Sander Vahtras
CPO
Tallinn
Summary
Strong experience in fast-paced and high-pressure environments, focused on delivering results on time. Skilled in building and managing multicultural teams, with experience in shipbuilding, electrical engineering and managing embedded and software development teams. Comfortable working closely with customers and being involved in negotiations to meet project goals. Always motivated by new challenges, especially in rapidly evolving technical sectors.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Languages
Work History
CPO
VOOL
Tallinn, Tallinn
12.2020 - Current
- Aligning product developments across 5 product teams: Mechanical engineering, embedded HW, embedded SW, web portal and mobile app.
- Leading validation process for choosing manufacturing and supply partners to build future proof relationships. Negotiations on pricing, payment and delivery terms. Reduced main product cost by 30% within first year of production.
- Keeping track of product and product team costs and implementing cost-saving measures. Reduced monthly product and development team costs by 23% and increased efficiency approx 30% at the same time.
- Close collaboration with commercial teams to ensure proper information flow internally and externally.
- Managing analysis for new product developments including budgeting and technical requirements.
- Managing production and supply-chain related issues.
- Following competition, their product developments and testing and analysing their product for strengths and weaknesses.
- Improving Q&A processes. Production quality error rate improved from 8% to 2% after replacing EMS partner and updating testing processes.
- Managing product certification and testing according to required regulations.
- Responsible for implementing A.I tools
- Responsible for grant management
- Supporting customer support in finding new approaches to solve customer issues.
- Leading product and technical team recruitment and keeping track of team member performances.
- Improving company internal culture and promoting open communication.
Head of R&D
Baltic Workboats AS
Tallinn, Tallinn
02.2019 - 12.2020
- Managed all new vessel platform developments
- Led tender and development team work and processes. Managed annually approx 30-40M€ of successful tenders
- Managed and wrote grant projects, total grants received 1,5M€
- Traveled with head of sales and provided technical support during customer meetings. Traveled 1-3 months each year.
- Reported directly to company owners and proposed new development ideas
Technical Sales Manager
Baltic Workboats AS
Tallinn, Tallinn
12.2017 - 02.2019
- Built efficient technical sales team organization and established new office in Tallinn
- .Developed new processes and supporting IT-system to compose, manage, archive and search vessel tenders in EU. Annually put together and bid on 30-70 tenders.
- Was responsible for tender submissions
- Responsible to review electrical engineering, HVAC, hydraulics, propulsion, hydrodynamics, budgets and weight calculations for the developed and tendered vessels.
- Communicated with Classification societies
- After successful tendering process handed over of the projects to production and managed kick-off meetings with customer to confirm or potentially modify technical details regarding the tenders.
Design Office Manager
Baltic Workboats AS
Nasva Saaremaa, Saaremaa Vald
10.2015 - 12.2017
- Completely restructured the design team and working processes
- Grew the design team from 12 to 28 designers to support design needs related to new projects
- Implemented hourly tracking and planning for the design team members to provide better overview of progress and improve budgeting accuracy
- Moved to unified software platform and reworked the documentation management flow inside the design team and externally with production teams.
- Created structure within the design department by dividing it into profession based teams and assigned managers for each team.
- Improved communication between design and production teams
Project Manager
Baltic Workboats AS
Saaremaa, Saaremaa Vald
06.2011 - 10.2015
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously by prioritizing tasks according to urgency, resource availability, and alignment with organizational goals.
- Identified plans and resources required to meet project goals and objectives.
- Constantly monitored project performance, lead design and production of assigned vessel projects
- Monitored project budget and managed customer communication and meetings
- Reported to yard manager
- Built 5x27m Patrol boats to Swedish Costguard, 3x20m Pilot boats to Belgium, 24m Research vessel to Stockholm university, 27m Patrol boat to Lithuanian Coastgurd, 15m Patrol boat to Belgium
Project Manager
Maru Ehitus AS
Tallinn, Tallinn
01.2006 - 06.2011
- Budgeted and managed civil engineering projects in Estonia and Finland
Education
Master of Science - Civil Engineering
TTK
Estonia Tallinn 09.2002 - 06.2007
Skills
Advanced troubleshooting
Teamwork
Time management
Multitasking
Self motivation
Task prioritization
Hobbies
Love tinkering with electrical and mechanical things + playing chess. Most complex product that I have built is a functional Hydrogen generator with maximum output of approx 10kw. Together at same time also built a 3,2kwh portable battery bank, which I use in my RV.
Timeline
CPO
VOOL
12.2020 - Current
Head of R&D
Baltic Workboats AS
02.2019 - 12.2020
Technical Sales Manager
Baltic Workboats AS
12.2017 - 02.2019
Design Office Manager
Baltic Workboats AS
10.2015 - 12.2017
Project Manager
Baltic Workboats AS
06.2011 - 10.2015
Project Manager
Maru Ehitus AS
01.2006 - 06.2011
Master of Science - Civil Engineering
TTK
09.2002 - 06.2007
Similar Profiles
Kaspar RätsepKaspar Rätsep
Head of Purchasing (and Sales) at BallzyHead of Purchasing (and Sales) at Ballzy
Abiodun AdebiyiAbiodun Adebiyi
Senior Production Specialist at Eippa WSOperation OU. SwappieSenior Production Specialist at Eippa WSOperation OU. Swappie
SIMON WAWERU GIOCHESIMON WAWERU GIOCHE
Merchant Support Agent at PrintifyMerchant Support Agent at Printify