Product Development Engineer / Prototyping Engineer / QA Engineer
Summary
10+ years of combined hands-on experience in FDM, SLA, and SLS 3D printing and 4+ years in product development and engineering. Led engineering of 3D-printable and CNC-machined components for a commercial product (Elequatico), taking it from CAD (Autodesk Fusion, Shapr3D) through R&D, rapid prototyping, industrial design, testing, validation, manufacturing workflow development and optimization, and market launch. Designed and optimized a small-scale manufacturing line using FDM 3D printing, developing custom fixtures, jigs, assembly tools, test rigs, writing instructions and operating procedures. Managed production KPIs, materials inventory, and print farm operations (Bambu Lab, Prusa), managed 3rd party sourced parts, materials and quotes from vendors. Maintained an organized, safety-conscious workspace with proper PPE use, labeled storage, and clean equipment. Drove continuous improvement through Gage R&R, PFMEA, DOE, structural and stress testing, and root cause analysis with corrective actions (CAPA). Additional background in consumer electronics and robotics hardware (HARMAN/Samsung, Neato Robotics), including sensor integration, and prototype builds. Combining a human-centered approach and design thinking with technical engineering to help businesses develop manufacturable products at small scale.
Test Engineer with over 4 years of combined experience in hardware, software, and firmware testing, product development, and engineering. Extensive experience working with electromechanical systems, mobile devices, robotics, consumer electronics, autonomous vehicles, and IoT systems. Hands-on background in R&D, additive manufacturing, soldering, scripting, firmware flashing, sensor integration, robotics hardware, PCBA assembly, actuator systems, and rapid prototyping.
At Neato Robotics, collaborated closely with engineers on sensor integration (LiDAR, bump sensors, cliff sensors), robot states machine, firmware, and hardware design constraints for autonomous vacuum robots. Gained deep understanding of SLAM navigation, robotics hardware, and manufacturing processes.
At HARMAN (a Samsung Company), tested software, hardware, DFU, and FOTA updates for Vertu, Nokia, HTC and other mobile devices. After fully pivoting into UX design role, designed and tested physical interaction experiences for L3/L4/L5 autonomous electric vehicles, connected car devices and consumer electronics.
Over 1.5 years at MERA (Orion Innovation), tested firmware, hardware, and software for GPS navigators, VoIP devices, and headsets for major clients including TCS, Telefonica O2, Verizon, Avaya, Cisco, and Jabra.
Additionally, Senior UX Designer with 12+ years of experience leading end-to-end UX and product design across Automotive, AI, Enterprise, Robotics, Mobile and Web domains. Always worked at the intersection of UX design, engineering, hardware and testing. Design QA was always part of my work as a UX designer, essentially System, Unit and Functional Testing in a design context. Now I'm pivoting back to the hands-on hardware testing, product engineering in robotics and automotive industries.
Achievements
✦ Co-led product design and development, engineered components, designed, tested, validated, and optimized small-scale manufacturing workflow using FDM 3D printing, and shipped water dispensing system for Elequatico.
✦ Designed digital and physical human-machine interaction experiences for autonomous electric vehicles, showcased at CES Las Vegas, Geneva Motor Show, Shanghai Auto Show, and Detroit Auto Show.
✦ Discovered a critical security vulnerability where phone credentials (MDN number) were transmitted unencrypted during the client–server handshake, potentially exposing users of CDMA phones to misuse of credentials, relinking device to another account, account takeover, device cloning, carrier billing fraud/cramming, and premium SMS fraud. Detected the issue in the production environment after update rollout, initiated immediate update recall and patching before any fraud occurred.
✦ Published functional design models on Printables.com with more than 430 downloads.
Work Experience
Product Development Engineer / Prototyping Engineer / QA Engineer
Freelance • San Jose, CA • 10/2023 - Present
• Co-led product design, led prototyping, components engineering, testing, and validating. Shipped final water dispensing system for Elequatico, commercial product now available on Etsy, Amazon, Shopify storefronts.
• Designed, tested and validated semi-automated small-scale manufacturing workflow for 3D-printed and CNC-machined parts, including custom jigs, fixtures, and assembly tooling for repeatable, scalable production.
