AIT Technician

HR Talent Partner SA; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 320,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

HR Talent Partner SA is assisting a renowned aerospace firm in Stellenbosch with a full-time AIT Technician position. The role covers hands-on assembly, integration, and testing of RF and digital communication units from engineering models to flight hardware.

The successful candidate will collaborate with production, quality, and development engineers to build, test, and troubleshoot units to space industry standards, contribute to process improvement, and support qualification campaigns

Qualifications

• Must have South African citizenship or valid work permit.
• Degree or equivalent in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience as an AIT Technician or similar with RF/comms.
• Experience in electronic engineering/manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Assemble, integrate, and test RF and digital units in production, including finepitch.
• Perform PCB and cable/harness assembly and mechanical integration.
• Conduct functional, environmental, and RF testing using lab equipment.
• Troubleshoot production failures to component level and document NCRs.
• Support industrialisation tasks, test jig development, and work instruction creation.
• Support product qualification and acceptance testing, including vibration, thermal cycling, and thermal vacuum campaigns.
• Maintain accurate build records and test data per quality system.

Skills

RF testing

Digital electronics

Troubleshooting

Fault-finding

Schematic interpretation

ESD safety

Education

B-Tech Degree / Advanced Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Tools

Spectrum analysers

Vector network analysers

Oscilloscopes

Power meters

Python-based test automation

Job description

AIT Technician position available in Stellenbosch.

A renowned aerospace and space technology company is looking for a AIT Technician to join their team on a full-time permanent basis in Stellenbosch.

Excellent salary on offer and internal career advancement opportunities.

Position Overview

As AIT Technician, you will be responsible for the hands-on assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) of RF and digital communication units, from engineering models through to flight hardware.

You will work closely with production, quality, and development engineers to build, test, and troubleshoot units to space industry workmanship and quality standards, and you will contribute to improving our production processes as we scale up manufacturing volumes.

This role suits an experienced technician who takes pride in precision workmanship, enjoys fault-finding on complex RF and digital hardware, and wants their work to fly.

Minimum Requirements

• South African citizenship or valid work permit.
• B-Tech Degree / Advanced Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, or equivalent qualification with demonstrable relevant experience.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience as an AIT Technician or in a similar position working with RF and communication systems.
• Experience working in an electronic engineering or electronic manufacturing environment.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in the space, defence, aerospace, or other high-reliability electronics industry.
• Experience with assembly, integration, and testing of flight or qualification hardware, including test campaigns such as vibration, thermal cycling, and thermal vacuum.
• Familiarity with quality management systems (ISO 9001 / AS9100) and configuration-controlled production documentation.
• Experience with conformal coating, staking, and bonding processes.
• Experience working in cleanroom or ESD-protected area (EPA) environments.
• Exposure to automated test equipment (ATE) and scripted test environments (e.g. Python-based test automation)

Technical Skills

• Electronic production and precision assembly of cable, and harness assemblies.
• Digital electronics and RF testing, including the use of spectrum analysers, vector network analysers,signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
• Component-level fault-finding on analogue, digital, and RF circuits using schematics and test procedures.
• Interpretation of engineering drawings, schematics, bills of materials, and work instructions.
• ESD-safe handling practices and moisture-sensitive device (MSD) handling.
• Computer literacy, including recording and reporting of test results.

Key Responsibilities

• Assembly, integration, and testing of RF and digital communication units in production, including finepitch
• PCB assembly work, cable and harness assembly, and mechanical integration.
• Functional, environmental, and RF performance testing of units using laboratory test equipment (e.g. spectrum analysers, vector network analysers, signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes).
• Troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of production failures down to component level, and documenting findings in non-conformance reports.
• Supporting the development team with industrialisation tasks, including test jig development, work instruction creation, and design-for-manufacture feedback.
• Supporting product qualification and acceptance testing, including thermal cycling, vibration, and thermal vacuum test campaigns.
• Maintaining accurate build records and test data in line with quality management system requirements.
• Handling flight hardware in accordance with ESD, cleanliness procedures.
• Contributing to continuous improvement of production processes, yields, and throughput.