Ion Propulsion Production & Test Technician

Location: Auckland, New Zealand; onsite role

Company

hirify.global is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for missions ranging from Earth applications to exploration of the Moon and Mars.

What you will do

• Operate, calibrate, monitor, and maintain vacuum chambers used for full ion propulsion system acceptance testing.
• Execute test procedures, document results, and report anomalies or out-of-family data to engineering teams.
• Troubleshoot test failures and collaborate with production, design, and quality engineers on root-cause resolution.
• Perform preventative maintenance, repairs, consumables management, and detailed logging for vacuum and facility equipment.
• Assemble and test precision thruster and Power Processing Unit hardware using common and specialized tools.
• Support build troubleshooting, maintenance procedure improvements, and team training.

Requirements

• Trade or degree qualification in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, or a related field.
• At least 4 years of relevant industry experience.
• Experience operating mechanical, electrical, and automated test equipment.
• Knowledge of thermal systems, vacuum pumps, pressure measurement, precision assembly, and ESD practices.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex electro-mechanical systems and perform hands-on assembly and maintenance.
• For the New Zealand role, nationality checks are required for access to ITAR-regulated equipment and data; eligibility may depend on citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a NATO country, subject to the stated regulations.

Nice to have

• Experience operating vacuum chamber systems and maintaining industrial equipment.
• Experience with data acquisition systems and concise test reporting.
• Experience working with high-voltage electronics.
• Ability to work independently and remain calm under pressure.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on real spacecraft, propulsion systems, and hardware for ambitious space missions.
• Collaborative environment involving production, design, quality, and engineering teams.
• Culture emphasizes teamwork, initiative, determination, and execution under pressure.
• Background checks are completed before employment offers for New Zealand office roles.