Tag Archives: Engineer

Employee Stories: Peter, Utah Project Engineer

Peter grew up in Buffalo, Minnesota. His father, a mechanical engineer, influenced him to pursue a career in engineering. Peter attended Michigan Technological University, where he studied near the shores of Lake Superior. After graduating, he relocated to Utah with his girlfriend, Emma, and applied for a job with Janicki. Peter has worked as a Project Engineer for the past year, focusing on machining detailed metallic parts for aerospace, defense and other industries.

Driving Engineering Excellence

Peter’s work is dynamic and diverse. His day-to-day tasks range from building engineering packages based on customer requirements to sourcing materials, overseeing parts machining, ensuring quality and managing corrective actions. Peter thrives on the diversity of his responsibilities.

“The variety of what we do keeps things exciting. We work on projects across multiple industries, and within each project, there’s a wide scope of tasks,” states Peter, “I love how the challenges change daily— one day, you’re working at the computer, and the next, you’re spending all day in the mill. No day is ever the same.”

One of Peter’s favorite achievements at Janicki has been his work on detailed parts for a large-scale aircraft assembly.

“I love the complexity of it and seeing how the parts I’ve built fit into the bigger picture. Watching the entire engineering package come to life and integrate it into a real product has been cool,” Peter shares.

Support and Collaboration

During his first year at Janicki, Peter was required to gain new technical and interpersonal skills to manage projects successfully. From technical skills, like learning to design and program machines, to collaborating with different teams, Peter has grown into his role by expanding his skill set and overcoming new challenges.

“The best part of my job is the people,” he says. “We’re a team, and someone will always be there when things get tough. Their support makes all the difference.”

Peter shares some powerful advice for new engineers entering the field: “Be open and know that you have a lot to learn. Some things take time, but with patience and persistence, you’ll master them.” His words are a great reminder to embrace the learning curve, take ownership of their growth and stay resilient in facing challenges.

Utah National Guard

Peter’s military career began in 2018 when he joined ROTC with the intention of funding his college education. Over time, this initial motivation grew into a strong commitment to the community he found within the Army National Guard. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 2022, Peter currently serves as a maintenance control officer for the Utah Army National Guard, overseeing the workflow and maintenance processes within his unit. Through his service experiences, Peter has honed essential skills in leadership, professional communication and critical thinking—qualities he finds highly valuable in the civilian world. While Peter is focused on advancing his career with Janicki, his dedication to the military community remains an enduring part of his professional journey.

Beyond Work

Outside of Janicki, Peter embodies the spirit of adventure. In the winter, he often skis at Snowbasin, Nordic Valley or Brighton. In the summer months, he enjoys hiking in the mountains and fly fishing for trout. His creative side shines through in his love of cooking, which he shares with his girlfriend, Emma. Together, they are fostering a cat, who may end up sticking around as a purr-manent family member.

Interested in becoming a project engineer? Check out our Job Openings.

Employee Stories: Noah, 2024 Summer Engineering Intern

Noah on a hike at the top of Sauk Mountain

Noah at the top of Sauk Mountain

Noah attends Dordt University, where he studies mechanical engineering. This summer, he interned with Janicki as part of the space team, working on projects heavily focused on research and development.

“The large majority of the things I have been working on will be put into use,” shares Noah. “It is exciting to know that I am doing things that matter.”

Noah appreciated how his mentor helped him pick projects that the company needed, and that would give him a good experience. His team also supported

Noah working on his final project

his expansion of knowledge in engineering. Noah greatly enjoys the fast-paced work environment at Janicki and the value of the interns.

“You will stay busy and gain phenomenal experience,” says Noah.

In his free time, Noah loves hunting, fishing, hiking, and all things outdoors. He has loved that he can share these passions with his coworkers at Janicki.

Noah was featured in our 2024 Engineering Internship video. Watch the video below to learn more about his experience.

Are you interested in becoming an engineering intern? View our Job Openings page for our current open roles.

Employee Stories: Kayla, Project Engineer Lead

A Passion For Engineering

Kayla’s journey into engineering began at a young age, inspired by her father, who operates a family-owned metal fabrication shop. As a child and young adult, Kayla would often accompany him to work, lending a hand and soaking up the skills of the trade.

“At job sites, he would draw on a piece of napkin paper, sketching out what he would go back and weld or build,” Kayla recalls. “Watching my dad bring his vision to life was incredibly inspiring and is what sparked my interest in engineering.”

After graduating from Sedro-Woolley High School, Kayla pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in material science at Washington State University. She was one of four women mechanical engineers in her class, an accomplishment she holds with great pride.

“My advice for young women entering the engineering field would be to work hard and never doubt your place. Your dedication will earn you the success you deserve,” states Kayla.

From Intern to Full-Time Engineer

During the summer between her junior and senior years, Kayla returned to Skagit County and applied for an internship at Janicki. Familiar with the locally based company, she was excited to join the industrial team, which tackles diverse projects across various industries, from energy to transportation, architecture and marine applications.

