Joe Stangel

About

Bringing professional design skills to all levels of an organization. Breaking down silos to engage and align individuals into a cohesive, high-performance team. Turning design inward to create workplaces that are sustainable, holistic, and future-focused. In my previous experience as a Head Route Setter, I led growth and continuous improvement initiatives for the route setting department of a climbing gym quickly expanding. I cultivated a healthy, psychologically, and physically safe environment and mentored route setters in their professional development as movement designers. I applied forward-thinking concepts of Design Thinking, User Experience Design, and Lean Manufacturing to create a team of high performers responsible for creating engaging experiences for our community of climbers. Experience in industries such as strategic design, user experience design, mechanical engineering, and climbing wall drafting.

Experience

• Experienced Route Setter · Touchstone Climbing2024-07-01 –

  Create high quality climbing experiences.

• Strategy Design Intern · Barco2023-09-01 – 2023-12-01

  Conducted Market Research, Competitor Analysis, and User Research within the Digital Arts & Entertainment Industry. Developed a Go to Market Strategy for next gen display management technology.

• Climbing Wall Drafter · EP Climbing USA2022-08-01 – 2022-10-01

  Draft architectural drawings for the construction of climbing walls.

• Taproom Back of House Support · MadTree Brewing Company2022-04-01 – 2022-08-01

  Coordinate with production to manage the beer, wine, and pre-batched cocktail inventory of the on-site taproom. Clean and maintain 32+ taps of beer, wine, and cocktails.

• Health and well-being · Career Break2021-05-01 – 2022-08-01

  Took time off to address a number of personal health issues that limited my ability to perform the roles I wanted to pursue.

• Interim Retail Coordinator · Edgeworks Climbing + Fitness2021-01-01 – 2021-03-01

  Stepped up to organize the retail department for the Tacoma location during the merger and addition of 2 new locations. Created Communication Systems used by retail associates and other retail coordinators. Crafted a Product and Sales strategy for climbing shoes and harnesses. Organized product displays and merchandising. Ran Promotions that successfully cleared dead stock.

• Head Route Setter · Edgeworks Climbing + Fitness2016-08-01 – 2021-03-01

  Managed a team of 6+ route setters to design, build, and iterate upon the climbing experience for a commercial climbing gym. Set 3 days a week for a gym with 17,000 sq/ft of climbing space for both rope and bouldering terrain with grades up to V10 and 5.14. Increased the route setting team's productivity by over 100% over the course of the 2 years leading up to the facility enlargement. Built yearly growth & development plans that look towards the future of the industry and how to capitalize on growing trends. Developed mentorship plans for new setters to quicken their transition onto a professional team that values communication, empathy, creativity, and attention to detail. Developed a structured path for personal and professional development within the route setting department. Cultivated a progressive and transparent workplace environment by setting clear expectations, providing multiple avenues for feedback, acknowledging places for improvement, and putting in the work to be a better leader for my staff. Developed and implement Standard Operating Procedures for the Route Setting department. Managed the staff schedule and payroll budget. Lead the route setting department through a 7,000 sq/ft expansion with new rope terrain up to 45 feet tall. Prepared the hold order in order to maximize the number of holds while staying under budget. Developed the new grade curve, route density, and setting schedule for the entire facility. Planned the opening set and transition to the new route density. Manage Route Setting Presence on Instagram and Facebook. Responsible for all climbing related facility maintenance and inspections. Chief yearly Blacklight Bouldering Competition and other special events throughout the year.

• Travel · Career Break2016-01-01 – 2016-06-01

  I traveled around the world for 5 months. Starting in Japan for 2 weeks, I then travelled around South East Asia for a couple months before going to Nepal to hike to Everest Base Camp. I then went to the Middle East and visited Oman and Iran. I am proud to be one of the few Americans that has visited Iran and had an amazing experience there. After my 2 weeks in Iran, I went to Turkey and finally Germany and France, before flying back home.

• Design Engineer · Bosch Automotive Steering2013-10-01 – 2016-01-01

  Over 4000 hours of 3D Modeling experience with Siemens Unigraphics NX 8/9 working with single parts, complex assemblies, and FEA simulations. Acquired a major new business contract that resulted in a 50% growth for the Steering Column department. Developed a new steering column design allowing for 70% carry-over of existing components, saving over $3 million in new tooling costs. Coordinated Six-Sigma project to assess the robustness of high risk sub-systems to identify issues during manufacturing and assembly. Utilized Design For Manufacturing and Assembly and Lean Manufacturing procedures throughout the Bosch Automotive design process.

• Lead Route Setter · Urban Krag Climbing Center2013-04-01 – 2016-01-01

  Create Top Rope and Lead Climbs graded from 5.6 to 5.13 and up to 55 ft tall. Create Boulder Problems graded from V0 to V10. Mentor employees in the craft of Route Setting and Rope Access.

Education

• Politecnico di MilanoMaster's degree, Strategic Design
• CourseraUser Experience Design, User Experience Design
• Green River CollegeArchitectural and Civil Drafting, Architectural and Civil Drafting
• University of CincinnatiBachelor of Science - BS, Mechanical Engineering
• University of CincinnatiBachelor of Applied Science - BASc, Mechanical Engineering

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