FIRAS SALMAN, P. ENG.

DESIGN ENGINEER

PRODUCT MANAGER

Hello! I'm Firas

With over a decade of experience in product management and mechanical design engineering, I help businesses bring ideas to life at any stage of the product lifecycle, from discovery and development to launch and full-scale production, delivering innovative solutions that resonate with customer needs and fuel your business growth.

Design Engineer

Bringing ideas to life through creative engineered solutions. Proficiency in various CAD software, prototyping, detailed design and supplier/manufacturing support.

Product Manager

Leading product development from concept to launch. Expertise in market research, product strategy and user-centric product development and management

Expertise

  • Product Discovery

    Uncover market gaps through customer and competitive research to define key customer pain points and validate product-market fit through MVP testing and user feedback.

  • Product Management

    Develop long-term strategic roadmaps, prioritizing product and feature launches aligned with business goals and market conditions, taking products from MVP to full-scale deployment.

  • Data & Analytics

    Implement data-driven decision making frameworks and KPIs to measure product success, creating dashboards to monitor and improve product performance, and identify key opportunities for growth.

  • Concept Design

    Design early-stage product concepts for feasibility studies, developing specifications to define fit, form and function, helping streamline communications with prototype manufacturers and suppliers

  • Detailed Design

    Create high-precision 3D models and 2D technical drawings, converting concepts into detailed mechanical designs for prototyping and full-scale production

  • Production Support

    Liaise with manufacturers and suppliers to troubleshoot and resolve production issues, optimizing designs to streamline manufacture, assembly and quality assurance 

Services

I bridge the gap between vision and execution, whether by refining product strategy through market research and data-driven insights, developing concepts and detailed designs, or optimizing for manufacturing and scalability. My expertise spans product discovery, market and competitive research, product management, CAD development, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFM/DFA), prototyping, and production support, ensuring that every product is built for success

Here’s where I can help!

    • Customer research: Jobs, Pains and Gains

    • Market research: Market sizing and key vertical segments

    • Competitive research: Major competitors, key offerings and differentiators

    • Gap analysis

    • Product strategy and roadmap

    • Product requirements

    • Value proposition 

    • Business Model Canvas 

    • MVP scope development

    • Product Development

    • Take-to-Market

    • KPI Development

    • Data Analysis: YoY trends, Win/Loss, Financial Modeling

    • KPI Visualization Dashboards

    • Concept Design

    • Prototyping

    • Detailed Design

    • DFM/DFA

    • Supplier management

    • Manufacturing support

    • Engineering Change Management​

My Work History

  • A dynamic role managing a portfolio of products within the transportation sector, achieving growth through strategic product launches and feature introductions

    Key Achievements:

    • Managing a $155M portfolio, achieving 18% YoY growth by enhancing product value proposition to customers and establishing market differentiation

    • Launching a new national rail product targeting long-haul shipments across Canada, earning $1M in the first year of launch

    • Leading a cross-functional team to launch a new digital turnkey digital solution to tender shipments electronically, securing $5M in recurring revenue

    • Pioneering the launch of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), formalizing product requirements and productizing services resulting in a 4% increase in on-time performance, a key metric in transportation

  • Qumi Beirut (Rise Up, Beirut) is a fundraising initiative dedicated to supporting relief efforts in Lebanon after a severe explosion occurred in August of 2020

    Key Achievements:

    • Launched an online store within one week of conception, collaborating with Lebanese designers and developing product lines, raising $3,000 CAD in donations in the 1st month of sales

    • Creating marketing campaign strategies to increase growth and engagement, maintaining a conversion rate above 3.0 %

    • Managing communications with customers, suppliers, and collaborators (artists and influencers) through social media 

  • A freelance engineering contract role with Aerotek and their clientele in the Aerospace sector, in which my focus was on structural design of aircraft components, installations and refurbishment

    Key Achievements:

    • Championed aerospace design solutions, delivering robust designs that mitigated defects and achieving a 95% adherence to scheduled deadlines

    • Analyzed functional product requirements and produced detailed manufacturing designs that minimize cost by 35% while meeting strict customer and regulatory requirements

    • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop viable design solutions that are feasible to fabricate and that target customer pain points, deployed across 7 different aircraft

  • A role focused on manufacturing support in which my mandate as the representative of the engineering team was to liaise with manufacturing teams to understand and resolve emergent production issues 

    Key Achievements:

    • Resolved design and production issues through root cause analysis and solution design, ensuring flaw-free products, and a reduction in product cost by 10%

    • Spearheaded cross-functional initiatives resulting in a 15% improvement in product delivery time, aligning with organizational goals of efficiency and customer satisfaction

    • Implemented hands-on training protocols for new hires, strategically delegating tasks to accelerate skill acquisition and onboarding time by 40%

  • My mechanical design role at Safran Aerospace (formerly Zodiac Aerospace) focused on the design of high-end business jet interiors, including cabinetry, galleys and lavatories ​

    Key Achievements:

    • Directed an adept team of 8 mechanical engineers in pioneering net new product designs 

    • Led cross-functional workshops, uncovering avenues for cost reduction and addressing design defects and production challenges through design reducing annual expenditure by $150,000

    • Deployed as a key Engineering liaison across three facilities in the USA, facilitating design reviews and training sessions to align manufacturing processes and quality standards

  • A role focused on configuring custom solutions using Diversi-Tech Inc's suite of industrial ventilation products (paint booths, fume extractors, down-draft tables)

    Key Achievements:

    • Configured custom industrial ventilation products based on pollutant type, physical
      constraints and power requirements to meet customer needs

    • Created and operationalized product specific testing processes, which identified product defects, reducing delivery of defective equipment by 12%