“I really loved my internship,” Kayla reflects. “I enjoyed working on the industrial team because of the variety of projects.”

Six months after graduating, Kayla was offered a full-time position as a project engineer at Janicki. She started out working on a transportation project, managing schedules and mold fabrication for a composite bus. Kayla valued the opportunity to oversee every stage of the project from start to finish.

“As a project engineer at Janicki, you get to see our products evolve from initial concepts to final delivery,” she shares. “Many engineers don’t get that experience, which makes Janicki truly unique.”

Creating Unique Solutions

Among her many projects, Kayla particularly enjoyed working on large-scale composite artwork panels for the Bay Area Rapid Transportation (BART) system. These panels, made from infused fiberglass reinforced plastic and decorated with 2-tone gel coat artwork patterns, now hang from the ceilings of subway entrances around San Francisco.

“I take great pride in knowing that I helped engineer those panels and that they are enjoyed by many people daily,” Kayla says.

Life Beyond Engineering

Outside of work, Kayla embraces the outdoors, often found hunting, fishing, or spending time with her dogs and husband, Mike. Before starting college, she competed in professional rodeo and barrel racing, traveling across the western United States each summer. She still enjoys spending time with horses and is grateful for a career that supports her diverse passions.

We’re always on the lookout for talented engineers. Interested in joining our growing team? Apply on our Job Openings page.

Employee Stories: Madison, Project Engineer

Madison was at a Montana State University career fair when she first learned about Janicki. At the time, she was pursuing her master’s in mechanical engineering and looking for jobs to transition to after school. She spoke with a few Janicki employees at the booth and decided our variety of aerospace work sounded interesting, so she applied. A few weeks later, she had an interview and Janicki offered her a project engineer role. She accepted and relocated to Washington for the job in 2023.

Madison’s daily responsibilities involve using CAD software to design aerospace tooling projects. She enjoys the freedom to select how she manages her tasks and works on several projects simultaneously. Madison aspires to expand her role into leading projects from design to delivery.

“What I love most about engineering is that it combines creativity with mathematics to solve problems,” says Madison. “I enjoy that my role offers endless opportunities for the future.”

Madison’s trajectory into engineering wasn’t an initial certainty. Initially poised for a different stage, she once harbored dreams of a musical degree in choral studies. But the pull of mathematics and an enduring fascination with space beckoned her towards a new frontier—one where the sky wasn’t the limit but the starting point.

“In high school and through my undergrad years, I was captivated by the idea of becoming an astronaut,” Madison shares. “I still would love to do it.”

Beyond the rigors of her professional life, Madison is a tapestry of talents and interests. She enjoys sewing and has made her own clothing. Madison has played ice hockey since childhood and was even a member of her grad school’s D1 team! She also loves the outdoors and is an enthusiastic skier. She looks forward to hitting the slopes in Washington this coming winter.

We are thrilled to see Madison grow in her role, explore Washington, and continue to shoot for the stars. She may become the first astronaut to work at Janicki!

We are always on the lookout for talented engineers. Please visit our Job Openings page for more information on our available roles.

Employee Stories: Cesar, Project Engineer

Cesar’s connection to Janicki began while growing up in Anacortes, Washington. The company’s reputation was familiar with Janicki being a large employer in the Skagit Valley. After graduating with a materials science engineering degree from the University of Washington, that connection solidified at a career fair. Recognizing Cesar’s potential, Janicki offered him a project engineer role.

“When I first joined Janicki, I wasn’t certain about the type of engineering job I wanted,” shared Cesar. “But as I grew into my role, I realized I want to pursue this for the rest of my career.”

For three years, Cesar has worked at Janicki managing composite aerospace tooling projects, which the customer uses to lay up fly-away parts. He is currently working on an urban air mobility project that he’s very passionate about.

Cesar’s role encompasses managing the entire project’s life, from customer collaboration on design to final delivery. His meticulous oversight ensures the tool meets specifications throughout fabrication, quality checks, and shipment. He works with many manufacturing teams and other engineers to complete the project.

“I love the culture at Janicki. I’m surrounded by people that want me to succeed,” said Cesar. “My coworkers always have my back, and everybody has the same mentality about wanting to deliver an excellent product to the customer.”

When not at work, Cesar laces up his cleats as a forward on the company’s soccer team, which competes weekly in Bellingham. He also enjoys mountain biking and can often be found shredding the trails in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. He is also a member of JIBS, Janicki’s mountain bike club and maintenance shop.

Cesar recently returned from a trip to Lebanon to visit his extended family. Both of his parents are Lebanese, and Cesar speaks fluent Arabic. He was also born in Thailand before moving to the U.S., where his father worked at a refinery. His multicultural background is a source of pride.

We’re proud to have Cesar on our team, where his talent and passion fuel innovation.

Janicki has 1500 employees and growing. Join our team!