With more than 25 years of experience across manufacturing, healthcare, research operations, and strategic systems engineering, Eric Ellinghysen brings a rare blend of technical depth, operational insight, and practical problem‑solving to every engagement. His career spans roles in world‑class organizations including Mayo Clinic, IBM, Bosch, Oshkosh, CalAmp, and SPX, where he led complex development initiatives, redesigned high‑volume production systems, improved clinical research operations, and delivered measurable gains in efficiency, quality, and throughput.
 

Eric currently serves as a Senior Health Systems Engineer and Instructor in Health Care Systems Engineering at Mayo Clinic, where he has driven enterprise‑level improvements in clinical trial development, IRB performance, digital research strategy, and cancer center operations. His work has reduced trial startup timelines by more than 40%, improved first‑pass IRB yield from 25% to 50%, and helped shape governance, staffing models, and digital capabilities across the research shield.

Before entering healthcare, Eric spent nearly two decades in manufacturing engineering and operations leadership, specializing in plant layouts, lean transformation, capital equipment justification, new product introduction, and process optimization. He has supported more than 50 product development teams, redesigned production lines to reduce lead time by over 20%, and led warranty reduction initiatives achieving more than 30% improvement.
 

Eric holds a BS in Industrial Engineering and a MS in Management: Digital Transformation in Healthcare. He is certified through the Mayo Clinic Quality Academy (Bronze and Silver Fellow) and trained extensively in Lean, FMEA, 5S, and project management. His work has been published in peer‑reviewed literature, and he has mentored engineers, developed enterprise training programs, and contributed to major institutional transformation projects.
 

Northern Light Engineering & Consulting LLC reflects Eric’s commitment to practical, data‑driven solutions, clear communication, and a hands‑on approach to improving systems — whether in manufacturing, healthcare, research, or emerging operational environments. He partners with organizations that need thoughtful analysis, structured problem‑solving, and a steady guide to navigate complex operational challenges.