• Created production-ready models using Autodesk Fusion and Shapr3D CAD software. Optimized CAD models, collaborated with remote manufacturing engineers to ensure printability, parts quality and tracking.
• Performed structural testing, stress testing, and quality validation of 3D-printed parts to ensure manufacturing reliability. Identified potential failure modes in design and manufacturing process, documented risks, and implemented corrective actions to improve product reliability.
• Performed Gage R&R studies to verify measurement system consistency and dimensional tolerances.
• Operated and maintained a small FDM 3D printers farm (Bambu Lab A1, A1 Mini, Prusa MK3S+). Experience with SLA and SLS print methods. Performed 3D printer job setup, slicer parameters adjustments, troubleshooting, and post-processing (sanding, tapping, support removal, curing, surface finishing, etc).
• Managed materials inventory. Sourced materials and components from vendors, obtained quotes, tracked orders, and inspected parts.
• Maintained an organized workspace with labeled storage, proper materials handling, PPE use, and clean equipment.
• Hands-on experience with 3D printing, X-Carve CNC machines, woodworking, resin casting, injection molding tooling and other fabrication methods for small-scale production and rapid prototyping.
• Designed and manufactured 3D-printable educational board games, and functional products.
• Published functional design models on Printables.com with 430+ downloads.
Co-Founder / Lead UX Designer / Software Engineer
Shadow Startup • San Jose, CA • 06/2023 - Present
• Co-founded cross-platform, multi-user, AI-powered storytelling and educational apps for Pre-K children and their parents. Co-led competitor analysis, product management, planning, positioning, and roadmap.
• Designed UX around multi-modal generative AI models. Architected, tested and built reliable AI workflow: prompt engineering, Python scripts for automated assets (image, text, voice) generation via APIs, multi-layered safety architecture for children's content.
• Co-led data architecture, data base design, and backend setup on Google Firebase and Functions.
• Built key screens in Swift for iOS. Gained the knowledge and expertise in Xcode, Swift, and the iOS app development lifecycle. Customized Squarespace template for the marketing website with custom HTML/CSS. Tested MVP ready Apple TestFlight app builds.
• Led end-to-end product design, UX, information architecture, wireframes, illustrations, user flows, animations, and brand identity. Delivered interactive Figma and Swift prototypes.
Maker / 3D Printing Specialist
Hobby • 10/2015 – Present
• 10+ years of hands-on 3D printing experience.
• Assembled and customized FDM 3D printers (Prusa MK3S+, Anet A8) including replacing motors, wiring, PSU, mainboard, build plates, nozzles, heatsinks, thermistors, and tuned motor drivers using voltmeter.
• Maintained an organized workspace with labeled storage, proper materials handling, PPE use, and clean equipment.
• Designed and built ESP32 and ESP8266-based sensors for Home Assistant system running on Raspberry Pi, soldered components, wrote and flashed firmware.
• Soldered Raspberry Pi HATs and PCB assemblies for electromechanical projects. Experience with breadboards, circuit design, and electronics troubleshooting.
• Built electromechanical music box projects integrating custom 3D-printed parts, gears, Bluetooth speakers PCBs, soldering, and electronics assembly.
• Published functional design models on Printables.com with 430+ downloads. Designed 3D printable art models using 3D modeling tools (Blender, Nomad Sculpt).
• Hands-on experience with 3D printing, resin casting, clay casting, digital art, generative art, sculpting.
Senior Test Engineer
HARMAN Connected Services (a Samsung Company) • Nizhny Novgorod • 03/2013 - 04/2015
• Tested mobile device connectivity, software, firmware, and hardware for Android-based mobile devices including Vertu, Nokia, HTC, and other OEM devices.
• Performed DFU (Device Firmware Update) and FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air) testing and validation.
• Developed comprehensive test cases, test plans, and testing procedures for software, hardware, and firmware validation.
• Managed version control using Perforce (P4).
• Performed smoke, system, feature, regression, compatibility, ad-hoc, and performance testing for mobile applications and hardware.
• Executed test cases in compliance with requirements and documented defects.
