James Zapico, PE
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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
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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
Led productization of a complex robotics platform.
•	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.
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The latest version of my resume is always available at resume.jameszapico.com.