Rudi Winterhalter-Interim R&D Project Manager for Electronic Devices and Systems
Check rate
Experience
Support and Consulting for R&D Project Management
- Relief, advisory support, and cover for the project manager in scheduling, quality, and risk management (development of an electronics platform)
- Tools used: MS Teams, Azure DevOps
R&D Project Manager
- Management of an R&D project with hardware, software, and mechanics
- Planning and tracking of schedules, response to risks, regular reporting, budget responsibility, stakeholder management
- Tools used: Confluence, MS Project, Webex
R&D Project Management: Task Force Management
- Support, coaching, and cover for the internal project manager in team leadership, risk management, results documentation, and stakeholder management
- Leading root cause analyses and feasibility studies
R&D Project Management (SW, Agile): Embedded Platform
- Assignment for two projects:
- Post-merger: interface coordinator between the parent company and a newly integrated startup in a joint development project
- Task force support: taking over tasks from the product owner, release management, stakeholder communication
- Tools used: Jira, Confluence
R&D Project Management: 8D Task Force Support
- Relief, support, and cover for the leader of a task force (8D root cause analysis)
- Moderation of project meetings internally and with suppliers
- Stakeholder communication with internal and external customers
- Co-design and facilitation of the 8D process with the client's development engineers
R&D Project Management (HW, SW, Mechanics): Vehicle Sensor
- Clarifying questions about product requirements with the end customer
- Responsibility for meeting quality, deadlines, budget, and process requirements in the development of a safety-relevant vehicle sensor
- Project planning, cross-site project coordination, risk management
- Point of contact for process audits (VDA)
- Coordination between the parent company's quality assurance team and the development team of the involved subsidiary
- Tools used: Confluence
R&D Process Consulting for the Head of Development
- Advising the R&D head in the area of series launch and conducting internal audits
R&D Project Manager Coaching
- Coaching and support for the project manager with scheduling and team leadership
Context: Product development at an internationally active sensor manufacturer
R&D Project Management: Medical Device (FDA, MDR)
- Leading a development team made up of internal and external resources
- Responsibility for meeting the set schedule targets of specific work packages within a large international project
R&D Management Consulting in Change
- Advising the second management level of a fast-growing technology company during ongoing change processes
- Designing and running workshops to redesign the product development process, including project manager coaching
R&D Project Management: Multi-Project Coordination
- Coordinated multiple projects and coached project managers at a mid-sized technology company
R&D Project Management: Safety Component
- Project lead at a mid-sized sensor technology company
- On-time implementation of safety requirements according to EU directives and ISO standards
- Worked with the approval authority
Trusted Advisor and Pre-Seed Investor for Technology Start-Ups
- Support, advice, and mentoring in project and risk management during product creation, especially for hardware startups
- Topics: CE, electrical safety, EMC, project planning, structuring, and tracking
Head of Development ppa
SCHNIER Elektrostatik GmbH
Responsibility for product development including approvals (CE, UL)
Production ramp-up, implementation of quality gates and end-of-line testing
Selection and qualification of EMS service providers
Patents, running grant-funded projects, coordination of external service providers for development and manufacturing
Customer support worldwide (USA, Asia, DACH, Eastern Europe)
Member of DKE standardization committees
Controlling and preparation of monthly reports for the shareholders
Contract drafting and negotiations with customers, suppliers, and house banks
Results:
Renewal of the entire product range, strong growth, and improved earnings
Implementation of the required processes and skills in development and production
Awards:
1st place in the Baden-Württemberg State Innovation Award 2015
Listed in FOCUS "Growth Champions 2016"
Head of Development
bebro electronic
Responsibility for sales and results for the development profit center with 30 engineers and technicians in Germany and the Czech Republic
Departments: product development, CAD/design, from 2006 test systems
Results:
Restructured development into a profit center for customer-specific electronics and mechatronics development
Significant improvement in sales and profit situation
Implemented a development process with project controlling to achieve quality assurance goals
Certification according to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485
Built up and integrated a development team in the Czech subsidiary
Development Engineer and Project Manager
Acterna (formerly Wandel & Goltermann)
- Development Engineer and ASIC Designer: digital and analog test and measurement hardware, embedded software, ASIC chip design, VHDL and FPGA logic synthesis
- From 1996 on, project manager for US-specific products, development of test and measurement devices for the US market
- Execution of cooperation projects with US customers and sales support in the USA
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Manufacturing, Telecommunication, Information Technology, Automotive, and Healthcare.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Product Development, Project Management, Quality Assurance, Sales, Supply Chain Management, and Research and Development.
Summary
I help companies deliver even critical development projects as reliably and predictably as possible. As an experienced professional with a hands-on mindset, I provide fast relief in staffing shortages, difficult project situations, and parental leave cover.
For 7 years, I have worked as an interim project manager and mentor in industrial research and development. My assignments come from the semiconductor industry, power electronics, measurement technology, and medical technology. Before becoming self-employed, I spent many years as a salaried project and department manager, both in large companies under American leadership and in medium-sized and family-owned businesses. I have brought many products into series production myself.
I support teams not only on the technical side, but also on the personal side. Project managers value me as a sparring partner and advisor. I have solid knowledge in project and crisis management. Technically, I have experience in electronics and hardware development, for example with CE and UL approvals.
Family man with 2 adult children. Amateur radio operator, diver. Mentor and seed investor for HW startups.
In bottleneck situations, I take responsibility for entire projects for my clients or immediately relieve internal project managers or product owners by taking over sub-tasks. Often, it is enough to take over orphaned tasks to avoid frustration and noticeably ease the load on the whole team. My goal is sustainability. After my assignment ends, there should be no vacuum. That is why I support project managers as a co-pilot, sparring partner, or personal trainer to strengthen them in their decisions and support their growth. I know the challenges developers face from my own experience. That creates trust and effective collaboration at eye level. My strength lies especially in critical development projects with high demands on technology, quality, and time.
- Is your project manager or product owner team at full capacity? I take responsibility, relieve your team, and bring structure to your project.
- Do you need short-term support in a critical project situation? I get straight to work and provide quick relief.
- Do you want to strengthen your project managers for the long term? As a sparring partner and coach, I help your team make confident decisions and tackle challenges with confidence.
- Are you looking for an experienced cover for parental leave or a sabbatical? Thanks to my experience, onboarding is quick and efficient.
Languages
Education
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) · Communications Engineering
Certifications & licenses
Business Facilitator
European Coaching Association ECA
Transactional Analysis
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Rudi is based in Reutlingen, Germany.
Rudi speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).
Rudi has at least 38 years of experience. During this time, Rudi has worked in at least 16 different roles and for 3 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 4 months. Note that Rudi may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Rudi would be well-suited for roles such as: Support and Consulting for R&D Project Management, R&D Project Manager, R&D Project Management: Task Force Management.
Rudi's most recent position is Support and Consulting for R&D Project Management.
Rudi is most experienced in industries like Manufacturing, Telecommunication, and Information Technology. Rudi also has some experience in Automotive and Healthcare.
Rudi is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Project Management, and Quality Assurance. Rudi also has some experience in Sales, Supply Chain Management, and Research and Development.
Rudi has recently worked in industries like Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Automotive.
Rudi has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Project Management, and Quality Assurance.
Rudi holds a Bachelor in Communications Engineering.
Rudi has 2 certificates. These include: Business Facilitator and Transactional Analysis.
The availability of Rudi needs to be confirmed.
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Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 7 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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