• Conducted failure mode analysis on mobile device hardware issues, identified patterns in defect data.
• Performed root cause analysis and documented defects with detailed technical reports in JIRA.
• Developed testing process documentation and organized training for other employees.
• Reviewed design specifications and requirements from customers.
• Worked with development teams and customers to clarify design questions and ensure application functionality met requirements.
Test Engineer
MERA (Orion Software) • Nizhny Novgorod • 01/2013 - 03/2013
• Performed firmware and hardware testing for stationary IP telephony devices, USB headsets, and DFU Tools for Avaya, Cisco and Jabra.
• Developed comprehensive test cases, test plans, and testing procedures for software, hardware, and firmware validation.
• Managed version control using Perforce (P4).
• Performed smoke, system, feature, regression, compatibility, ad-hoc, and performance testing for software, firmware, and hardware.
• Performed root cause analysis and documented defects with detailed technical reports in JIRA.
• Analyzed test data and metrics to identify failure patterns and improve product quality.
• Collaborated with software, firmware and hardware engineering teams to resolve defects and implement corrective actions.
Information Technology Engineer
MERA (Orion Software) • Nizhny Novgorod • 10/2011 - 03/2013
• Tested software and hardware for GPS navigation systems for TCS, Telefonica O2, Verizon, and others.
• Used testing tools including SecureCRT, PUTTY, SQLdeveloper, software emulators (Android, RIM BlackBerry, QNX, BREW), hardware emulators (CDMA box, Faraday cage), SDK (Android, Samsung, QNX, BREW).
• Optimized server-side testing procedures for VZ Navigator's 3D Cities feature, reducing testing lead times by 55%, improving accuracy through systematic variation of test parameters and statistical validation of results.
• Developed comprehensive test cases, test plans, and testing procedures for software, hardware, and firmware validation.
• Managed version control using Perforce (P4).
• Performed smoke, system, feature, regression, compatibility, ad-hoc, and performance testing for mobile applications and hardware.
• Performed root cause analysis and documented defects with detailed technical reports in JIRA.
• Designed and executed experiments to validate test procedures and establish pass/fail thresholds for hardware validation, improving test reliability and reducing false failures.
• Analyzed test data and metrics to identify failure patterns and improve product quality.
• Developed testing process documentation and organized training for other employees.
• Collaborated with software, firmware and hardware engineering teams to resolve defects and implement corrective actions.
Related Work Experience
Senior User Experience Design Specialist
SAP SuccessFactors • Palo Alto, CA • 01/2022 - 06/2024
• Design QA, testing, and validation initiatives for enterprise learning platform (LMS) used by millions globally.
Senior UX Designer
Neato Robotics • San Jose, CA • 08/2021 - 01/2022
• Designed and tested robot behavior patterns and human-robot interaction UX patterns, including LED patterns and audible alerts, reduced support tickets by 38%, and increased user satisfaction by 70% in 6 months.
• Gained hands-on understanding of robot states machine, SLAM navigation, sensor integration (LiDAR, bump sensors, cliff sensors), and actuator systems. Exposure to PFMEA, DOE, and End-of-Line testing.
• Designed and 3D printed accessories and robot parts prototypes.
• Collaborated with engineers on hardware and firmware design constraints for autonomous vacuum robots.
Senior Designer
HARMAN Connected Services (a Samsung Company) • Mountain View, CA • 10/2015 - 11/2020
• Designed, tested, and validated digital and physical user experiences for L3, L4 and L5 autonomous electric vehicles, showcased at CES Las Vegas, Geneva Motor Show, Shanghai Auto Show, and Detroit Auto Show.
• Designed, 3D printed, tested, and validated physical UX interaction patterns and prototypes for in-vehicle controls including rotary controls, displays, haptic feedback systems and "force field" projection controls using SoftKinetics and Ultrahaptics devices.
• Gained hands-on understanding of CAN tools and IMU Calibration for connected car products.
Gained exposure to medical device product development through work on Proteus Digital Health digital pill platform, including familiarity with HIPAA compliance requirements and medical device user workflows.
• Worked on physical UX interaction patterns for portable Bluetooth speakers, connected car devices, and IoT devices.
