Jackie Simpson

Over the past 10 years, Jacqueline has applied her natural curiosity and analytical skills to solve engineering problems across various industries. These experiences have taught her innovation, adaptability, and the value of data in decision-making. She thrives on cross-functional teams, finding that those relationships bring joy to her work more than anything else. Her passion for diverse perspectives inspired her to pursue an MBA, where she is applying her skills to business operations, strategy, and organizational leadership. Now, she seeks to marry her extensive background in data analytics, product development, and process improvement with a newfound enthusiasm for business strategy – and to use these skills to create value as part of a talented and motivated team.

SpecFlow Solutions LLC – Remote, Durham NC                                                                   2024-2025

A small startup company specializing in project management and consulting for the construction industry

Program Manager (2024-2025) 

• Developed communication tools, including internal and external-facing SharePoint sites, to enhance communication within the startup team and with clients
• Facilitated strategic discussions to evolve corporate and operational strategy during the company’s critical first year of operation.
• Strengthened client and supplier relationships, collaborating to resolve challenges in material and labor procurement and construction activities for a new manufacturing facility.
• Optimized financial operations by analyzing project activities, invoicing terms, and delivery schedules to project cash flow and identify key actions and risks to the business.
• Mentored and developed talent, guiding a junior project manager to leverage resources, achieve career aspirations, and deliver value to the team.

Corning Life Sciences – Durham, NC                                                                     2021-2024

A division of Corning Incorporated providing innovative solutions and products to biotechnology, healthcare, and pharmaceutical industries

Senior Process Engineer (2021-2024) 

• Started up a new manufacturing plant, lending vision and subject matter expertise as a technology owner.
• Collaborated with a lean cross-functional team to drive plant startup activities, including equipment installation, site acceptance testing, process and product validation, creation of troubleshooting resources, and training of more than 75 new employees. 
• Analyzed process data to define, plan and execute continuous improvement projects to increase yield from 75% to 90% and increase uptime from 70% to 80% within the first year of production. 
• Created an architecture for manufacturing line changeovers and led activities to validate and produce more than 10 new products. 

Corning Incorporated – Corning, NY                                                                    2014-2021

Global technology company specializing in materials science, with contributions to telecommunications, automotive, consumer electronics, and life sciences industries.

Process Engineer II (2018 – 2021)

• Bridged development and manufacturing roles to define and deliver new products in a fledgling business. 
• Prototyped over 20 pharmaceutical vial products, achieving 30x reduction in breakage rates and increasing throughput up to 50% on customer fill lines in early product trials. 
• Led engineering activities for a pilot vial manufacturing line, including day-to-day troubleshooting, data analysis and visualization, and continuous improvement initiatives. 
• Demonstrated aptitude for adapting to a dynamic business environment and rapidly changing priorities.   

Chemical Process Engineer I (2014 – 2018)

• Consulted on projects across various industries, specializing in scale-up of development processes to manufacturing environments. 
• Manipulated, manufactured, and enhanced glass and ceramic materials and products using various innovative technical methods.
• Designed, executed, and analyzed experiments to drive fundamental understanding and process improvements. 
• Worked collaboratively with scientists, operators, technicians, and engineers to resolve technical problems. 

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School – Chapel Hill, NC              2025

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

• Strategic Operations, Leading & Managing, Marketing, Finance
• Forte Fellowship Recipient 
• STAR Corporate Consulting Project Team Member

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Cambridge MA                                                 2014

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering 

• Project Engineering, Engineering Leadership, Managerial Psychology, Innovation & Design 
• GPA: 4.6/5.0