Intermediate to Senior Project Engineer

JKI; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A software consulting firm in Walnut Creek is seeking an experienced Project Engineer with strong LabVIEW skills. The role involves leading customer projects, designing and implementing software solutions, and managing project scope and budgets. Ideal candidates will have at least 5 years of industry experience and strong communication skills, alongside a Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field. The position requires on-site work at customer locations within the San Francisco Bay Area and offers opportunities to tackle meaningful technical challenges.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of industry experience using LabVIEW.
• NI Certified LabVIEW Developer (CLD) or equivalent skill.
• Strong project management skills and communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead customer projects, managing scope, milestones, budgets, and deadlines.
• Design and implement software solutions using LabVIEW and Python.
• Collaborate with customers throughout the project lifecycle.

Skills

LabVIEW expertise

Project management

Communication skills

Object-oriented programming

Education

Bachelor of Science in an engineering or science related field

Tools

Source code control

Issue tracking software

Job description

About JKI

JKI is a software consulting firm headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, with an additional office in Mountain View, California. Established 25 years ago, the company specializes in developing software solutions, architecting systems, and designing user interfaces to automate, test, and control systems using LabVIEW and Python. JKI serves industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, biotech, and semiconductors.

JKI helps customers design and build bespoke measurement, test, and control systems, from early R&D prototypes through production deployment. Our work centers on system and software design, with hardware advisory provided when customers need guidance selecting the right platform to meet their objectives. We are known for rapid iteration, LabVIEW software engineering best practices, FPGA and real-time development, data and signal processing, and extending instrumentation software with web, mobile, and cloud technologies. We have also developed products like VIPM, PyTEL, STAR-GOAT, TuCAN-View, and the JKI Security Suite, and we continue to push the LabVIEW ecosystem forward with AI initiatives like Jake, our interactive AI assistant for LabVIEW development.

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced project engineer with strong LabVIEW skills and a solid software engineering foundation to join our team and lead customer projects. You will own the technical execution of client engagements, contributing to both mature codebases that require thoughtful evolution and greenfield projects where you will help shape the architecture from the start. You will work closely with customers and project managers to deliver high quality solutions on time and within budget.

This role sits at the intersection of technical depth and project delivery. While the majority of your work will be hands on engineering, you will also manage customer communication, milestones, budgets, and deadlines as part of your ownership of the project.

San Francisco Bay Area local or willingness to relocate required. This role requires spending substantial time on-site at customer locations.

Responsibilities

As an Intermediate to Senior Project Engineer at JKI, you will:

• Work directly with customers throughout the full project lifecycle, from requirements gathering through implementation, delivery, and support
• Design and implement software solutions (primarily in LabVIEW, with Python where appropriate), applying object oriented design principles and sound software engineering practices
• Contribute to both mature codebases and new development efforts, using good judgment to balance long term maintainability with short term delivery needs
• Manage project scope, milestones, budgets, and deadlines, keeping customers and internal stakeholders aligned throughout the engagement
• Collaborate with project leads and teammates using source code control and issue tracking to coordinate work and communicate progress

Qualifications

Required Skills

• Bachelor of Science or higher in an engineering or science related field
• At least 5 years of industry experience using LabVIEW
• NI Certified LabVIEW Developer (CLD) or equivalent demonstrated skill level
• Solid grasp of object oriented programming in LabVIEW (LVOOP) and of general software engineering fundamentals
• Understanding of industrial communication protocols and buses (CAN, ModBus, TCP/IP, UDP, RS-232, GPIB, ...)
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage customer communication, milestones, budgets, and deadlines
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to interact directly with customers and project managers
• Comfortable spending substantial time working on-site at customer locations
• Proficient with source code control and issue tracking

Additional Skills

Candidates may also have:

• NI Certified LabVIEW Architect (CLA) designation (a definitive plus)
• Experience in semiconductor, biotechnology, or defense industries
• NI Certified LabVIEW Embedded Systems Developer (CLED) designation
• Experience programming applications in Python
• Experience evolving and refactoring mature LabVIEW codebases
• Familiarity with secure coding practices and static analysis for LabVIEW (for example, using the JKI Security Suite)
• Awareness of cybersecurity compliance frameworks relevant to mission‑critical software (NASA NPR 7150.2, NIST 800‑53, DISA STIG, CWE Top‑25)
• Active involvement in the LabVIEW Community (vipm.io, LAVA, NI Forums)

Why Join Us

Are you an experienced engineer looking to take ownership of meaningful projects and work directly with customers solving real technical challenges? Do you want to apply your software engineering expertise in an environment where your architectural decisions and project judgment genuinely matter?

At JKI, we help customers build world‑class measurement and control solutions. We work with automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, biotech, and energy industries to deliver cutting‑edge solutions that accelerate product development and deployment.

Note: We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this position. JKI will consider accommodations for disability and religious‑based reasons.

JKI is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.