Joseph Zubor, Project Manager in Trenton, MI, United States
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Joseph Zubor

Verified Expert  in Project Management

Project Manager

Trenton, MI, United States

Toptal member since November 14, 2024

Bio

Joseph has a strong engineering and project management background, successfully delivering large-scale projects in the communications and automotive sectors. He focuses on timelines, quality, and budgets, with expertise in network hardware, embedded software, and product and software development lifecycles. As a project management professional proficient in Waterfall and Agile, Joseph excels in process development, documentation, and team leadership.

Project Highlights

MY21 P702 Ford F-150
Managed the complete SDLC of the entire vehicle software to support the production of the model year 2021 (MY21) Ford F-150.
AirGate PCS Midwest Buildout
Oversaw the network integration of four full turn-key mobile-switching/data centers and 200 personal communications service (PCS) cellular sites—managing facility construction, equipment installation, and network integration.
MY22 P758 Ford Maverick & Development Breadboard Pilot
Managed the SDLC of the complete vehicle software to support the production of the MY22 Ford Maverick and the development of an engineering development breadboard.

Expertise

  • Agile Project Management
  • Cross-functional Team Leadership
  • Integration
  • Jira
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
  • System V
  • Waterfall Methodology

Work Experience

Lead Software Project Manager

2015 - 2023
Ford Motor Company
  • Achieved key delivery milestones in software development through integration testing for over 10 vehicle builds, exceeding quality of event (QOE) scores and obtaining okay-to-build (OKTB) status to start production.
  • Developed and implemented a process to link embedded software features to their electronic control unit (ECU) dependencies, resulting in a more robust approach to setting up and managing program-specific SDLCs.
  • Created and implemented processes and tools to manage suppliers' SDLCs, focusing on hardware-to-software variation controls and their impact on the timing of cross-carline vehicle prototype builds.
  • Collaborated with a cross-functional team to update the global product development system (GPDS) milestone deliverables to transition from Waterfall to an Agile hybrid method in developing program-specific software.
  • Established a standardized program software development approach in Jira by working with the software process team to outline milestone deliverables, assign responsibilities, and provide dashboard views for the overall development maturity.
  • Designed a standardized method for managing software-enabled features on vehicle programs, along with their revisions and relevant documentation, in collaboration with the vehicle systems engineering and manufacturing (VSEM) process team.
  • Worked with a cross-functional team to improve early electronic breadboard (EBB) testing by prioritizing critical vehicle functions and reorganizing GPDS deliverables to meet these priorities, increasing efficiency.
  • Served as a product owner in an Agile Scrum environment, overseeing a team to develop a feature authorization platform that supports Ford's transition to a full AUTOSAR adaptive platform architecture.

Application Engineer – GM Driver-assistance Systems Group

2014 - 2015
ZF
  • Collaborated with senior engineers and subject-matter experts to develop test procedures and tools for the Spatial Frequency Response Optical Testing Lab to support the development of the front camera ECU.
  • Performed design validation testing, ensuring the front camera module met GM's specifications and accomplishing PPAP acceptance to support MY16 GM vehicle builds using our product.
  • Built and configured the software of prototype front camera modules to support GM's program-specific development testing milestones.
  • Conducted product validation testing in donor prototype vehicles, collecting data analytics to ensure our front camera product met GM's requirements.

Project Manager | Intern

2014 - 2014
Bosch
  • Developed and implemented methods to ensure the correct prototype ECUs were loaded and tested with the appropriate software—firmware and calibration—for specific vehicle program architectures.
  • Standardized project management templates in Microsoft Project, outlining deliverables for each milestone throughout a product development lifecycle for future product development use.
  • Reviewed and proposed improvements to the resident engineer's workload utilization, focusing on enhancing department support processes, streamlining internal escalation procedures, and optimizing the time dedicated to troubleshooting warranty issues.

Project Manager

2010 - 2011
EM Phone
  • Enhanced project management strategies for extracting the client's statement of work (SOW) into a Microsoft Project plan to oversee project lifecycles effectively.
  • Improved the request for proposals by implementing a multivendor request for quotation process, which helped reduce project submission costs.
  • Managed a team of developers to create generic scripting GUIs for configuring Cisco routers and VoIP servers, enhancing the efficiency of installer teams for VoIP products.

