RICHARD LA
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
San Diego,CA
Summary
Hardworking Senior Mechanical Design Engineer with 10 years of experience in Design for Oil and Gas Industry. Proven success in long-term Complex Projects as well as Replacement Part Solutions. Skilled on-time delivery of solutions for aftermarket form, fit, function replacement and repairs dedicated to best-in-class work.
Overview
2
2
Languages
6
6
Certifications
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
Solar Turbines, Replacement Parts Solutions
San Diego, CA
04.2020 - Current
- Exceeded Expectations in Year End Review and Promoted to Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
- Solidified as Subject Matter Expert for Design and Manufacture of Engine Handling Kits, Trolleys, and Hoists, Filters, Motors and Valves.
- Primary Support for Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Metal-Flex, Nomex, Teflon, and PED certified Hoses.
- Introduced alternative Static-Free Filters Elements for Lube Oil, Gas Fuel, and Liquid Fuel Filter Housings for accommodating safety in older packages.
- Successfully Peer Check work of High Dollar and High Volume commodities not limited to: Filter Housings, Lube Oil/ Gas Fuel Filter Housings, Space Heaters, LO Heaters, LO Cooler, Motors, Pumps, and LO Coolers, Valve Actuators.
Design Engineer
Solar Turbines, Service Parts Engineering
San Diego, CA
06.2014 - 04.2020
- Authored Technical Letter and Service Bulletin for Start Motors on 5 Cold End Drive Engine types and created Gathering Kit solution as direct replacement.
- Delivered replacement solutions at different levels within an average Total Cycle Time of 30 days via solutions such as: Part to Part, Gathering Kit, Sub Assembly, End of Life, and Conditional replacements.
- Daily Tasks included Delivering Designs and Peer Checking for colleagues designed solutions, training 5+ colleagues on Service Parts Engineering Process, Back-up for Chairing Daily Scrum meetings.
- Daily Change Admin III tasks: Complete Engineering Change Notice audits, created Development Queue Engineering Change Requests, and assigned Tasks to peers.
Staff Engineer II, Contractor
Volt Management Corp, Solar Turbines
San Diego, CA
10.2013 - 06.2014
- Reduced common errors in each revision of Mechanical Interface Drawing (MID) by ensuring high level of built in quality goes into implementing changes by triple checking markups are properly incorporated before MID goes through each Engineering Tollgate.
- Collaborated with various Package Design Engineers, Ancillary Design Engineers, Frame Design Engineers, Package Manufacturing Engineers, Enclosure Engineers to accurately update and produce detailed engineering drawings.
- Created following engineering drawings to support Sales Order and Standard Engineering Groups: 3D Models, Mechanical Interface Drawings (MID) – 25 Released, Shop Floor Drawings, Drafting Part and Drafting Assembly Drawings, Technical Illustration Drawings, Loose Shipped sheets – Lube Oil cooler, Fire Cabinets, Motors, Pumps, Transmitters, Frame Fabrication and Machine Level Drawings.
- Beta Tester for creating drawings in PLM's Linked Libraries with models and same revision letter and number iterations.
- Testing electronic Kanban Board for Design Services Department to increase initial velocity for designers to switch between ECTs.
Assistant Project Manager, Contractor
Solar Turbines, Oil & Gas Business Management
San Diego, CA
07.2011 - 10.2013
- Set aggressive targets for employees to drive company success and strengthen motivation
- Lead on 3 Complex Projects, Supported on 11 Project
- Provided administrative and technical support throughout project phases from booking to commissioning
- Traveled internationally and domestically to Dubai, U.A.E and Houston, Texas for face to face interactions with key industry customers in engineering meetings including: Customer Kick Off Meetings, Design Reviews, Hazardous Operation Meeting, and Package Acceptance Tests
- Supported Project Engineer (PE) and Project Managers (PM) by initiating and following through successfully on actions for technical issues addressed by Solar Engineering Team (Hydromechanical DE, Package Mechanical DE, Controls DE, Package ME, Controls ME, Ancillary DE)
- Led weekly customer teleconference meetings, taking minutes with multiple domestic customers to close out action items and address customer concerns including but not limited to following to procurement of on time dimensional drawings and electrical schematics, relevant revision incorporating changes, Certification dossier for Hazardous Equipment
- Early and ongoing high level engagement with PM, PE, and project team during, Tollgate 1, Tollgate, Design Review Meetings, and package build
- Distributed 200+ transmittals to customers, received and distributed commented mark ups to internal project team or third party suppliers, and redistributed revised drawings to customers
- Authored Solar Turbines Custom Feature 19520 v.-12, now a standard detailing of Solar Algerian ARH Certification and Inspection process for use in future Algerian projects
- Coordinated international customer visits, engineering meetings, and various inspection test points
- Chaperoned customers at Solar Turbines Kearny Mesa Facility between customer offices and turbine packages for inspection tests
- Additional Support:
- Completed ISA Instrument data sheets for total of over 800 package instruments including solenoid valves, pressure safety valves, temperature switches, pumps, fire eyes, pressure and temperature transmitters, flow meters, and etc
- Collaborated with MID Quality Lead and Six Sigma Black Belt to review MIDs and provided feedback for improving MID quality and thus creating MID Quality Gate
Sub-Team Leader Thailand Water & Energy Project
Engineers For A Sustainable World, UCSD
San Diego, CA
09.2010 - 07.2011
- Led Hydro-Electricity Team to design and build prototype for 5 kW hydro-electric generators driven by local water stream.
