Frédéric Schiavon
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Lisbon, Portugal
Toptal member since January 20, 2026
Frédéric is a program and engineering director with more than 25 years of international experience delivering complex industrial programs in the automotive and aerospace sectors. Frédéric has driven new product launches, industrial transfers, and production stabilization across global environments. His work combines cross-functional leadership, customer-facing responsibility, and financial ownership with a pragmatic, results-driven approach.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
- Change Management
- Crisis Management
- Lean Manufacturing
- Lean Project Management
- Manufacturing
- PMO
- Risk Assessment
Work Experience
Program and Engineering Director
OGMA/Embraer Group
- Assumed a senior leadership role overseeing engineering governance, manufacturing capability development, and program execution in a complex aerospace industrial environment.
- Industrialized new engine maintenance capacity and new aerostructure industrialization, unlocking >> €100 million in annual revenue potential.
- Supported strategic growth through manufacturing readiness, industrial ramp-up, and customer confidence.
Program and Engineering Manager
Faurecia
- Developed and industrialized automotive seating systems, capturing 25% of the Brazilian automotive market.
- Launched premium DS7 seating systems, achieving high customer satisfaction.
- Managed €3.6 million in CAPEX, €25 million in annual revenue, and 11% EBIT.
Manufacturing Engineering Manager
AKWEL
- Deployed lean planning and process improvements, returning the plant to profitability.
- Implemented lean manufacturing systems, standardized processes, and best practices.
- Supported industrialization programs for major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including Ford, Volkswagen, and Renault.
Project History
New Engine Maintenance Capacity
- $90 Million — Budget
- 100% — On-time Delivery
- €400 Million — Yearly Turnover (2030)
Led a major investment to create new industrial capacity within an existing facility, including a new warehouse and engine test bench. Successfully managed scope changes, ERP deployment, certification, ongoing product industrialization challenges, and large-scale recruitment in a highly competitive labor market.
Established strong governance with daily top-level operational reviews, optimized the project framework, and deployed agile planning. Mobilized a fully integrated, dedicated team across PMO, engineering, production, logistics, and HR to ensure execution and alignment.
Achieved all key milestones on target, ensuring on-time entry into service and earning governance performance recognition at both group and customer levels.
New Surface Treatment Capacity
- €18 Million — Budget
Faced with a surface treatment capacity shortage, led a structured recovery program combining immediate containment actions, interim solutions to maintain production flow, and a long-term capacity stabilization and performance improvement roadmap.
Managed the initial phase, sustaining production through temporary processes and subcontracting, while simultaneously developing a new process and facility to ramp up and stabilize operations progressively.
Capacity fully recovered and budget on track. I minimized production disruption, ensuring no delivery breakdowns.
New DS7 Seating Solution
- **€3.6 Million ** — Investment
- **€25 Million ** — Yearly Revenue
- 11% — EBIT
The challenge was launching a premium seating system for the new DS7 model in a high-expectation environment, with strict requirements on quality, comfort, timing, and industrial maturity, while coordinating multiple suppliers and meeting tight ramp-up deadlines.
I established strong governance with strict adherence to framework and milestones. I led a dedicated, cross-functional core team. I frequently traveled between R&D centers, customer sites, production plants, and suppliers. I collaborated closely with the customer, innovation, and manufacturing engineering teams to meet product requirements.
I successfully launched premium seating systems for DS7, achieving customer quality and delivery targets.
Education
Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Catholic Institute of Arts and Trades (ICAM) - Lille, France
Certifications
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)
Scrum.org
Skills
Tools
Office 365
Paradigms
Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Process Capability Anaysis, Lean Project Management, Change Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Agile Project Management, Agile Product Management, Scrum, Capacity Management, Dimensional Modeling, Agile
Other
Manufacturing, PMO, Lean Manufacturing, Crisis Management, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), PMO Frameworks, Process Flows, Capacity Building, Capacity Planning, People Management, People Development, Process Design, Risk Analysis, Leadership, Ownership, Program Management, B2B, Global Team Management, Project Management, Cross-functional Coordination, Enterprise Project Management, Governance, Mechanical Engineering, Risk Assessment, Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Agile Program Management, Product Design, Customer Interviews, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Administration, Enterprise Change Management (ECM), Organizational Design, Stakeholder Alignment, Industrial Equipment, Product Launch, PMO Governance, Production, Production Planning & Control (PPC), Best Practices, Value Stream Mapping, Certifications, Engineering, Training, Scrum Master
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
Share your needs
Choose your talent
Start your risk-free talent trial
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring