Rafael Hernandez

Production /Process Superintendent, Operations Excellence Leader , Industrial Digitalization (4.0), Lean Manufacturing, Production Planning and Control, People Management, Supply Chain, Sales and Marketing ,EHS, IMS,

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

About

Transforming Manufacturing Operations Through Lean Practices, Digitalization & Operational Excellence | Driving Efficiency, Quality, and Cost Optimization 💡 About Me I am an experienced Sales Engineer, Production Senior Supervisor, Process Engineer, and Digitalization & Manufacturing Excellence Leader with over 19 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, particularly in Precision parts for Oil and Gas, Defense, Aerospace, Manufacturing Industries. Past experiences in dairy plastic bottles, closures manufacturing, and electronics engineering. Throughout my career, I have successfully transformed underperforming operations into profitable businesses and guided start-ups into becoming cost-efficient, high-quality producers. I have worked with leading plastic packaging companies in the Philippines and the Middle East (KSA), taking on diverse roles such as Sales Engineer, Production Supervisor, Process Engineer, Operational Excellence Officer, Digitalization Leader, and Focused Improvement Leader. My expertise includes: • Operational Excellence & Lean Manufacturing (OpEx, TQM, Kaizen, DMAIC, 5S, RCA, Continuous Improvement) • Digitalization & Industry 4.0 implementation • Process Engineering & Cost Optimization • Quality & Safety Systems (ISO 22000, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, BRCGS) • ERP Systems (Baan, GMP) . Sales and Marketing I am recognized for my strong leadership, communication, and people development skills, with a proven ability to hire, train, and inspire high-performing teams. I am fluent in English and Filipino, with working knowledge of Arabic, and hold a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. I am passionate about driving innovation, efficiency, and sustainable growth in every organization I serve.

Experience

  • OBEIKAN RIGID PLASTIC (9 yrs 5 mos)
    • Production and Process Superintendent, Digitalization Leader
      Mar 2023 - Jul 2025 · 2 yrs 5 mos

      Promoted as Production and Manufacturing Process Engineer Superintendent for Caps and Preform Injection Department. Giving an additional task to lead the Digitization and Digitalization Evolving Industries toward to Industrial 4.0. Additional task to handle the R&D projects, FAT, Product Qualification and Lean Manufacturing.

    • Manufacturing Superintendent
      Mar 2016 - May 2024 · 8 yrs 3 mos

      • Managing the operations of Injection Caps and Preform and Extrusion with more than 50 direct head counts. • Execute the manpower arrangement to attain machine, volume and labor productivity • Build agile culture in my jurisdiction and to other department by collaborative work, design thinking, transparency, personal safety and fail-safe environment • Develop career guide thru coaching and mentoring, development, identification of organization’s needs and training and educations • Introduce reward and recognition to the team thru individual and team rewards, intrinsic, on the spot and merit-based rewards • Manage staff changes. Plan and manage benefits, promotions, transfer, onboard/offboard, demotion • Develop diversity strategies and promote diversity across organizations • Educate, train and coach individuals and provide their needed skills improvement • Conduct Quarterly and Yearly Operators’ performance review and provide competence and skills gap analysis and actions • Develop inclusion strategies, ensure safe environment and resolve conflicts • Ensure the team and individual morale by providing humanistic environment, work flexibility, day offs, open forum, one on one meeting and work balance • Organize group by value creations, business division and by job functions • Generate/develop staff groups. Define positions, plan succession and forecast staffing needs • Form teams and be a role model thru center of excellence, functional, product and project team • Evolve the teams and individual by assigned and ad-hoc membership • Guide and govern people management. Align constraints, define roles and responsibilities, track the progress, develop metrics and guidance and develop rules and procedures • Measure diversity and inclusion. Verify their engagements, grievances , pay and benefits, promotions and growth, representation and retention

    • Plant Coordinator
      Nov 2016 - Aug 2022 · 5 yrs 10 mos

  • Production Superintendent at Obeikan Rigid Plastic Packaging Company – Obeikan Investment Group
    Mar 2016 - Jul 2025 · 9 yrs 5 mos

    Managing the operations of Injection Caps and Preform and Extrusion with more than 50 direct head counts.