- Fundraised over $3,000 from various sponsors including The Bill Clinton Global Initiative to finance prototype and final design.
- Team Leaders Attended 2011 Clinton Global Initiative University hosted by UCSD .
- Traveled internationally to Chiang Mai, Thailand in order to collect field data for properly sizing water turbine, alternator, gearbox, converter, and battery supply.
- Engineered working hydroelectric generator powering UV filters to provide 150 families with 720 gallons of clean water per hour.
Team Leader- Global TIES - One Village Philippines
Gawad Kalinga (Non-Profit), UCSD
San Diego, CA
03.2010 - 06.2011
- Led team of multidisciplinary engineers to design and build community of standard homes for 30 families with engineered systems in place for lasting success
- Implemented long term sustainable housing plan by creating village structure to include health clinic, tutoring center, waste management system, bio-slow sand filter, use of sustainable materials and wind powered energy.
Concept Designer
Water Distribution, Eng. Without Borders (UCSD)
San Diego, CA
03.2010 - 06.2010
- Designed pipe system to pump, transfer, sanitize, and distribute water from water well 1.5 miles away and over mountains at elevation 6,000 feet above sea level.
- Presented sponsors with cost benefit analysis for efficient piping route and distribution system for delivering water to 3,000 residents while staying within financial budget set by sponsors.
Project Leader
Portable Oxygen Delivery System, MAE 156A/B (UCSD)
San Diego, CA
12.2009 - 06.2010
- Managed team to design and fabricate hardware and software for medical product with large market potential to intelligently and efficiently deliver oxygen to patients with special needs.
- Designed, drafted in CAD, and printed 3D-prototyped ABS plastic enclosure to house hardware components that included rechargeable battery, control valve, pressure sensor, and printed circuit board.
- Collaborated with development engineer, electronics advisor, and controls advisor to meet project milestones in project schedule while updating sponsors bimonthly on improved design proposals, proof of concepts, and project deliverables.
Team Member - Turn Table Robot Competition
MAE 156A (UCSD)
San Diego, CA
09.2009 - 12.2009
- Designed, manufactured, built, tested, and optimized transfer mechanism operating within set of parameters with limited material resources.
- Optimized transfer time from 23 to 11 seconds by CNC machining preliminary foam designs for testing before implementing final designs on limited acrylic materials.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
University Of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CASkills
Six Sigma (Yellow)
ERP BAAN 5C (and INFOR LN)
PTC Windchill
SolidWorks 3d Models
PTC Creo Drafting and Modeling
Design for Manufacturability
Bill of Material (BOM)
Project Lifecycle Management
Office 365: Excel, Outlook, Word, Power Point, Teams
Change Management
Quality & Safety
C/ C
Lean principles knowledge
Accomplishments
- Clinton Global Initiative Project Sponsored Entry in 2011
- Created Bills of Materials (BOM) and certifications for numerous part to Kit Replacement solutions for Turbine Start Motor components
- Resolved a Lube Oil Block Regulator supplier modification that had created 10 years of issues on critical system part; Thus leading to a retrofit kit solution as a direct replacement solution for all customers
Certification
Certified Engineer-In-Training (E.I.T. #137889)
Timeline
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
Solar Turbines, Replacement Parts Solutions
04.2020 - Current
Design Engineer
Solar Turbines, Service Parts Engineering
06.2014 - 04.2020
Staff Engineer II, Contractor
Volt Management Corp, Solar Turbines
10.2013 - 06.2014
Assistant Project Manager, Contractor
Solar Turbines, Oil & Gas Business Management
07.2011 - 10.2013
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (Solar Turbines Certified)
07-2011
Clinton Global Initiative University Member
04-2011
Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity (ΕΔ Chapter, Γ Class)
09-2010
Engineers for a Sustainable World, (Project Sub-team Leader)
09-2010
Sub-Team Leader Thailand Water & Energy Project
Engineers For A Sustainable World, UCSD
09.2010 - 07.2011
Global Teams in Engineering Science
03-2010
Team Leader- Global TIES - One Village Philippines
Gawad Kalinga (Non-Profit), UCSD
03.2010 - 06.2011
Concept Designer
Water Distribution, Eng. Without Borders (UCSD)
03.2010 - 06.2010
Project Leader
Portable Oxygen Delivery System, MAE 156A/B (UCSD)
12.2009 - 06.2010
Team Member - Turn Table Robot Competition
MAE 156A (UCSD)
09.2009 - 12.2009
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
University Of California - San Diego