Electronics Manager – New Zealand

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Lead a High-Impact Electronics Team on the Fastest Spaceplane Ever.

Dawn Aerospace is redefining what's possible in aviation and space.

Our Mk-II Aurora spaceplane has already broken the sound barrier and set records for rapid climb and high-altitude flight—and now we're building the next generation.

What You'll Own

Lead a small, high-impact team (currently 5 engineers) responsible for the full lifecycle of flight electronics—from concept, design, and prototyping, to manufacturing, integration, and test.

Build and grow capability : recruit, mentor, and develop your team, setting the standards for technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation.

Drive architecture and strategy : define electronics system architecture, ensure scalability for future vehicles, and influence the broader spaceplane roadmap.

Cross-functional leadership : work closely with propulsion, software, and systems teams, translating mission-level goals into actionable, testable electronics solutions.

Ownership of delivery : manage schedules, resources, and technical risks to ensure high-quality, flight-ready hardware.

Champion a culture of engineering excellence : instill best practices, robust processes, and documentation standards as the team grows.

About You

You're an accomplished engineer and leader who thrives at the intersection of people and technology.

You enjoy making high-impact decisions, mentoring talent, and solving hard, real-world aerospace problems.

You Bring

BSc+ in Electrical, Computer, or Mechatronics Engineering (or equivalent).

4+ years in a leadership role managing electronics or flight systems engineers.

Proven ability to lead a small, high-performing team in a fast-paced, project-driven environment.

Strong electronics fundamentals, systems thinking, and hands-on design skills.

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills—you can motivate, align, and influence your team and stakeholders.

Experience managing technical schedules, budgets, and product delivery.

Bonus Points For

PCB design experience (Altium, KiCad, Cadence, etc.).

Familiarity with high-reliability aerospace or automotive standards (DO-254, ECSS, NASA, etc.).

EMC and environmental testing experience.

Direct experience with flight hardware or test campaigns.

Why Dawn : At Dawn, you're not just a manager—you're shaping the future of aerospace.

Leading a small, skilled team gives you broad ownership and impact : your decisions will influence architecture, engineering practices, and the success of vehicles that push the boundaries of aviation into space.

We're a tight-knit, cross-functional team tackling one of aerospace's hardest challenges : making spaceflight routine.

If you want to lead, mentor, and innovate at the cutting edge, this is the role for you.

Even if you don't tick every box, we'd love to hear from you.

Note : This role involves access to controlled technology.

Appointment is conditional on passing security vetting and obtaining any required export-control authorisations.

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