semi-automatic stencil cleaning eliminating clogged, stencil DFM and basic characterization on Screen printing parameters.
• Developed comprehensive training programs for 40 production personnel, increasing assembly line safety and reducing operational errors. Sr.

Manufacturing

Engineer - Express Manufacturing Inc. (2025-02 - 2025-08) - Spearheaded site-wide PFMEA training and led the end-to-end generation of PFMEAs across all 70 Process stations.

• Managed to optimized LCD assembly line increase capacity for an Aerospace project from 10 assemblies per hour to 45 through introduction of LEAN principles to drive improvement.
• Successfully launch the manufacturing set-up from empty space, scaling, facilitation, layout, documentation, and process development of complete LED assemblies with SMT, Box build assembly, testing requirement and approved by the customer for mass production.
• Reduced scraps on existing high runner project by 11% through process improvement via improving the soldering fixture design, transitioning batch oven cure epoxy of 1.5 hrs to UV cure with seconds of curing.
• Assigned as team leader of addressing all site Conformal coating issues including Design of Experiment activity for Defense project to eliminate reliability failure.

Engineering

Manager / Operations Lead - Integrated Micro-electronics - USA (2022-05 - 2024-12) - Managed the full lifecycle of an SMT line installation, including budget authorization, vendor/machine selection, procurement, buy-off, and final production release to increase line capacity.

• Executed comprehensive PCB DFM reviews and technical risk assessments for an average of 8 customers per month.
• Spearheaded NPI, global scale-up and technology transfers from pilot plants at IMI USA to full-scale production sites (EVT, DVT, PVT) across Guadalajara, China, and Serbia using APQP/PPAP frameworks.
• Served as the cross-site internal consultant for the automotive camera business, aligning manufacturing standards and technical strategies across IMI Global Sites.
• Developed comprehensive training programs for 7 Engineers, 2 Technician and 12 Production personnel, increasing assembly line safety and reducing operational errors.

Principal

Engineer 2 - Advanced Manufacturing Engineering - Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc.

• Philippines (Headquarters) (2018-05 - 2022-04) - Led the hands-on, accelerated CPAP prototype assembly and manufacturing of 10K pieces for COVID-19 relief.
• Drove food pump prototyping and scaled full assembly line transfers from IMI USA to IMI Philippines for COVID-19 response.
• Led hands-on prototyping and delivered a low-volume run of 30K of Cochlear implants utilizing SMT and wire-bonding technologies.
• Led factory-wide adoption of advanced technologies, aligning engineering execution with the corporate technology roadmap.
• Served as an internal cross-site consultant for the automotive camera business to standardize global manufacturing practices.
• Mentored and coached a high-performing team of 7 engineers, 4 technicians personnel to support operational growth.

Principal

Engineer 1-Advanced Manufacturing Engineering - Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc.

• Philippines Headquarters (2014-07 - 2018-04) - Led factory adoption of exotic technologies, aligning engineering execution with the corporate Technology Roadmap.
• Developed pioneering 1st-Silicon Dicing Technology capabilities tailored for MEMS and Power module silicon dies.
• Directed hands-on NPI MEMS dicing and assembly, scaling daily production output from 300 to 1,100 units.
• Managed Power module Cleanroom wire bonding development from initial prototype to a scale of 2,000 daily units.
• Led and drive the factory Request for Quotation (RFQ) process generation, evaluating an average of 400 RFQs annually.
• Served as global moderator for Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA) across all IMI sites.
• Facilitated cross-site lessons-learned sessions to drive continuous improvement across IMI Global facilities. Sr.

Process Development

Engineer – Process Engineering - Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc.

• Philippines Headquarters (2007-02 - 2014-06) Launched the first complete automotive video camera assembly line at IMI Philippines:
• Managed SMT, COB, box build, and testing requirements from bare floor space to the delivery of the 10,000th unit in the first year.
• Achieved a 0-ppm defect rate during initial launch, scaled production from 10,000 units to a projected 5 million units within four years, and secured the "Best Contract Manufacturer" award by a Tier 1 company for 10 consecutive years.
• Led hands-on factory New Product Introduction (NPI) for next-generation automotive camera systems, supporting Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers across automotive, medical, and aerospace accounts.
• Isolated the root cause of long-term reliability ECM failures and Electronic Control Unit (ECU) recalls for a Tier 1 customer across IMI Guadalajara and IMI China with estimated $500K cost savings.
• Led the resolution of Battery Discharged Unit (BDU) issues related to capacitor failure in IMI Guadalajara with estimated $200K cost savings.
• Led hands-on of the factory Request for Quotation (RFQ) process, evaluating and assessing an average of 400 RFQs annually.

Process

Engineer - Process Engineering - Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc - Philippines Headquarters - Laguna, PHL (2000-12 - 2007-01) Awarded "Engineer of the Year" for spearheading continuous improvement and scrap-reduction projects.

• Directed end-to-end product launch of an Industrial Card Reader from prototype to mass production; scaled manufacturing output to 50K units per month using SMT (PCBA) and Chip on Board (COB) Class 10K technologies.
• Developed and launched Advanced Digital X-ray flat-panel detectors for medical imaging, integrating SMT (Flex PCB), COB, and box-build assembly to meet a 9K daily output requirement.
• Transitioned manual potting application to full automation, increasing automotive project capacity from 30 to 120 units/hour and reducing scrap by 15%.
• Developed and implemented the facility's first fully automated conformal coating capability to meet automotive and industrial demands.
• Designed a universal PCB holder for manual solder paste printing, improving setup times and reducing tooling costs for manual SMT lines.
• Transitioned manual PCB depanelization processes to full automation, resulting in improved cycle times and operator safety.

BS - Electronics and Communications Engineering - University of San Carlos Technological center Cebu City, PHL