Good with your hands and have an interest in motor vehicles and general engineering? As a Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Technician, you’ll have a hands-on role in maintaining a wide range of specialist vehicles, and aviation and field support equipment.
About the role
Apprenticeship trades | Engineering & Technical trades
Entry type: Under training
Salary: $68,103
Location: Varied
As a GSE Technician you’ll be a member of the ground crew, responsible for maintaining the ground-based equipment required to support military air operations, including keeping a tented camp on overseas operations running. Your duties will include the routine maintenance and repair of a large range of specialist military equipment.
Accepting Applications
Recruit 2/25, starts 19 May 2025.
Apply by 20 Jan 2025
Must be 18 years old by the time you graduate from the recruit course.
Note, qualifications may be used to assess trade suitability.
Your training is some of the most thorough and advanced in the world. On graduation as a GSE technician, you’ll be contractually obliged to spend another 24 months in the Air Force.
Job on base
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
GSE Technicians are responsible for the repair and maintenance of all of the Air Force’s specialist vehicles. You’ll be involved in the daily maintenance, fault diagnosis, and rectification of a wide range of vehicles, including military aircraft loaders, aircraft tractors, refuelling, and airport crash/fire trucks.
GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
Aircraft ground support equipment encompasses all equipment required to carry out aircraft maintenance activities in support of military flying operations. This equipment typically includes ground power units, hydraulic machines, and lifting equipment.
REFUELLING EQUIPMENT
GSE Technicians maintain and repair all of the Air Force’s aviation refuelling equipment to international standards. This equipment includes deployable fuel installations that hold hundreds of thousands of litres of aviation fuel for refuelling military aircraft on operations.
Job on deployment
Our aircraft deploy overseas in remote locations and, when they do, they need Ground Support Equipment to continue to operate. A deployed camp also needs equipment such as generators, electricity distribution, and water treatment equipment to function. As a GSE technician, you will serve overseas to maintain this equipment on site. This is a crucial, hands-on role that supports military air operations and provides great experiences at home and abroad.
(12 weeks) Location: RNZAF Base Woodbourne
Upon successful enlistment into the Air Force, you will be posted to RNZAF Base Woodbourne (near Blenheim) for your Recruit Course. Here you will do 12 weeks of basic military training to find out if you’ve got what it takes to be in the Air Force, and learn various subjects including:
Organisation and Administration
RNZAF Customs and Protocol
Drill and Parades
Military Field Skills and Weapon Training
First Aid, and Search and Rescue Techniques
Earn a competitive salary while training or learning your trade, along with additional allowances for time spent in the field, at sea, overseas, or deployed on operations.
In addition to salary and allowances, other benefits of joining the New Zealand Defence Force include:
Access to your Service marae or tūrangawaewae
Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels
Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases
Opportunities to travel
Free and subsidised medical and dental care
Subsidised food and accommodation on camps and bases
Free and subsidised insurance cover
Help to buy a home and save for retirement
Careers in the Air Force are well-rewarded, as well as being diverse and exciting. As you become more experienced and move up through the ranks, gaining additional skills and qualifications, you will see your salary rise accordingly.
Future potential earnings: $98,000
Am I fit enough?
If you want to be part of the NZ Defence Force, you need to be medically and physically fit for military duties worldwide.
Your step-by-step guide on what to expect at various stages of the application process, specifically for military roles.
Do you think you could strip down an aircraft and rebuild it? With this job, you’ll find out how – servicing, overhauling, and maintaining all our aircraft systems and components.
General entry
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