Ing. Michal Richtárik, PhD.

Engineering leadership in manufacturing environments, where technical decisions have direct operational and financial consequences.

Working context

My work sits inside foundry and manufacturing operations, where process efficiency, technical feasibility, and cost all meet in practice. The focus is rarely abstract. It is about making systems work reliably, documenting them properly, and improving them without disrupting production. I work close to both engineering detail and business constraints, often acting as the link between technical teams, suppliers, and customers.

Running engineering inside a foundry

In my current role, I am responsible for the technical and process side of foundry operations. This includes project management from early specification through supplier communication, cost calculation, and CAPEX planning. A large part of the work is assessing whether proposed solutions are technically feasible and then adjusting them to meet customer requirements without compromising production stability. The role also covers preparation of price quotations, management of technical and process documentation, and ensuring compliance with IATF requirements, including documentation standards and internal audits. I work extensively with SAP, creating and maintaining material data, bills of materials, routings, and production versions. Process changes are handled formally through change requests, feasibility commitments, and updates to P-FMEA analyses.

Engineering Manager, Booster Precision Components — 2022 to present

Where sales meets manufacturing reality

This role combined technical understanding with direct commercial responsibility. I actively worked on acquiring new business partners across several European markets, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark. Beyond initial contact, the work focused on building long-term relationships and expanding product portfolios in new markets. I prepared and presented commercial offers, proposed technical solutions, and developed cost calculations based on customer requirements. Part of the role involved introducing a new non-ferrous metal production line as part of manufacturing investments. Close cooperation with production and technical teams was essential, as was evaluating suppliers to improve both cost structure and component quality.

Technical Sales Representative, Medeko Cast s.r.o. — 2021 to 2022

From concept to serial production

Earlier in my career, I worked as a project engineer, developing technological solutions that balanced commercial expectations with manufacturing constraints. The work involved optimizing production processes and cooperating directly with customers during project launches. I was also involved in greenfield projects, taking them from initial concept through implementation and into serial production. This period shaped how I approach systems today: with attention to detail, documentation, and the long-term impact of early technical decisions.

Project Engineer, Medeko Cast s.r.o. — 2016 to 2021

Technical scope and daily tools

My day-to-day work takes place in structured production environments. I regularly work with SAP-based data, technical documentation, and process definitions. On the engineering side, I use CAD and simulation tools such as Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and ProCAST, depending on the task. Planning and coordination often rely on Microsoft Project and analytical work in Excel. These tools support the work, but the core remains decision-making around processes, feasibility, and change management.

Background

My background is in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. I completed both an engineering degree (Ing.) and a PhD in mechanical and manufacturing technologies at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Žilina. The academic foundation supports my work, but most learning has come from production environments and real projects.

Additional training

I participated in the Erasmus+ Protolab program at VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, focused on metal 3D printing, scanning, modeling, reverse engineering, and optimization. I also completed training in time studies, focused on objective measurement of time consumption in practical manufacturing settings.

Languages and licenses

I work in English at an upper-intermediate level (B2). I hold driving licenses for categories A, B, C, E, and T.