Senior Designer
HARMAN Connected Services (a Samsung Company) • Nizhny Novgorod • 04/2015 - 10/2015
• Design QA, testing, and validation initiatives for mobile operating systems, automotive IVIs and HMIs, enterprise and consumer apps.
Designer
Freelance • Nizhny Novgorod • 07/2010 - 03/2013
• Design QA, testing, and validation initiatives for Android-based entertainment systems, consumer apps, websites.
Education
Master's Degree in Computer Graphics (Partial Completion)
Lobachevsky N.I. State University of Nizhny Novgorod • 2011 - 2012
Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics • Mathematical Software and Supercomputer Technology
Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology
Lobachevsky N.I. State University of Nizhny Novgorod • 2006 - 2010
Radiophysics • Hardware and Software Tools for Information Systems and Information Security
Certifications and Courses
Python for Everybody
Rapid Prototyping Using 3D Printing
Patents
US Utility Patent, Application #63/680,853
Patent Pending • 2024
US Utility Patent, Application #63/651,164
Patent Pending • 2024
US Design Patent, US-D875106-S
Fiat Companion App and OnStage Pass UX • 2020
Skills and Tools
Product Engineering: CAD, Design for Manufacturing, Perspective Drawings, Cross-sectional Drawings, Assembly Drawings, Technical Drawings, GD&T, Tolerance Analysis, Additive Manufacturing, Small-Scale Manufacturing, FDM/SLA/SLS 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, CMF, Manufacturing Process Design, Post-Processing Techniques, KPI Tracking.
Test Engineering: Test Cases Development, Test Plan Development, Black Box Testing, Manual Testing, Automated Testing, Hardware Testing, System Testing, Regression Testing, Smoke Testing, Performance Testing, Ad-hoc Testing, Unit Testing, Triage and Debug, Validation, Bug Reporting, WCAG, Version Control, Statistical Data Analysis, Structural Testing, Stress Testing, Hardware Testing, Root Cause Analysis, Failure Mode Analysis, Gage R&R, PFMEA, DOE , End-of-line Testing, Attention to Details, Documentation.
Hardware: Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP32, ESP8266, Breadboard, Bambu Lab (A1, A1 Mini), Prusa MK3S+, 3D-printer Fleet Management, Carvera X-Carve CNC Machines, Automotive Platforms, Robot Vacuum Platforms, Sensors, DFU Tools, UART, Calipers, Soldering, Multimeter.
Software: Autodesk Fusion, Shapr3D, TinkerCAD, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, UltiMaker Cura, Adobe CC Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), Figma, Axure RP, Unity, Blender.
Physical Prototyping: 3D Printing, CNC Machining, Resin Casting, Clay Casting, Sculpting, Woodworking, Foam Core, Cardboard, Modeling Clay, Functional Prototypes, Pen and Paper.
Design Visualization: Product Design, Industrial Design, Sketching, Mockups, Storyboarding, Visual Thinking, Product Thinking, Perspective Drawings, Cross-sectional Drawings, Assembly Drawings, Engineering Drawings, Interaction Design, UX Design, Visual Design, Design Thinking, Motion Design, Animation, Illustration, Storytelling, Color Theory, Typography, Iconography.
Accessibility: Design for Accessibility, Human-centered Design, WCAG Standards.
Research: Design Iteration, Design Validation, Testing Protocols, Data-Driven Design, A/B Testing, User Research, Competitive Research.
Process: Agile, Kanban, 0-to-1 Product Development, Project Management, Cross-functional Collaboration, Mentorship.
AI/ML: Figma Make, Claude Code, Claude Design, Midjourney, DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, Hugging Face, Claude, ChatGPT, Gen AI APIs (Claude, OpenAI), Prompt Engineering, Ethical AI, TensorFlow.
Other: JIRA, Confluence, HTML, CSS, JSON, XML, SQL, APIs, JavaScript, Python, Swift, Git.
Awards
Going Extra Mile Award
HARMAN Connected Services • Jan 2014
"We thank you for your remarkable commitment and outstanding contribution." - Tilman Bollmann.