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Click here or scroll down to respond to this candidate N ICHOL AS R. S OTO
WA X A H A C H I E , T E X A S 7 5 1 6 5 PHONE NUMBER AVAILABLE EMAIL AVAILABLE
H T T P S : / / W W W. L I N K E D I N . C O M / I N / N I C H O L A S - S -5 1 4 5 1 7 7 A /
QUALITY MANAGER | COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS SPECIALIST/MANAGER
Q U A L I F I C AT I O N S P R O F I L E
Analytical and results-oriented professional with years of experience in quality management, competitive analysis,
and product development within the manufacturing industry.
Recognized for executing test methods and protocols for new product development and fitness-for-use testing in
compliance with quality standards and customer requirements. Skilled at analyzing competitive products and generating
insights to drive marketing strategies and product enhancements while preventing possible discrepancies within patent
infringements. Equipped with excellent interpersonal aptitude in working cross-functionally with stakeholders to drive
operational excellence.
AREAS OF E X PE RT I S E
Quality Auditing Market Research
Statistical Process Control Business Development
Project Management Product Knowledge
Quality Assurance Systems Implementation
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
GAF MATERIALS CORPORATION | Ennis, TX
Manager of Product Insights and New Product Development Apr 2021 Present
Oversee a team of six engineers and technicians in completing product design, testing, and implementation
Design competitive product intelligence for training, marketing, and baseline tools, which involves conducting
competitive intelligence of regional product offerings and new product releases
Maximize and implement competitive findings in partnership with marketing, sales, quality, research and
development, and production
Roll out test methods and protocols for new product development and fitness-for-use testing
Provide support to the sales team toward competitive marketing by producing and distributing battle cards
Contribute to new product initiatives by performing detailed internet research to study competitor claims and
develop detailed presentations for the executive leadership team
Devise detailed fitness-for-use test plans to verify new product offerings to meet quality standards and customer
needs
Prevent possible intellectual property infringements by analyzing and tracking competitive patents
Key Accomplishments:
Played an instrumental part in the development of a new Supplier Quality System/Department
Launched and operated the CRAYON competitive intelligence system that monitored competitors and allowed
the Competitive Analysis Team to provide real-time intelligence to the sales team
Associate Manager Residential Quality Service Jan 2019 Apr 2021
Asphalt Quality and Quality Systems Engineer Jan 2017 Jan 2019
Senior Quality Assurance Engineer Jan 2015 Jan 2017
Quality Engineer Apr 2014 Dec 2014
Worked alongside the Research and Development Department in designing new products as well as submitting
findings and recommendations to executive leadership
Assumed responsibility for identifying, calibrating, troubleshooting, and launching new testing to equipment to
provide laboratories with the best testing technologies available
Supervised three quality technicians in assessing and ensuring products meet quality standards and
requirements
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N ICHOL AS R. S OTO
WA X A H A C H I E , T E X A S 7 5 1 6 5 PHONE NUMBER AVAILABLE EMAIL AVAILABLE
H T T P S : / / W W W. L I N K E D I N . C O M / I N / N I C H O L A S - S -5 1 4 5 1 7 7 A /
Composed, updated, and maintained corporate test methods, calibration methods, and procedures to ensure
adherence to industry standards and practices such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Led asphalt and shingle tests based on ASTM standards and tracked incoming asphalt quality to guarantee
suitable use for shingles
Took charge of maintaining and auditing the corporate quality program, concurrently performing and reporting
on quality audits across shingle, granule, mat, and coating plants
Addressed issues regarding the process, raw material, and testing in coordination with asphalt shingle plants
Completed raw material supplier quality audits on a needed basis in addition to conducting and reporting a
yearly corporate-wide asphalt testing round-robin
Key Accomplishment:
Developed and established new testing facilities along with project engineering
Earlier Positions Held:
GAF MATERIALS CORPORATION | Ennis, TX
Research and Development Engineer Nov 2009 Apr 2014
APPLIED MEMBRANES, INC. | Vista, CA
Project Engineer Jun 2008 Jun 2009
E D U C AT I O N
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Jun 2008
University of California San Diego | San Diego, CA
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Certificate of Advanced Studies: Competitive Intelligence and Data-Driven Decision-Making, 2022
NOVA IMS for SCIP
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, 2021
Six Sigma Global Institute
7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 2020
5 Choices of Extraordinary Productivity, 2020
Presentation Advantage, 2020
Franklin Covey
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Asphalt and Shingle Testing Equipment | Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) | Google Workspace
Trello | Minitab | Kepner-Tregoe
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