Lead a talented team - and keep your hands on the technology
ZebraTech is a highly innovative Nelson-based company that designs and manufactures rugged scientific instruments used for underwater environmental monitoring and research around the world.
Established in 1998, ZebraTech is an international leader in its field, serving industries including aquaculture, marine science, water quality monitoring, coastal research, port operations and environmental management. Our products are developed and manufactured at our Nelson premises for customers around the world.
We are looking for a hands-on Manager and Electronics Engineer to run our Nelson operation. You will be a genuine people person who enjoys leading a team as much as solving a technical problem.
About the Role
This is a combined role. You will run the business day to day, leading a small team of seven specialist staff across electronics, production, design and software engineering, while also providing in-house electronics engineering for production. Management makes up at least half the role, with the balance spent on hands-on electronics work.
Reporting to the Director, you will be well supported: administration, and payroll support are outsourced, leaving you free to focus on people, production, customers and engineering.
Key Responsibilities
About You
You are a people person first and an engineer at heart. Your background is in electronics engineering, ideally in a manufacturing environment, and you have moved into leading teams because people enjoy working with you. You are excited by electronics, technology and getting the quality right, and you are happy to roll up your sleeves alongside the team.
You will ideally bring:
Essential Skills & Attributes
Desirable
Why Join ZebraTech?
If you are a hands-on electronics engineer who enjoys bringing out the best in people and you are ready to take on a broader management role, we'd love to hear from you.
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in New Zealand.
For confidential enquiries, please contact Sacha MacDonald 027-386-9288 or alternatively you may apply with your cover letter and resume via our application portal. All enquiries and applications will be treated in strict confidence.
Applications close: 16th November 2026
ZebraTech is a highly innovative Nelson-based company that designs and manufactures rugged scientific instruments used for underwater environmental monitoring and research around the world.
Established in 1998, ZebraTech is an international leader in its field, serving industries including aquaculture, marine science, water quality monitoring, coastal research, port operations and environmental management. Our products are developed and manufactured at our Nelson premises for customers around the world.
We are looking for a hands-on Manager and Electronics Engineer to run our Nelson operation. You will be a genuine people person who enjoys leading a team as much as solving a technical problem.
About the Role
This is a combined role. You will run the business day to day, leading a small team of seven specialist staff across electronics, production, design and software engineering, while also providing in-house electronics engineering for production. Management makes up at least half the role, with the balance spent on hands-on electronics work.
Reporting to the Director, you will be well supported: administration, and payroll support are outsourced, leaving you free to focus on people, production, customers and engineering.
Key Responsibilities
- Leading, mentoring and developing a team of creative, highly motivated technical staff
- Building a positive, collaborative culture where people are consulted on decisions that affect their work
- Setting performance objectives, running reviews, and leading recruitment and induction
- Planning the production schedule, setting priorities and leading production and stock meetings so orders are delivered on time and to quality
- Managing customer and reseller relationships, quoting and pricing, and providing technical support
- Providing hands-on electronics support to production, including fault-finding and test
- Managing circuit board production files and documentation, and board manufacture with contract manufacturers
- Working alongside our contract electronics engineer to allocate and prioritise electronics work
- Managing RoHS, CE and other product certification and compliance
- Leading health and safety on site and driving continuous improvement
- Reporting to the Director on production, sales, staffing and key risks
About You
You are a people person first and an engineer at heart. Your background is in electronics engineering, ideally in a manufacturing environment, and you have moved into leading teams because people enjoy working with you. You are excited by electronics, technology and getting the quality right, and you are happy to roll up your sleeves alongside the team.
You will ideally bring:
Essential Skills & Attributes
- Demonstrated experience leading, supporting and developing a technical team
- A genuine people person and a good listener who makes people feel comfortable and gets along with a wide range of personalities
- A hands-on approach and a willingness to work at the bench as well as at the desk
- Proven experience as an electronics engineer in a manufacturing or product development environment
- Practical fault-finding, test and circuit board documentation skills
- A confident decision maker and independent thinker who follows through on commitments
- The ability to see the bigger picture while also keeping an eye on the details that matter
- A strong commitment to product quality and reliability
- Confident and approachable
Desirable
- Experience working with contract circuit board manufacturers
- Knowledge of RoHS, CE and product certification requirements
- Experience in production planning, scheduling and stock control
- Customer-facing experience, including quoting and technical support
- Interest in science, technology or environmental monitoring
- Enthusiasm for the marine and outdoors lifestyle that Nelson offers
Why Join ZebraTech?
- Lead a respected New Zealand technology company with worldwide reach
- Work on innovative products that contribute to environmental science and research
- Join a friendly, capable team who take pride in building things properly
- Enjoy a real balance of leadership and hands-on engineering that keeps your technical skills sharp
- Administration and payroll support already in place, so you can focus on people, product and customers
- Work from our Nelson headquarters in one of New Zealand's most desirable regions
If you are a hands-on electronics engineer who enjoys bringing out the best in people and you are ready to take on a broader management role, we'd love to hear from you.
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in New Zealand.
For confidential enquiries, please contact Sacha MacDonald 027-386-9288 or alternatively you may apply with your cover letter and resume via our application portal. All enquiries and applications will be treated in strict confidence.
Applications close: 16th November 2026