Project Go-Live appreciations from Daimler globe

Delivery Manager
Karthik Kaliappan
Contacts
About
Delivery Manager with over 20 years of experience leading global engineering teams and delivering complex electrical distribution and wiring harness programs for commercial vehicles and industrial platforms. Focus: Senior management and Technical management roles. Proven track record of managing multi-site teams, driving end-to-end delivery from concept to series production, and improving delivery efficiency through process optimization. Experienced in stakeholder management across OEMs, suppliers, and global R&D organizations. Known for building high-performing teams, improving cycle times, and ensuring predictable, high-quality delivery at scale.
Focus
Senior management and Technical management roles
Leadership Highlights
• Led and scaled engineering teams of 20+ resources, including lead engineers and project teams • Owned end-to-end delivery and operations for global wiring harness and EDS programs • Defined delivery governance, KPIs and roadmaps for series production and aftermarket projects • Drove 30% reduction in design and validation cycle time through process and tooling improvements • Acted as primary escalation point for delivery, quality and resource risks • Collaborated closely with OEM stakeholders, suppliers and cross-functional teams across regions
Core Competencies
- Engineering & People Management
- Project & Delivery Management
- Wiring Harness & EDS Programs
- Global Stakeholder Management
- QCD & Design for Quality Ownership
- Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement
Tools and Technologies
- CATIA, Capital Suite, Siemens NX, PLM, Jira, Kanban
Work Experience
- 2025–presentDetails
Intelizign Lifecycle Services
Delivery Manager · Remote
- Accountable for end-to-end operations delivery, leading teams across multiple technical programs
- Managing and mentoring 20+ lead engineers, ensuring delivery quality, utilization and capability growth
- Led aftermarket wiring harness projects, customizing designs based on vehicle architecture and customer-specific requirements
- Headed ODC-based wiring harness design teams (12 engineers) supporting new truck programs
- Established delivery plans, capacity models and risk mitigation strategies to meet cost, quality and schedule commitments
- Worked closely with customers, internal cross-functional leadership teams and suppliers to ensure alignment on scope, milestones and deliverables
- 2009–2023Details
Daimler Truck Innovation Center India, Mercedes Benz R and D India
Technical Expert
- Led design, development, and validation of low- and high-voltage electrical distribution systems for global commercial vehicle platform
- Delivered 5 major global wiring harness programs across Asia, Europe, and South America, coordinating with suppliers and internal stakeholders
- Contributed to product and project roadmaps, implementation strategies, KPI definition, and governance models
- Owned the technical deliveries across concept design, RFQs, supplier engagement, prototype builds and series production
- Championed integration of 2D and 3D design environments, improving collaboration between design, validation and manufacturing teams
- Drove continuous improvement initiatives, resulting in 30% reduction in design and validation cycle time
- Ensured adherence to Design for Quality (DFQ) gates and engineering release milestones
- Acted as a senior technical authority and mentor, supporting capability building and knowledge transfer across teams
- 2007–2009Details
CoreEL Technologies India
Application Engineer
- Designed cable harness solutions for clients including Mercedes-Benz, Gulfstream Aerospace, and Eicher Motors
- Supported customer programs through design execution
- 2005–2007Details
NMTronics India
Service Engineer
- Supported installation and commissioning of equipment and machinery used in motherboard manufacturing
Education
- 2000–2004
SRM Engineering College, Chennai, India
BE Mechanical
Rewards and Recognition
Recognized for delivery excellence and cross-functional collaboration
Lead the Employee Engagement Program at the department level
Languages
- English - Professional
- Tamil - Native
- Kannada - Fluent
- Hindi - Fluent
- German - Basic