Vignan Reddy Thanugundla

Engineering Lead (Automation and Software) @ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions

Detroit, MI, US

Stepped into a leadership vacuum after pandemic-era attrition eliminated Zeiss IQS\'s controls engineering expertise. Rebuilt the entire function from scratch — restored in-house technical ownership, created engineering standards, and transformed delivery reliability and profitability across precision metrology automation.Lead a cross-functional team of 7–10 controls, automation, and software engineers across two teams while serving as the technical authority for automated CMM systems. Reduced projects running at a loss from 20% → 3% by redesigning the quoting, RFQ, and technical review process Improved project margins from 11–15% to 25–27% through systems re-architecture, software optimization, and supplier engagement Founded and leads a reskilling program training veterans, interns, and junior engineers in PLC programming, automation, OOP, and electrical design Replaced traditional PLCs with industrial PC NUCs running custom Codesys firmware and built a deployment UI to push updates without an IDE — significantly reducing controls costs Integrated an AI vision part validation system to verify loaded parts against active programs — reducing probe crashes and material waste Cut debug and troubleshooting time by 50% through modular HMI templates with guided diagnostics Received the Zeiss Man Award — recognized company-wide for exceptional customer focus and results