Who we’re looking for
We’re looking for a hands-on electronics technician to build, test and fix the electronics on the Kea Atmos and its test rigs. You’ll work alongside our electrical engineers to turn their designs into wiring harnesses and working boards, and see your work go from the bench to the aircraft.
What you’ll be doing
Solving problems with our electrical engineers and integrating avionics into the Kea Atmos and ground systems
Testing and debugging new PCBs
Maintaining and expanding our Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) test platform
Building high-reliability wiring harnesses for our aircraft
Running the supply chain for avionics and harness components, from sourcing and bills of materials (BOM) through to suppliers and stock
Taking ownership of avionics tools and workspaces, maintaining a clean and well-organised environment
Creating build procedures, work instructions and test documentation for our avionics hardware
Supporting flight testing
What you’ll bring
Relevant technical qualification: diploma or degree in electronics or similar
5+ years’ experience building, testing and repairing electronics, ideally in an R&D or prototyping environment
Experience reading schematics and wiring diagrams
Hand soldering, SMT assembly and rework
Competent using standard electrical test instruments such as multimeters and oscilloscopes
Careful, accurate workmanship, and safe practices around power, grounding and ESD
Experience writing work instructions and build procedures
Experience managing components, inventory, suppliers, or production materials
Clear written and spoken English
Nice to have
Experience with UAV or other custom-built electronic systems
PCB design experience in Altium or similar
Lithium battery pack assembly
RF system installation and coaxial harnessing
Experience with communication buses (e.g., CAN, RS-485, I2C)
Python, C or C++, ideally for automating test procedures
Our process is a short screening call, then an interview that may include a practical test. Any offer is conditional on reference checks, a criminal record check and the legal right to work in New Zealand.
About Kea Aerospace
At Kea Aerospace, we’re on a mission to create insights from the stratosphere that will improve life on our planet. We are developing the Kea Atmos, a solar-powered, remotely piloted stratospheric UAV designed to fly continuously for months at a time. Operating at around 60,000 feet above sea level, the Atmos will deliver high-resolution aerial imagery for maritime surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster management, and more.
In February 2025, our Mk 1 became New Zealand’s first solar-powered aircraft to reach the stratosphere. We’re continuing to fly the Mk 1 on projects with NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), while designing the Mk 2.