General entry, Apprenticeships

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 :

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 :

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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