RPA Engineering offers on-site engineering and project management services to assist our clients with their day-to-day needs. On-site project engineers and project managers come from a variety of backgrounds and can handle many different types of projects. Our engineers are there throughout the entire life cycle of a project, from project conception through project completion. Our project engineers can assist clients with concept development, establishing project budgets and schedules, funding requests and purchase requisitions. On-site Project Managers provide contractor oversight and installation supervision along with managing project close-out procedures.
One of our on-site Engineering Project Managers is John Weinheimer. John has a background in mechanical engineering and has been with RPA for over 25 years joining the team in May 1996. He has been on-site for much of his time at RPA. He currently works on-site at a large pharmaceutical manufacturer.
We interviewed John to provide more insight and learn more about what our on-site engineers do!
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy seeing the progress a project makes and getting to see it to completion. Being on-site you can see all aspects of a project, which you don’t necessarily get to see in design. It is also interesting to deal with the daily trials and tribulations being on-site. You also get a lot of hands on experience being on-site.
What is the hardest part of your job?
One of the most challenging things about my work is implementing and making design changes during a project. It can also be difficult to communicate with all relevant members of the team the status of specific areas, such as when they are closed. Another challenge is managing resources and planning around when people take time off.
What part of your job on-site were you most prepared for?
I have been on-site for over 10 years and every year I feel more prepared for on-site work. I have a good understanding of designs because of my engineering and design background. This has helped me to be prepared for on-site project management.
What parts of being on-site have been the biggest learning curve for you?
One of the biggest learning curves for me have been recognizing how integrated all jobs and activities are on a site. Another learning curve have been keeping up with documentation and protocols.
What skills have you developed on-site to make you a better overall engineer?
From an engineering perspective, I have gained skills in the constructability of designs. From a project manager perspective, I have gotten better at communicating with all different kinds of people.
What did you want to be when you grew up and why?
I wanted to be a marine biologist. Growing up, my family had a beach house. I also love animals and nature so marine biology was my interest.
When did you decide you wanted to become an engineer?
In high school, I figured out that I wanted to be an engineer. My dad was an engineer and attracted me to the field.
If you or your company is interested in learning more about RPA Engineering’s On-Site Engineering and Project Management Services, email info@rpaengr.com.
