Hangar Tech Lead

Airbus Australia; RNZAF Base Ohakea Transmitting Station; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Airbus New Zealand is seeking an Aircraft Technical Lead to provide oversight and leadership for the RNZAF Pilot Training Programme. You will supervise specialist maintenance on the RNZAF T-6C Texan fleet and ensure airworthiness, turn times, and cost targets are met.

You will lead a team, guide maintenance practices, review signatory tasks, and drive safety and quality across QMS and SMS integration. Strong communication and autonomous work in a deadline-driven environment are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years post-apprenticeship technical or maintenance experience in aviation.
• NZ recognised Aeronautical Engineering certificate (Level 4) or CAANZ AME Licence.
• Senior-level competence in aircraft and component maintenance, inspections and servicing.
• Experience leading or supervising an aviation maintenance/manufacturing team.
• Be familiar with Beechcraft T-6C or Pratt & Whitney PT6 engines is desirable.
• Familiarity with technical data, drawings, bulletins and aviation regs for signatories.
• Commitment to safety, quality and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate workflow, distribute tasks, estimate labour hours and set team expectations.
• Provide signatory responsibilities for technical work per manuals, procedures and regs.
• Assist with scheduling priorities to meet forecast flying commitments with planners.
• Authorize timesheets and leave requests and review overtime requirements.
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, on-the-job training and handovers.
• Conduct defect reporting, write-ups, task certifications, IIVAS inspections and RTS.

Skills

Aviation maintenance

Technical leadership

Quality assurance

Regulatory compliance

Technical drawings

Signatory duties

T-6C experience

Education

Aeronautical cert L4

Job description

Airbus New Zealand is a leading aeronautical business employing people across multiple sites in Australia and New Zealand.

At Airbus our people are the source of our strength. Our people work with passion and determination to make the world a more connected, safer and smarter place in the air and on the ground. We celebrate diversity of thought and we are committed to fostering a culture where our people are supported, our teams have the space and tools to be creative and have the courage to challenge the norm.

Te Whiwhinga a mahi | The opportunity

As the Aircraft Technical Lead, you will work closely with a large and inclusive team of technical experts focused on success. You will provide technical oversight, leadership, and supervision to enable aircraft and components to be released back to service as airworthy in support of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Pilot Training Programme.

Reporting to the Team Lead T6 Ohakea, you will lead, manage, and carry out specialist maintenance on the RNZAF T-6C Texan fleet. You will support the Team Lead to deliver planned and unplanned maintenance within targets set for turn time, materials, and labour costs.

This will include:

• Coordinating section workflow, distributing tasks, estimating labour hours, and setting clear team expectations.
• Carrying out tasks and fulfilling signatory responsibilities for technical work practices in accordance with technical manuals, company procedures, OEM approvals, and aviation regulations.
• Assisting with scheduling priorities to meet forecast flying commitments in consultation with Maintenance Planners.
• Authorising timesheets and leave requests, and reviewing overtime requirements.
• Providing technical guidance, mentoring, on-the-job training, and shift handovers.
• Conducting defect reporting, write-ups, task certifications, IIVAS inspections, and compiling Authorised Release Certificates (RTS).
• Driving a culture of continuous improvement, safety assurance, and active integration of Quality (QMS) and Safety (SMS) Management Systems.

To be successful in this role, it is a requirement to be able to work in a team environment, have well-developed relationship skills as well as good verbal and written communication skills. You will need to be someone who is able to work autonomously and to tight deadlines and work comfortably in a continuous improvement work environment. The skills and experience best suited to this role:

• Minimum of 5 years' post-apprenticeship technical or maintenance experience in the aviation industry.
• NZ recognised Aeronautical Engineering certificate (minimum Level 4), completion of ex-military technical training, or a CAANZ AME Licence.
• Senior-level competence and knowledge in aircraft maintenance, component maintenance, routine inspections, and servicing.
• Proven experience leading or supervising a maintenance or manufacturing team within aviation.
• Experience with Beechcraft T-6C aircraft or Pratt & Whitney PT6 series engines is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with technical data, drawings, bulletins, and statutory aviation regulatory requirements relating to signatory responsibilities.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.

We seek to inspire our people to grow, so you have the right mindset, behaviours and skills to thrive and achieve the organisation's goals whilst being focused on your personal development through classroom and online learning.

We value the health and wellbeing of our employees and offer true flexibility that allows you to balance your career with what is important to you outside of work. We will celebrate your successes and achievements with a formal reward and recognition programme.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment and are continually striving to improve our gender balance. We welcome and encourage females to apply.

Applicants must be eligible to work in New Zealand and be able to obtain and maintain High Level Security Clearance from the NZDF. Candidates must also have the capacity to satisfy pre-employment medical screening, which may include drug and alcohol testing.