JENNIFER HELLRUNG
Stillwater
Summary
Results-driven professional with extensive experience in manufacturing and technology. Proven strengths in problem-solving, process improvement, and data analysis. Effective team leader with a track record of managing customer relationships and ensuring successful project outcomes. Demonstrated ability to optimize data-driven decision-making processes for enhanced operational efficiency.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Manufacturing Engineering Specialist, Consumer Solutions Division
3M Company
St. Paul
09.2015 - Current
- Implementing SCADA systems on production lines with a fantastic team.
- Leading all manufacturing processes for a product portfolio.
Product and Manufacturing Engineering Specialist, Renewable Energy Division
3M Company
St. Paul
03.2010 - 09.2015
- Led an NPI project that launched 11 completely new SKUs within 12 weeks of project initiation. Sales volume on track at 6 months post launch with very high gross margins.
- Responsible for manufacturing aspects of several NPI projects from cost estimates to trouble shooting manufacturing equipment during experimentation and through the final converting of product.
- Responsible for COGS on several product lines with monthly reporting from PCDUCs.
- Worked on project to optimize the inspection of films, intermediates, and window films with camera inspection systems in multiple plant locations.
- Product owner with responsibility for all product specifications, product manufacturing issues, new material or supplier issues and customer issues for 10+ product families of window films produced at an outsourced manufacturer which makes up for over $100MM in annual sales.
- Led improvement project on coated solution optimization within 6 months implemented changes which increased yield by 30%, improved visual quality and saved $500,000 during the first 3 months following implementation.
- Product Engineer for multilayer optical film and improved quality and cost through insourcing one of the resins, speed increases and vision system implementation.
- Manufacturing and product engineer for $70MM window films product on coaters with 2 and 3 coating heads with new proprietary die technology and lamination steps.
- Communicated with and visited customers including OUS customers to resolve quality issues including training on our products and the use of our products such as Dry Layup Adhesive.
- Provided quality engineering support for products sold OUS with regular communication about complaints and issues.
Principal Statistician
Boston Scientific
Arden Hills
05.2007 - 03.2010
- Taught classes on both statistical sampling plans and normality assessment to hundreds of employees across all CRM division sites including plants in Ireland and Puerto Rico.
- Provided statistical consulting to operations, R&D, supplier quality and supplier development engineers.
- Mentored two Six Sigma DMAIC projects.
- Led Six Sigma project to address FDA finding on Non-conforming material process to simplify and standardize the hundreds of procedures relating to the process.
- Led project to provide consistent application of outlier detection.
Lean Six Sigma Coach
3M Company
St. Paul
11.2005 - 04.2007
- Taught multiple waves of DMAIC Black Belt training achieving above average teaching scores.
- Provided coaching on Six Sigma to I&TB Black Belts and Master Black Belts.
- Helped deployment of Six Sigma to the CUNO organization through Green Belt training and coaching.
- Assumed Chair position of Project Management Special Interest Group and successfully put on several seminars.
Quality Advisor for the Recloseable Fastener Business Team
3M Company
St. Paul
11.2003 - 11.2005
- Acted as quality coach, trainer and facilitator, quality systems expert, and quality auditor and member of the RF business team for the global RF business.
- Provided coaching and consulting to the RF team including the other BT members, the lab and manufacturing engineers, the technical service group, and plant engineers in the US and OUS.
- Developed and gave training to the product and process engineering groups on product and process engineering excellence.
- Implemented control charting of critical variables in the San Luis Potosi and Ames lines.
- Led supplier green belt project to improve the primary raw material for the EBL product including team members from US and OUS plant sites as well as several supplier sites.
Quality Engineer/Manufacturing Technologies Engineer, Personal Care & Related Products Division
3M Company
St. Paul
06.1999 - 11.2003
- Led multifunctional team from development through scale-up of a new product using the following technologies: Gravure solvent coating, knitted loop and lamination.
- Worked with a team to install a Cognex online gauging system at the Fairmont plant and was responsible for implementing and validating camera imaging system for defect detection on manufacturing line.
- Installed a Cognex camera imaging system at the SLP plant with responsibility from design through validation.
- Led several successful green belt projects to completion that used the following technologies: extrusion, fiber carding, hot melt coating.
- Initiated new measurements of defects as part of a small quality improvement team enabling the reduction of this defect by more than 50 percent.
- Implemented statistical process control on key process and product variables which enabled the detection of poor quality material.
- Implemented a quality system for a new line in the San Luis Potosi plant including quality and process data collection, control charting, and CoA generation.
- Taught classes open to all 3M employees on designed experiments, statistical thinking and variation and six sigma.