  • Closure Systems International, (Philippines) (3 yrs 1 mo)
    • Process Engineer
      Dec 2014 - Feb 2016 · 1 yr 3 mos

      Formulate design of Experiment and analyze data using statistical tool to assess if engineering change is feasible. Write technical papers, work instruction and standard operation procedure needed by process. Qualification and develop new product, profile, materials, new machine and line set ups as well customers’ requirements. Lead and support the team to fix process related issues. Develop team spirit and motivate the people. Investigate and implement ideas for quality improvement, increased productivity and cost reduction. Managed documentation of and training on production procedures and work instructions. Recommend and execute quality improvements for production and product quality. Participate in Lead Team and CSI Asia Pacific and MENA region Monthly Review Spearhead Operational Excellence practices by implementing tools and benchmarking in CSI- Asia Pacific and MENA Plants.

    • Production Supervisor
      Feb 2013 - Nov 2014 · 1 yr 10 mos

      Assist the Manufacturing Manager in setting department goals and fulfillment of this goals. Investigate and Implement ideas for quality improvement, increase productivity and cost reduction. Supervise work activities of personnel in shopfloor. Maintain and communicate daily productivity and shipment reports for all department. Ensure that methods, practices and production processes development and approved for implementation conform to international standard. Plan, direct and coordinate and assign manpower to meet aggressive production schedules. Defined manufacturing performance standard and reviewed the outcome of performance goals for future targets. Officer-in-charge in the absence of Production Manager

  • Closure Systems International (CSI) Phil.Inc. (3 yrs 1 mo)
    • Process Engineer / Operational Excellence Officer
      Feb 2013 - Feb 2016 · 3 yrs 1 mo

      • Formulates design of experiment and analyze data using statistical tool to assess if engineering change is feasible. • Write technical paper, work instruction and standard operational procedure needed by the process. • Qualification and develop new product, profile, materials, new machine and line set-up as well customer requirements. • Lead and help the team to fix process related issues. Develop team spirit and motivate the people. Investigated and implement ideas for quality improvement, increased productivity and cost reduction. • Managed documentation and training on production procedures and work instructions. • Recommend and execute quality improvements for production and product quality. • Directed improvements in safety, product quality, service and cost efficiency. • Directed the manufacturing process and operational efficiency procedures to achieve goal of first run capability. • Escalated safety and quality issues and initiated remedial actions promptly. • Implemented performance, quality and efficiency measures to achieve aggressive production goals. • Delivers continuous improvement by utilizing scientific methods • Alignment of strategic initiatives and measures at the organizational, process and activity level • Encourage two-way communication that supports negotiation and consensus-building • Provides a structured method for communicating and establishing agreement on a proposed plan for the business • Encourage personnel to participate in company’s continuous program by providing a rewards and recognition that approved by top management.

    • Production Supervisor
      Feb 2013 - Nov 2014 · 1 yr 10 mos

      Supervised shopfloor operations and manpower allocation. Implemented quality and productivity improvement initiatives. Ensured compliance with international manufacturing standards. Acted as Officer-in-Charge in the absence of the Production Manager.

  • Research And Development Engineer at SunLine
    May 2012 - Feb 2013 · 10 mos

    • Generate, develop new product design together with the Core Team from Korea. • Spearhead the qualification of new operators, inspectors and technicians. • Provide Golden samples (LSD) for different part number for references purposes. • Perform defect analysis in engineering approach • Draft standards, W.I. checklist, Drawings and jigs • Provide technical reports for Daily, weekly and monthly basis • Monthly meeting with Korea’s Core team