Shikhar Arora
Product Development and Innovation Lead | Cross-domain hardware systems | EV Safety Patent Inventor | Sustainability (LCA and EPD)
- Role
- Innovation Project Manager at MANN+HUMMEL
- Location
- Raleigh, NC, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Shikhar Arora
I lead cross-functional product development and innovation programs that translate complex customer needs into validated, market-ready solutions. My work sits at the intersection of engineering execution, product strategy, and sustainability across multiple domains, including electric-vehicle safety innovations, industrial and clean-air systems, and connected and controls-enabled products.Selected outcomes- Accelerated VOC-to-prototype learning cycles through benchmarking, hypothesis testing, prototyping, field evaluations, and data-driven iteration- Inventor on a granted US patent for an electric-vehicle safety innovation- Enabled customer and internal decision-making through cradle-to-gate LCAs across multiple industries, and supported multiple EPDs through LCA review and template completion- Strengthened product strategy and commercialization through market sizing, competitive benchmarking, and business case development- Improved proposal quality by creating a decision-support tool that quantifies lifetime, energy impact, and efficiency trade-offs for industrial filter system configurations.I am always open to connecting with teams building products where engineering, business, and sustainability must move together.
Experience
Innovation Project Manager
May 2021 — Present · Raleigh, NC, US
Relocated to MANN+HUMMEL headquarters in Ludwigsburg, Germany for a year-long assignment in 2023; based in Raleigh, NC otherwise.Led cross-functional product development from VOC and problem framing through concept, prototype, validation, and customer readiness across multiple domains.Inventor on a granted US patent for an electric-vehicle safety innovation; supported feasibility validation and customer engagement.Drove product strategy and commercialization support, including VOC synthesis, competitive benchmarking, market sizing, and business case development.Supported roadmap decisions for an industrial product line, including global market sizing (approximately $50M), competitive positioning, and feature and value definition.Executed VOC-to-prototype loops including surveys, instrumented prototypes, field evaluations, and iteration based on performance and user feedback.Developed a reduced-maintenance and self-cleaning concept to improve total cost of ownership; performed technology and cost comparisons plus freedom-to-operate assessment.Created a customer-facing tool to optimize industrial filter system configurations and quantify lifetime, energy impact, and efficiency trade-offs for proposals and warranty discussions.Delivered a customer-required control approach for an air system with IoT stakeholders; supported validation and customer acceptance with forecast volume above units.Supported RFQ-aligned technical proposals with sales and marketing to expand portfolio coverage in new and adjacent segments.Delivered cradle-to-gate LCAs across multiple industries for customer requests and internal decisions; streamlined LCA workflows and template completion.Supported multiple EPDs through timeline coordination, LCA review, template completion, and publisher coordination.Contributed to an EU-funded sustainability project on retrofit solutions to reduce emissions in semi-closed environments.
Education
North Carolina State University
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Mechanical Engineering
2014 — 2018
University of Michigan
Master of Engineering - MEng, Automotive Engineering
2018 — 2019
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