Associate Test Engineer

Mako; Sydney; On-site; AUD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible schedule

Public transport nearby

Team social events

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

MAKO, a Sydney‑based aerospace technology company, seeks an Associate Test Engineer to design, run and improve tests ensuring Flightfilm products and manufacturing systems meet stringent requirements. You will join the Product Engineering team and report to the Verification & Validation Team Lead.

You will contribute to test design, execute evaluations, analyse results, and document evidence to support decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience in a laboratory, workshop or test environment with data capture.
• Comfortable working with data and basic statistics using Excel, Python or MATLAB.
• Clear written communication in lab reports or project documentation.
• Curious, structured problem-solving approach and openness to feedback.
• Safety-conscious and able to follow procedures with technical equipment and chemicals.

Responsibilities

• Design, run and improve tests to prove MAKO's products and manufacturing systems meet requirements.
• Execute tests, experiments and investigations; analyse data and produce test reports and records.
• Assess and quantify test and project risk; update tests as criteria evolve.
• Support handover and customer delivery; develop SOPs and work instructions; perform post-delivery reviews.

Skills

Data analysis

Test design

Python

MATLAB

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Lab equipment

Job description

Associate Test Engineer

MAKO is an aerospace technology company focused on improving the efficiency of the global aviation fleet by bringing our shark-skin-inspired drag reduction product, Flightfilm, to commercial and defense aircraft. Flightfilm can deliver up to 4% efficiency gains, reducing carbon emissions by millions of tonnes every year. Founded and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, MAKO works with some of the largest airlines and aircraft manufacturers worldwide to deliver scalable, near-term efficiency gains for aviation that bridge the gap between today's operating fleets and the next generation of aircraft technologies.

Your Mission

We are looking for an Associate Test Engineer to design, run and improve the tests that prove MAKO's products and manufacturing systems meet requirements – generating the evidence that tells us Flightfilm is ready for real aircraft. This role is part of the Product Engineering team. You will report to our Verification & Validation Team Lead.

What You Will Do

• Contribute to the design of tests that demonstrate our products meet requirements. You'll help set, gather and document test requirements, and identify test methodologies that demonstrate conformity, with quality, regulatory and safety standards in mind
• Contribute to the design and execution of evaluation and problem-solving activities. You'll execute tests, experiments and investigations that gather meaningful evidence and drive decisions, and analyse data to draw conclusions and make engineering recommendations. You'll maintain traceable documentation and produce well-structured test reports, test records and meeting minutes that others can rely on
• Assess and quantify test and project risk. You'll assess the risks of developing new test methodologies and those that could impact test or project objectives, evaluate results against acceptance criteria, and keep tests and risks up to date as criteria evolve
• Support handover and customer delivery, and improve how we test. You'll help develop safe and effective standard operating procedures and work instructions, prepare testing documentation for customer deliveries, and perform post-delivery reviews that assess test results and recommend changes to the engineering development pathway

What Success Looks Like

First Month:

You'll spend your first few weeks getting to know our riblet film products, our manufacturing systems, and the test methods and equipment we use today. Once your safety inductions are done, you'll quickly learn where to find the safety and quality documentation you need and how to read it. Along the way you'll get to know the people you'll work with most, across Product Engineering, Materials, Manufacturing, Quality and Certification. With guidance, you'll start running existing test procedures to SOP and writing up test reports to MAKO's standards

First Six Months:

By now you're taking on small test projects, or pieces of larger test campaigns, and seeing them through to completion, prioritising by urgency, impact and what the team needs most. You'll have helped design and validate a new test from start to finish, from setting the requirements and methodology through to running it, analysing the results and making a recommendation. When a test or product doesn't behave as expected, you'll be part of the investigation and share what you find clearly with the wider engineering team

First Year:

You're owning a test project, or a well-defined part of a larger program, end to end. That includes the risk assessment, SOPs, work instructions and Quality Control points that carry it into manufacturing. You're also helping make our test and evaluation processes more efficient and reliable, and backing your ideas for change with evidence. You keep growing your technical and professional skills by setting goals and acting on feedback, and you're passing on what you've learned to the new interns and associates coming through

About You

• You have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science or equivalent
• You have hands-on experience in a laboratory, workshop or test environment, gained through study, thesis projects, placements, internships or work, with careful data capture and record keeping
• You're comfortable working with data, using basic statistics and tools such as Excel, Python or MATLAB to organise, plot and interpret results
• You communicate clearly in writing – for example, through lab reports, a thesis or project documentation
• You take a curious, structured approach to problem-solving, and you're willing to ask questions and act on feedback
• You're safety-conscious and comfortable following procedures when working with technical equipment and chemicals

Why You Should Join MAKO

Problems worth solving

Aviation has a burning fuel problem. The sector burns US$261 billion worth of fuel and emits a billion tonnes of CO2 in the process, yet the necessary decarbonisation technology levers are decades away, and emissions will continue to grow.

MAKO's mission is to improve the efficiency of the global aviation fleet by delivering emissions reduction without the associated 'green premium'. What we offer is comparable to new jet engines, but invisible and 100x cheaper. We'll make every plane burn less fuel, fly further, faster, and carry more.

MAKO is vertically integrated, meaning we design and develop our product, manufacture it, define the application methodology, and handle support. That means the work you do here goes directly into a product on a real aircraft.

Technology worth mastering

Our vertically integrated structure allows us to break down silos between teams, exposing each and every MAKO team member to expertise and developments in materials science, optics, fluid dynamics, and scale manufacturing.

Values worth holding

The MAKO team collectively enacts our Values of 'Lift over Drag', 'Active Transparency', and 'Change the Boundary Conditions'. These are not corporate platitudes - at MAKO, you'll see firsthand how our Values drive decision-making, unblock communications, and provide clarity in ambiguous situations, helping us to outperform industry incumbents many times our size.

Benefits worth realizing

• We offer flexible working arrangements so you can balance your work with your life outside the office.
• Our Sydenham offices boast an attractive location next to public transport and within a short walk to food and dining options.
• Each month, the team gets together for activities and social events, which helps us stay connected as we grow.
• You will also have access to our Employee Benefit Program and our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which gives you and your family free, confidential support when you need it.

MAKO is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from every background. Careers rarely fly a direct route, so if you're close but not a perfect match.