Interview with Sanjay Patel, PE, Associate Principal
With nearly two decades of engineering experience, Sanjay Patel has long been a leader at VP Engineering. As the firm’s Associate Principal, Sanjay oversees staff to ensure complex engineering projects exceed client expectations and are completed on time and within budget. Sanjay is also a professional engineer and provides project management support to clients and VP’s engineering teams.
Having been with the firm for 15 years, Sanjay provides a unique view on what makes VP an exceptional place to work, how the company has evolved, and future growth opportunities.
Sanjay was led to VP because he wanted to work under a professional engineer and complete his engineering license. He had previously worked for a design/build contractor and did construction on one of the projects VP had designed. At that time, he was not only familiar with VP and the projects they were working on, but he also had the opportunity to work firsthand with their existing team. When an opportunity presented itself to join the firm, Sanjay immediately applied and made the move.
One of the things Sanjay enjoys most about working at VP is the family-type atmosphere. He shares, “I like that it seems less of a work environment and more like a friend/work environment.”
When asked about the work culture at VP, Sanjay shares it is a culture where everyone works collaboratively to meet quick deadlines. However, he notes, employees can still step back and talk to each other as colleagues and friends, which makes work fun.
Having joined VP when it was just 13 people, Sanjay has worked through the economic downturn in 2008 and the upsides of the growth that followed. As a management team member, Sanjay feels his personal role continues to grow as the company grows and shares, “I really enjoy working with people that have both moved up with the company and new designers. I enjoy seeing how they grow from the time they join the firm to their current roles.”
Looking across the spectrum of engineering firms in the Charlotte area, Sanjay notes VP offers truly valuable benefits to its employees, including competitive salaries, more flexibility than most firms, and opportunities for upward growth and movement.
He also notes VP is not just a strict office-type environment but a place where people can truly find a challenging work environment and grow with the company. With VP growing year over year, and expanding to new cities, there are increasingly more professional growth opportunities for both the leadership team and new employees. This translates to more opportunities to make high-level decisions, interact directly with clients, and influence the direction the company is going in the coming years.
As a whole, Sanjay believes VP offers the best of both worlds in consulting engineering – competitive pay, challenging work, a family environment, and an improved work/life balance. In his own words, “At VP, there is a loyalty with this company that, in my opinion, is unmatched for the type of work we do.”
About VP Engineering
VP Engineering is a premier MEP design firm offering engineering expertise in senior living, multi-family, hospitality, and retail/commercial markets worldwide. We have offices in Charlotte, NC and Dallas, TX and service clients throughout the Southeast. With experience in a wide range of building types, our MEP and Technology engineering services help clients keep projects on budget and achieve their goals. To learn more about VP Engineering and career opportunities with our team, we invite you to visit us at www.vpce.com.
