Scott Neil
Halifax
Summary
Technical Program and Compliance Leader with extensive experience in delivering mission-critical systems across diverse sectors. Successfully led teams through complex regulatory landscapes, achieving FDA clearance with no review comments. Expertise in EMC, product safety, and risk management drives effective product development from concept to launch.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Compliance & Safety Manager
SharkNinja
01.2024 - Current
- Led regulatory and compliance strategy for the company’s first medical device, achieving FDA clearance with no review comments
- Directed global compliance efforts across multiple regions including FCC, CE, CB Scheme, NOM, BIS, CCC, and other international regulatory frameworks
- Served as primary interface with certification bodies and test laboratories, ensuring alignment of engineering decisions with evolving regulatory requirements
- Drove resolution of complex late-stage compliance challenges, preventing certification delays and maintaining product launch timelines
- Translated regulatory standards including IEC 60601, 62304, 10993, and 62471 into actionable engineering and validation requirements
- Oversaw product risk assessment activities including DFMEA, issue tracking, and reliability validation strategies to enhance compliance readiness
- Conducted supplier and factory assessments in China to support manufacturing quality and compliance readiness
- Resolved critical EMC and power-quality failures during third-party certification testing, facilitating successful certification of multiple product variants
Manager, Product Development / Quality Engineering
SharkNinja
01.2021 - 01.2024
- Promoted into leadership role overseeing product quality and development processes for Ninja cooking appliances
- Led cross-functional design reviews, DFMEA sessions, and validation planning to improve product performance and long-term reliability
- Managed product risk lifecycle, ensuring thorough issue tracking, failure analysis, and reliability testing
- Partnered with engineering and manufacturing teams to improve product robustness and reduce field failure risk
- Created product definitions and engineering specifications to direct development teams in achieving high-quality execution
- Worked closely with testing teams to create validation plans designed to stress products beyond expected use conditions
- Designed inspection procedures and quality validation methods for manufacturing and pre-shipment testing
Product Development / Quality Engineer
SharkNinja
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Supported end-to-end product development activities from concept through production for Ninja cooking products
- Developed design validation and quality test plans, enhancing product durability and real-world performance
- Designed and implemented a controlled-environment product test system during COVID shutdowns to maintain continuity of development and validation work
- Designed competitor thermal mapping methodology using 20-thermocouple array to analyze cooking performance and inform future product design strategy
- Conducted supplier and manufacturing assessments, ensuring improved production quality and process consistency
Compliance Engineer
Comark LLC
01.2014 - 01.2018
- Managed certification processes for UL, FCC, CE, and military standards, ensuring compliance with MIL-STD-461, 810, 167, 740, and DOD-STD-1399
- Led compliance efforts for industrial systems supporting U.S. Navy submarine applications, ensuring adherence to stringent military and safety standards
- Conducted compliance testing for EMC, HALT/HASS, temperature, humidity, and vibration, verifying adherence to regulatory standards
- Collaborated with engineering teams to integrate compliance considerations early in system design for mission-critical applications
- Developed certification strategies that aligned with product development timelines, facilitating timely product releases
- Collected and analyzed certification data from in-house and third-party testing laboratories to support product approvals
EMC Program Engineer / EMC Shift Supervisor / EMC Compliance Test Technician
National Technical Systems
01.2006 - 01.2014
- Led EMC testing and validation programs for aerospace and military systems to ensure compliance with stringent industry standards
- Diagnosed complex electromagnetic failure modes, providing engineering recommendations that enhanced compliance outcomes
- Supervised technical teams, ensuring consistent execution of emissions and susceptibility testing methodologies to meet project requirements
- Performed military and aerospace testing to MIL-STD, DO-160, Boeing, and Airbus standards
- Developed and maintained automated test profiles and calibration systems to improve testing efficiency and data accuracy
- Supported customers during troubleshooting, recommending effective shielding, filtering, and surge mitigation strategies to resolve issues
- Operated advanced EMC and electrical test equipment including spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, transient generators, and programmable power systems
Strategic & Tactical Satellite Communications Operator / Maintainer
United States Army
01.2000 - 01.2005
- Operated and maintained mission-critical satellite communication systems supporting defense operations and command infrastructure
- Led teams in deployment, operation, and maintenance of tactical communication systems, ensuring mission readiness
- Executed troubleshooting, repair, and preventative maintenance to sustain operational readiness of communication systems
- Supported upgrades of satellite communication systems, assisting engineering teams with equipment integration and functionality validation
- Maintained COMSEC procedures and secure communication operations
Education
Engineering Physics Coursework -
University of Massachusetts Boston
Engineering Coursework -
MassBay Community College
DFMEA Certification Course -
Quality Training Portal
Skills
- Regulatory Strategy & Compliance
- FDA Medical Device Submission Support
- Product Safety & Validation
- Risk Management & DFMEA
- Global Certifications (FCC, CE, CB, UL, MIL Standards)
- Reliability & Environmental Testing
- New Product Introduction (NPI)
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Technical Program Leadership
- Product Development & Quality Engineering
- Root Cause Analysis & Failure Investigation
- Supplier & Factory Assessments
- EMC / EMI Engineering
- Systems-Level Troubleshooting
Websites
Phone - Number
(978) 504-1285
Selected Technical Achievements
- Led compliance and regulatory strategy for SharkNinja’s first medical device, achieving FDA clearance with no review comments
- Developed a multi-point thermal mapping methodology using a 20-thermocouple array to benchmark competitor oven performance, uncovering advanced temperature regulation strategies that influenced internal product design approaches
- Designed and implemented an in-home controlled-environment validation system during COVID shutdowns, enabling uninterrupted testing and more repeatable product performance evaluation
- Resolved critical late-stage EMC emissions failure during UL testing by implementing ferrite optimization changes, preventing delay of EU product launch
- Led troubleshooting and resolution of harmonics and flicker certification failures across multiple product variants through systems-level thermal analysis and revised test sequencing
- Supported development and compliance efforts for industrial systems used in U.S. Navy submarine applications
Timeline
Compliance & Safety Manager
SharkNinja
01.2024 - Current
Manager, Product Development / Quality Engineering
SharkNinja
01.2021 - 01.2024
Product Development / Quality Engineer
SharkNinja
01.2018 - 01.2021
Compliance Engineer
Comark LLC
01.2014 - 01.2018
EMC Program Engineer / EMC Shift Supervisor / EMC Compliance Test Technician
National Technical Systems
01.2006 - 01.2014
Strategic & Tactical Satellite Communications Operator / Maintainer
United States Army
01.2000 - 01.2005
Engineering Physics Coursework -
University of Massachusetts Boston
Engineering Coursework -
MassBay Community College
DFMEA Certification Course -
Quality Training Portal