Lead Central Office Engineer

2004 - 2009
TDS Telecommunications
  • Collaborated with the R&D group to engineer, deploy, and calibrate customer-sellable product solutions using new or upgraded existing network infrastructure elements.
  • Conducted software development testing for network elements in a test bench environment and, once successful, performed software updates to the network element processors to improve product solution availability.
  • Collected and analyzed network performance data to optimize and forecast the network's switching equipment needs, ensuring processor utilization remains below 80% capacity.
  • Developed software scripting tools that enable operational technicians to configure various customer-premises equipment (CPE).

Technical Project Manager

2000 - 2004
TrinTel, Inc
  • Developed strategic project plans and robust financial matrices for operations and large-scale projects.
  • Managed and staffed office and engineering personnel to complete large-scale network buildouts and upgrades for wireless providers' facilities and networks.
  • Created methods of procedures (MOPs) for customer acceptance to improve network integration and calibration during maintenance windows.
  • Oversaw project budgets and timelines effectively to meet a company-required profit margin of 18%.
  • Established procedures to maintain clear documentation of all vendor-related products used in network facility renovations and equipment installations, which we provided to clients upon project completion.

Project History

MY21 P702 Ford F-150

Managed the complete SDLC of the entire vehicle software to support the production of the model year 2021 (MY21) Ford F-150.

This program was built using a new vehicle network design called FNV2 and included about 100 new or updated software features and 15 new ECUs. It was the first to use the Agile Hybrid method for developing ECU requirements and software models, which were part of suppliers' engineering SOWs. We used Jira to manage the software development process and modify GPDS milestone deliverables. We also conducted early EBB testing for the first time.

Managing this program had its challenges. I needed to teach different teams about changes to the GPDS deliverables and timelines and how to use Jira to manage their tasks. Many software features were still in the R&D stage and for consideration in planning. Additionally, much of the software for EBB testing was not ready for functional testing.

By increasing issue awareness and engaging management, I guided teams in delivering software for vehicle prototype builds and starting integration testing on the MVP. Keeping teams updated on software deliveries during testing helped us achieve approved software to meet J1 production requirements.

AirGate PCS Midwest Buildout

Oversaw the network integration of four full turn-key mobile-switching/data centers and 200 personal communications service (PCS) cellular sites—managing facility construction, equipment installation, and network integration.

I managed a team of general contractors and specialists to build and renovate several switching facilities—specifically in Vernon Hills, Illinois; Kentwood, Michigan; and Des Moines and Davenport, Iowa—from initial architecture and engineering through facility signoff.

I developed strategic project plans to facilitate the installation and integration of mobile switching center subsystems, which included HVAC, fire suppression, DC power plants, and wireless communications equipment. These efforts were aligned with customer requirements and Bellcore facility specifications.

Additionally, I staffed and led a team of network engineers, software developers, integrators, and radio frequency drive testers to create, deploy, and calibrate customer-specific software applications within the cellular network, ensuring they met all customer specifications.

MY22 P758 Ford Maverick & Development Breadboard Pilot

Managed the SDLC of the complete vehicle software to support the production of the MY22 Ford Maverick and the development of an engineering development breadboard.

This program was developed using 90% carry-over, software-enabled features and did not require any new ECUs, only minor modifications to existing software. Due to its reduced complexity, it was an ideal candidate for piloting a development EBB. This approach provided ECU functional owners and suppliers with a collaborative space to develop more robust software that could meet aggressive timelines, ultimately expediting the program by eliminating one year of development time.

I worked in a small cross-functional team to identify and deliver the necessary software and ECU hardware, modify the network identifiers and message list, and prepare all associated wiring harnesses to build the breadboard in time to begin functional software development. Managing the program with the bench setup proved to be very beneficial, as we were able to identify bugs early while integrating the module configuration into the network. This also improved suppliers' software delivery, as they could perform more thorough product validation.

Education

2012 - 2015

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering

University of Michigan-Dearborn - Dearborn, MI, USA

Skills

Tools

Jira, Teamcenter, Microsoft Project, CAD, TestRail

Paradigms

Agile Project Management, Testing, Agile

Platforms

SharePoint

Industry Expertise

Automotive

Other

Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Microsoft Office, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Planning, Integration, Data Integration, Waterfall Methodology, System V, Networking, Project Management, Project Management Professional (PMP), VSEM, Product Development Manager, Budgeting, IP Networks, Mobile Networks, Mobile UX, Cisco Switches, Cisco Routers, VoIP, LAN, Scripting, Data Analytics, Embedded Software, Hybrid Project Management, Agile Program Management, Electrical Engineering, Product Owner, Avaya Enterprise, Software Project Management, Engineering

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