Non Linear Engineer Podcast

Jose and Tony interview Diego about his path in engineering and migration. Diego, a mechanical engineering graduate from Venezuela, moved abroad in 2017, first to Argentina seeking automotive work but joining Spirax Sarco in the steam and heat-transfer industry. He describes working in thermodynamics-driven steam systems across many industries, first as a project coordinator managing turnkey boiler and steam distribution projects from design through installation and commissioning, then later moving to Valencia, Spain. After a year in a fast-paced startup environment, he returned to Spirax Sarco as a field service engineer, troubleshooting boilers, instrumentation, and commissioning onsite with fewer resources and greater customer pressure. He shares a stressful boiler level-control commissioning case ultimately traced to a design sizing issue, and reflects on cultural differences, reinvention, flexibility, resilience, and advice to keep a vision while staying open to unexpected opportunities. 00:00 Meet Diego 00:47 Early Engineering Spark 01:59 Leaving Venezuela 05:03 Landing First Job 06:21 Steam Industry Basics 08:38 Mechanical Skills Applied 10:40 Back to Spain 14:05 Project Manager Life 18:25 Two Countries One Company 20:32 Reinventing Yourself 24:08 Startup Teaser 24:39 Startup Laundry Franchises 27:14 US Expansion and COVID Crash 28:48 Startup Business Model Talk 29:52 Engineering When Things Fail 32:11 Boiler Commissioning Nightmare 35:55 Root Cause Design Sizing 39:22 Career Advice Stay Flexible 41:44 Always Explore Opportunities 42:52 Thanks and Wrap Up   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE012 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean  

In this episode, Tony and Jose sit down with Dr Joseph, a principal technical advisor and advisory lead for Natural Power Ireland, to discuss his extensive background in energy and environmental engineering. Joseph shares his academic journey from undergraduate studies focused on converting natural energy into electricity, to his work in consultancy and asset management in the UK's energy sector. He delves into his groundbreaking postgraduate research on using lunar soil to create reflective surfaces for solar PV systems, which gained recognition from the European Space Agency and led to a PhD. Joseph explains the intricacies of due diligence in renewable energy projects and reflects on the importance of passion in one's career #continue to our LinkedIn   00:00 Introduction and Greetings 00:19 Jose's Professional Background 01:24 Early Career in Energy Consultancy 02:06 Transition to Asset Management 03:06 Academic Pursuits and Teaching 03:34 Postgraduate Research and PhD Journey 04:06 Lunar Regolith Research 07:13 Teaching and Lecturing Experience 08:12 Challenges and Rewards of Teaching Mathematics 15:16 PhD Research and Its Impact 15:58 Lunar Regolith as a Construction Material 27:17 Complexities of Scientific Research 28:57 Reflective Surfaces and Solar PV Systems 35:24 General Misconceptions About Science 39:24 Efficiency in Engineering and Its Implications 42:15 Rebound Effects of Energy Efficiency Policies 47:39 Historical Context of Climate Change 51:14 Challenges in Renewable Energy Development 56:59 The Role of Due Diligence in Renewable Projects 01:08:40 Career Advice and Personal Reflections 01:23:42 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE011 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Oscar Herrera-Granados, a Hydraulic Engineer and Senior Lecturer at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, as a special guest on the pod.    Oscar started his engineering career after graduation in his home country Mexico. He moved to Europe more than 20 years ago to pursue his career, initially to Germany for further study and eventually settled in Poland. In addition, he had collaborated with Brunel University for hydraulic engineering research while he was in England recently .    The conversation touches on several fascinating topics, including several severe floods events in Europe, climate change impacts and the importance of natural flood management as a mitigation going forward. At the end, he even admitted his ‘regret’ of not listening to his older colleagues when he was young, and how to bridge the gaps #continue to our LinkedIn   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE010 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean  

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite César Pateiro, Chief Engineer in one of the most famous franchises in the world, as a special guest on the pod.  Join us as we dive into the incredible journey of César, a mechanical engineer whose career has taken him from Venezuela to Scotland, with impactful stops in Mexico and Spain. Along the way, César has gained invaluable experience in high-stakes industries, operating in some of the world’s most challenging environments.  #continue to our Linkedln    Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Nandana Shankar, an Associate Scientist at the Functional Genomics Centre at Cambridge, as a special guest on the pod.  The conversation touches on several thought provoking topics, including stereotypes of stem cells and CRISPR baby. Nandana also revealed how her mother has helped her to align her interests in biology and mathematics with the further studies, but she has resisted the peer pressure by choosing a different career path #continue to our Linkedln page   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE008 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Cassim Kazee, Principal Civil Engineer at Motts MacDonald, as a special guest on the pod. Cassim started his engineering career in 1995, a year after Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first black president. After a rapid rise in terms of job profiles, an impromptu conversation made him pivot and took a step down by coming to the UK in 2008. The conversation touches on several fascinating topics, including the socio-economic background of South Africa at that time, cultural inclusion in the engineering consultant workplace, projects from Sweden to Shetland, and his advice to young engineers on how to control where their career goes #continue to our Linkedln page   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE007 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean

In this episode, Jose and Tony chat with Noel Jose, a mechanical engineer expert on auxiliary system working for an important defence company in the UK  Noel shares his journey from his home country to settling in Glasgow after taking on £30,000+ in debt. The conversation touches on several fascinating topics, including his experience working for a defence company, life as an international student, and how his mother inspired him to become a mental health first aider #continue to our Linkedln page   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE006 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Euan, Civil Project Engineer at SSEN Transmission, as a special guest on the pod. They dive deep into Euan's 20 odds years of civil engineering career as a consultant and things that went well and wrong! And how he juggled the demands between the family and working from home during the first Covid lockdown. This episode was certainly the most casual conversation that we have had to date #continue to our Linkedln page   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE005 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Kathy, Project Controls Associate at Ocean Winds, as a special guest on the pod. They dive deep on how she managed to get back into Engineering after a long career break and how the engineering industry has been supportive to help her reach her full potential. They'll talk about Kathy's involvement in Moray West Offshore Wind Farm - a 60-turbine fixed-bottom site which, in 2024, is quickly advancing in its final construction phase #continue to our Linkedln page   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE004 - Linkedln   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Alrazi, Civil Engineering Lecturer at University of the West of Scotland, as a special guest on the pod. They’ll talk about Alrazi’s struggles in his first year of civil engineering undergraduate study back in Syria, his interest on all things transportation was the result of an atypical teaching from Prof Sati Badawi. The reason he chose to pursue his love of transportation in a MSc degree in Advanced Mechanical Engineering instead of civil engineering, a continuation of further research that earned him a PhD in Civil Engineering #continue to our Linkedln page   Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube   Show Notes NLE003 - LinkedIn   Listen on: Apple Podcast Spotify Amazon PodBean