Aircraft Maintenance Technician

Matchbox; Christchurch, Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Dawn Aerospace in Christchurch is seeking an Aircraft Maintenance Technician to maintain the Mk-II spaceplane and its ground systems, perform pre-flight and post-flight tasks, and support flight operations.

You will work closely with flight crew and engineers, follow procedures, document activities, and help develop maintenance manuals while improving safety and reliability in a fast-moving aerospace programme.

Qualifications

• Hands-on aircraft/space system maintenance/assembly experience.
• Excellent attention to detail and precise documentation.
• Safety-focused mindset with ability to escalate issues.
• Experience following and contributing to maintenance procedures.

Responsibilities

• Carry out pre-flight, post-flight, turnaround, and ground operations tasks such as propellant handling and system checks.
• Perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on the Mk-II spaceplane and related systems.
• Follow approved checklists, procedures, and safety controls during flight test operations.
• Record maintenance and ground operations activities accurately in logbooks and documentation.
• Support development of Mk-II maintenance manuals and training material.
• Participate in reviews of lessons learned from flight testing and maintenance.
• Drive maintenance planning with feedback on timing, tooling, and risks.
• Maintain housekeeping, tool control, and maintenance discipline.

Skills

Safety mindset

Hands-on maintenance

Attention to detail

Procedural follow-through

Cross-discipline collaboration

CAA Part 102

LAME qualifications awareness

Education

Existing LAME qualification

Job description

# Aircraft Maintenance TechnicianDawn AerospaceOn-site • Christchurch, Canterbury, New ZealandFull-time## Role OverviewAt Dawn Aerospace, we are building the future of space access through the Mk-II Aurora, a reusable, rocket-powered spaceplane designed to operate with the frequency, responsiveness, and practicality of aircraft. As we continue to expand flight operations and advance the Mk-II programme, we are seeking an Aircraft Maintenance Technician to play a key role in preparing, maintaining, inspecting, and operating the spaceplane and its supporting ground systems.This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys working directly with hardware, solving problems at the point of use, and contributing to the development of a new generation of aerospace operations.The successful candidate will be a core member of the Flight Operations team, supporting both day-to-day maintenance activities and the continual improvement of maintenance processes as Dawn scales towards increasingly frequent flight operations. This role reports to the Flight Operations Team Lead and works closely with stakeholders across the wider Spaceplane programme.We are looking for someone who combines technical competence with a practical mindset. You will be comfortable following established procedures, identifying and addressing issues before they become problems, maintaining accurate records, and contributing ideas that improve safety, reliability, and operational efficiency. Success in this role requires adaptability, attention to detail, and a willingness to take ownership in a fast-moving aerospace programme.If you're motivated by working on cutting-edge flight hardware, enjoy turning plans into operational reality, and want to help build the maintenance foundations that support high-cadence reusable spaceflight, we'd love to hear from you.What You’ll DoFlight operations support* Carry out pre-flight, post-flight, turnaround, and ground operations tasks such as propellant filling on the Mk-II spaceplane and associated systems.* Conduct maintenance activities, such as inspections, servicing, and recovery activities.* Follow approved checklists, procedures, work instructions, and safety controls during flight test operations.* Identify, report, and help resolve issues that could affect aircraft readiness or operational safety.* Maintain clear communication with flight crew and ground crew during flight operations.* Ensure tools, equipment, consumables, and ground support systems are available, serviceable, and ready for use.* Record maintenance and ground operations activities accurately in the appropriate logbooks and documentation.* Provide practical feedback from hands-on maintenance and flight operations activities, into procedural and process updates.* Support development of Mk-II maintenance manuals and maintenance training material.* Participate in reviews of lessons learned from flight testing, maintenance errors, and operational experience.Aircraft Maintenance* Drive production and assembly development, including wire harnessing, structural assemblies, and test rig builds.* Perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on the Mk-II spaceplane and related systems in accordance with the Maintenance Programme.* Work with design engineers to develop and refine maintenance procedures, inspection tasks, checklists, and work instructions.* Assist with defect investigation, rectification, inspections, functional checks, and return-to-service preparation.* Drive maintenance planning by providing practical feedback on task timing, tooling, access, and execution risks.* Maintain high standards of housekeeping, tool control, configuration control, and maintenance discipline.* Takes initiative to identify opportunities to reduce maintenance errors, improve turnaround efficiency, and make the aircraft easier to operate and maintainWhat We’re Looking For* A safety-focused mindset and willingness to stop, question, and escalate when something does not look right.* Ability to work across different disciplines (software, avionics, structures, propulsion, systems) with competing needs and priorities.* Hands-on aircraft and/or space system maintenance/assembly experience, ideally in flight-test, R&D, UAV, experimental aviation, and/or similar complex technical environment.* Excellent attention to detail and a strong habit of completing documentation correctly.* Ability to follow procedures carefully while also identifying where procedures need improvement.* Comfortable working in a fast-changing environment where systems, procedures, and responsibilities are still being developed.* Strong interest in aerospace, flight test, and/or novel technology is highly beneficial.* Prior experience with CAA Part 102 or equivalent uncrewed aircraft maintenance standards.* Existing LAME qualification.Diversity & InclusionAt Dawn Aerospace, we believe that diverse teams build better solutions. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences are valued and supported to do their best work.About Dawn AerospaceDawn Aerospace is a space transportation company with a purpose.Our mission is to enable the next generation of space users by providing more sustainable and scalable ways to access and move around in space. We believe this access, in the form of a transportation network, will fundamentally change what’s possible from space. We currently focus on three areas of space transportation:* In-space propulsionWe're a leading supplier of turnkey green propulsion systems for various classes of satellites. Our systems utilise safe, accessible propellants and we have over 170 of these propulsion units on more than 40 operational satellites already. A further 200 units are in production.* In-space servicingCoupled with our propulsion expertise, we are ensuring that our customers' satellites are refuellable. In the coming years, Dawn will offer a refueling service to enable life extension of customer satellites. This new market is aligned with our sustainability goal to ensue a clean and safe space for everyone!* SpaceplaneWe are developing the fastest and highest-flying aircraft ever to take off from a runway, combining the extreme performance of rocket propulsion with the reusability of conventional airplanes to enable high-frequency, low-cost access to sub-orbital space.Our international teams are distributed across four locations: the Netherlands, France, New Zealand, and the USA.Apply for this JobImportant!If you think you have what it takes but are unsure that you check every box, we still want to hear from you.To all recruitment agencies: Dawn Aerospace does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our job’s alias, our employees, or any other company location. Dawn Aerospace will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.## The Team You'll JoinSpaceplane Operations