James Zapico, PE
Engineering leader with a 15+ year track record of leading
multi-disciplinary teams through complex, high-stakes engineering
projects. Expert in strategic planning, organizational transformation,
and leveraging patented innovation to deliver significant business value
and fiscal growth.
james.zapico@gmail.com • +1
(281) 889 7329
Executive Profile
- Strategic Leadership: Proven ability to define and
execute engineering strategy, leading multidisciplinary teams through
complex challenges, including corporate acquisitions and high-stakes
product launches.
- Business Acumen: Expertise in project cost
estimation, budget management, and proactively identifying business
risks and opportunities to increase efficiency and revenue.
- Team & Talent Development: Skilled in mentoring
and empowering high-performing teams, fostering a culture of ownership
and accountability, and recruiting top-tier talent.
- Complex Problem Solving: A history of applying
advanced engineering principles to troubleshoot and solve high-stakes
technical problems, developing novel, patented solutions in the
process.
Skills
Leadership & Management
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Fiscal and Resource Management
- Team & Organizational Development
- Stakeholder Management & Client Relations
- System Integration & Process Optimization
- Talent Acquisition & Interviewing
- Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration
- Organizational Transformation
Engineering & Technical
- Steel Structural & Mechanical Engineering (FEA, GD&T)
- Hydraulic Sizing & Circuit Design
- Forensic Root Cause Analysis
- FDM 3D Printing, Prototyping
- Patent Development
Experience
Hydraulics/Control
Systems Project Engineer @ Patterson-UTI Drilling
Houston, TX: June 2023 - Present
Directed
multi-disciplinary technical and vendor relationships.
- Directed cross-functional efforts with external
vendors and partners to ensure deliverables were complete, compliant,
and fit for purpose, resulting in a $40,000 cost savings from a single
design correction.
- Enhanced operational reliability by producing and
revising regular maintenance documentation and improving documentation
for new software features.
- Provided critical technical guidance on a range of
challenges from HVAC to hydraulic plumbing and VFD performance, ensuring
project continuity and successful outcomes.
- Spearheaded the development cycle for new software
features, from writing requirements to guiding development, testing, and
commissioning.
Mechanical
Engineering Manager @ Sarcos Technology & Robotics Corporation
Salt Lake City, UT: November 2021 - May 2023
- Proactively assessed and communicated strategic
risks to leadership, including the lack of clear requirements
and product direction, demonstrating critical foresight and business
acumen.
- Drove engineering excellence by evaluating
conceptual designs and mentoring a team of direct reports and project
contributors, fostering individual growth and accountability within a
“Helix”-style assignment system.
- Championed talent acquisition and development,
successfully defining hiring profiles and advocating for valuable team
additions, contributing to a stronger engineering bench.
- Served as Principal Investigator on a
government-funded project, securing additional funding and demonstrating
technical leadership.
Project Engineering
Manager @ Schlumberger
Houston, TX: March 2014 - November 2021
Directed
development of next-generation mechanical/structural projects.
- Transitioned from Senior Engineer to Project Engineering
Manager, retained as a key employee during the acquisition of
T&T Engineering to lead the design and development of the “Rig of
the Future” project.
- Provided on-site leadership as the engineering
representative at the rig-up yard, adapting to dynamic
challenges and providing immediate, multi-disciplinary solutions to
maintain project momentum.
- Orchestrated a cross-functional team to debug
complex electrical and hydraulic issues, collaborating with programmers
and engineers to correct systemic problems and improve operational
efficiency.
- Championed a strategic material handling solution,
advocating for and designing a new hydraulic subsystem for a knuckleboom
crane, proactively solving a critical project challenge.
- Led two full engineering improvement cycles, from
initial structural and hydraulic analysis to post-operational design
enhancements, demonstrating a commitment to continuous product
optimization.
- Applied advanced FEA and welding engineering
principles to proactively identify potential weld problems
during the New Product Development phase, preventing costly failures in
later testing.
- Submitted 6 patents in the fields of hydraulics,
electrical engineering, and virtual reality, showcasing a commitment to
innovation and intellectual property development across engineering
domains.
Senior
Engineer/Project Engineer @ Loadmaster Engineering
Houston, TX: Summer 2007 - Spring 2014
Directed
R&D for next-generation drilling equipment.
- Led the company’s transition to 3D CAD, helping to
establish best practices and developing new workarounds and techniques
to maximize the efficiency of the new software.
- Engineered key components for major rig projects
including the Liberty Island and Sakhalin Island rigs, large-scale,
arctic-rated, seismic-design land rigs with a 1.5 million pound hook
load capacity.
- Designed an innovative substructure for the Doyon Rig
25, creating a cantilevered design that utilized the adjacent
pipe house as a counterweight to safely manage severe loads.
- Directed technical documentation and communication
for a massive offshore platform project, significantly improving the
quality and clarity of technical content from a remote team in
Beijing.
- Promoted to Senior Engineer/Project Engineer to
lead the “AlphaRig” project, managing a team of 15 engineers and
technical staff across multiple locations to design the company’s
next-generation rig.
- Presented technical designs and project plans to C-level
executives, including the VPs of Chevron and the presidents of
various vendors, demonstrating strategic communication and stakeholder
engagement.
- Contributed to the development and securing of 3
patents in the fields of mechanical and control systems,
demonstrating innovation in a core engineering function.
Education & Professional
- Licenses
-
Professional Engineer: Texas, Colorado
- 2007
-
Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University (College Station, TX)
Patents & Applications
- US12392225B2 - Power Management
at a Wellsite - application in efficient electricity production,
submitted 2020
- US20210198980A1 -
Method and system for generating virtual reality images of a drilling
rig site, submitted 2019
- US20190352979A1 -
System for Moving a Transfer Bridge Crane, submitted 2018
- US20180149175A1 -
Metering Fluid to a Fluid Actuator, submitted 2016
- US10458439B2 - Metering fluid to
fluid actuators, submitted 2016
- US9168962B2 - Drill Rig
Relocation System, submitted 2015
- US8936424B1 - Vertical Pipe
Handler with Pivoting Arms and Smart Grip, submitted 2012
- US9212526B1 - Portable moveable
horizontal to vertical pipe handler, submitted 2012
- US8949416B1 - Master control
system with remote monitoring for handling tubulars, submitted 2012
Professional
Development & Technical Interests
I maintain a passion for continuous learning through a variety of
technical hobbies that reinforce skills in emerging technologies and
complex problem-solving.
- Rapid Prototyping & Digital Fabrication:
Hands-on experience with 3D printing for design validation and
understanding manufacturing workflows.
- Applied Programming: Development of scripts and
applications in C++, Python, and other languages for data analysis and
system control.
- System Administration: Building and maintaining a
personal server environment to deepen knowledge of networking and
security.
- Renewable Energy Systems: Independent study into
photovoltaic and battery backup systems, including data analysis and
design.
The latest version of my resume is always available at resume.jameszapico.com.