- Consulted to division employees on problems concerning customer complaints, supplier management, SPC, DOE, FMEA, process data analysis, setting internal and external specifications, etc.
- Visited customer plants for problem solving sessions.
Graduate Assistant
Iowa State University
Ames
06.1996 - 06.1999
- Researched current issues in statistical process control and multivariate statistics to develop thesis under Professor Derrick Rollins, Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering and Statistics
- Lab Instructor, Stat 101, Introduction to Statistics, Fall 1997
- Course Assistant, Stat 495, Applied Statistics for Industry I, Fall 1997
- Course Assistant, Stat 496, Applied Statistics for Industry II, Spring 1998
- Instructor, Stat 101, Introduction to Statistics, Fall 1998
Quality Engineer Intern, Personal Care & Related Products Division
3M Company
St. Paul
05.1998 - 08.1998
- Performed test method validation studies using Don Wheeler’s EMP methodology.
- Conducted research with real time process monitoring methodology to determine the feasibility of process variables release.
- Performed statistical consulting services.
Quality Specialist
3M
09.2019 - Current
- Quality DRI for Topaz cosmetic adhesive for 5 years, helped launch Class 5 NPI, negotiated specifications with key customers, mentored several OUS engineers on customer quality activities, and maintained a relationship with CMs for quality issues.
- Key knowledge of 1,210 commodity products, explaining to customers how to process our products, working with them on quality issues, providing knowledge to sales teams, maintaining TDS, and relationships with key distributors.
- Guided the glass bubbles team to resolution on the new manufacturing site problems.
- Presented several classes on statistics for both EMSD and AASD, incorporated into 3M Learn.
Education
Master of Science - Statistics
Iowa State University
Ames, IA12.1999
Bachelor of Science - Chemical Engineering
Iowa State University
Ames, IA05.1996
Skills
- Statistical analysis
- Process improvement
- Data interpretation
- Employee training
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Effective communication
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Team leadership
- Customer engagement
- Supplier management
- Project management
- Continuous improvement
External presentations
World Conference on Quality and Innovation, Using the 3-Chart Method for SPC, 2023
Webinar for ASQ Statistics Division, Basics of SPC for Students, 2024
World Conference on Quality and Innovation, Spotlight Stage on Data Visualization, 2025
Webinar for ASQ Arizona Section, Using the 3-Chart Method for SPC, 2025
Host for >25 Webinars for ASQ Statistics Division
Certification
- Project Management Certificate from Cornell University
Affiliations
- ASQ, Statistics Division, Webinar Coordinator, 2019 - present
- ASQ, Statistics Division, Chair, 2025 - 2027
Publications
- World Conference on Quality and Improvement “Using 3-chart for SPC”, May 2023
- Webinar, “Basics of SPC”, Aug 2023 and YouTube
- Presented “Issues of Implementation of a Real-Time Process Monitoring Scheme on an Industrial Process” at 44th Annual Fall Technical Conference, Oct 12-13, 2000, Minneapolis, MN, www.cpid.net/conferences/ftc/.
- Presented material on statistical topics including test methods and multivariate statistics on 3M TV and to the 3M Statistical Practitioners Forum.
- Attended professional conferences including the 42nd and 43rd Annual Fall Technical Conferences and the short course “Process Monitoring and Identification of Dynamic Systems using Statistical Techniques” February 19, 1998, Santa Barbara, California.
- Chen, V., Heldt, J. (maiden name), McGlynn, K., Rollins, D. K. “Critical Issues in Data Collection and Conditions When Fitting Predictive Neural Network Models for Dynamic Processes”, “The International Society for Measurement and Control (ISA/96, Chicago), pp 279-291, (1996).
Timeline
Quality Specialist
3M
09.2019 - Current
Manufacturing Engineering Specialist, Consumer Solutions Division
3M Company
09.2015 - Current
Product and Manufacturing Engineering Specialist, Renewable Energy Division
3M Company
03.2010 - 09.2015
Principal Statistician
Boston Scientific
05.2007 - 03.2010
Lean Six Sigma Coach
3M Company
11.2005 - 04.2007
Quality Advisor for the Recloseable Fastener Business Team
3M Company
11.2003 - 11.2005
Quality Engineer/Manufacturing Technologies Engineer, Personal Care & Related Products Division
3M Company
06.1999 - 11.2003
Quality Engineer Intern, Personal Care & Related Products Division
3M Company
05.1998 - 08.1998
Graduate Assistant
Iowa State University
06.1996 - 06.1999
Master of Science - Statistics
Iowa State University
Bachelor of Science - Chemical Engineering
Iowa State University