GSE Technician
Job Group
- Airman
Job Availability
- Full Time
The Role
Role Description
As a GSE Technician you’ll be a member of the ground crew, jointly responsible for maintaining the ground-based mechanical equipment required to support RNZAF aircraft operations. Your duties will include the routine maintenance of a range of motor vehicles. In addition you’ll repair and maintain refuelling equipment, ground power units, hydraulic rigs, hoists and other small engine equipment.
Job on Base
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
GSE Technicians are specifically responsible for the maintenance of all the Air Force’s specialist vehicles. You’ll be involved in the daily maintenance, fault identification and rectification of a wide range of vehicles, with special emphasis on heavy vehicles such as fire engines, forklift trucks and aircraft tugs, to name a few.
GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
Aircraft ground support equipment encompasses all equipment required to carry out aircraft maintenance activities and support flying operations. This equipment typically includes ground power units, hydraulic rigs, aircraft loading devices, and a wide range of small engine equipment. As a member of the GSE Technician team you’ll be responsible for the maintenance and repair of this specialised equipment.
AVIATION REFUELLING EQUIPMENT
Aviation refuelling equipment includes bulk fuel stores and mobile refuelling equipment. Working in tandem with members of the aviation refueller trade you will maintain and operate this equipment, which is pivotal to ongoing flying operations.
Job on Deployment
You maybe required to serve overseas with the deployable aviation refuelling equipment in support of aircraft operations in remote locations.
In the camp maintainer role RNZAF Metal Workers are responsible for the general maintenance of a tented camp and thus play a pivotal role in ensuring camps are self-sufficient and functioning correctly. Duties may range from simply changing a tap washer to the highly skilled and important role of water filtration, storage and disposal.
This is a crucial, hands-on role that provides great experiences at home and abroad.
Career Progression
After gaining considerable experience, you’ll be given greater responsibilities encompassing the management of aircraft support equipment. As a senior GSE technician you’ll be required to perform military command and leadership duties as a team leader and maybe required to manage section budgets. Team leaders are responsible for the personnel under their command, including the conduct of personnel performance appraisals, mentoring, personal development planning and the maintenance of discipline. With substantial trade knowledge and experience you may also be appointed as an instructor where you will train and assess trainee GSE mechanics and develop junior GSE Technicians.
Pay & Benefit Details
The minimum remuneration you will be paid from your enlistment is $35,694. Your remuneration will increase upon graduation of your recruit course to $42,487 and will continue to increase on promotion and seniority.
General Requirements
You must be at least 17 years of age.
Applicants must be a NZ citizen (some exceptions apply).
Restricted Class 1 Manual Drivers Licence essential, Full Class 1 preferred.
Educational Requirements
- You must have a minimum of 12 NCEA Level 1 credits in English, Maths and a Science or Design Technology subject.
- A Certificate of Entry to Automotive Trade would be an advantage.
- As a first step you will need to complete the full-time 17 week Aeronautical Engineering Course with NMIT. This is undertaken privately and is a prerequisite to joining the RNZAF. Your NMIT Course fees will be reimbursed to you when you commence your RNZAF Aircraft Mechanic Training Course.
Period of Service
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.
Training
Basic Training
Upon successful enlistment into the Air Force you’ll be posted to RNZAF Base Woodbourne (near Blenheim). Here you’ll 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
Physical Fitness.
Job Training
After recruit course, if you don’t have a Certificate of Entry to Automotive Trade (CEAT) prior to enlisting, you will complete one through full-time study at UNITEC Auckland. You’ll then return to Woodbourne for two to three weeks to enhance your skills in technical administration and the use of fuels, oils and lubricants specific to the GSE trade.
If you already have a CEAT, you will start advanced trade training immediately. This takes the form of an apprenticeship towards NZQA-accredited NCAE (Heavy) under the Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) scheme and takes around three years to complete. In conjunction with NCAE training, you’ll also complete all classes of driving licences required for the specialist vehicles you will maintain (up to and including Class 5) and additional training targeted at specific aspects of maintaining aeronautical support equipment.
Ongoing Training
On graduating from primary trade training you will start an apprenticeship towards NZQA NCAE (heavy option) under the Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) scheme. This training takes approximately three years to complete and includes:
Correspondence courses, where you will learn the theory aspects of the trade.
On-the-job training, where you learn by actually doing the work.
Workplace practical assessments, to check your competency to complete the work unsupervised.
Some polytechnic block courses.
In conjunction with NCAE training, you will also complete all classes of driving licences required for the specialist vehicles you will maintain (up to and including Class 5) and additional training targeted at specific aspects of aeronautical support equipment maintenance.
You will undertake advanced trade training in the workplace of a GSE section at RNZAF Base Auckland, RNZAF Base Ohakea, or RNZAF Base Woodbourne.
On completion of advanced trade training, as a GSE technician, you will receive a NZQA National Certificate in Automotive Engineering (Heavy). You will be qualified to undertake the full range of maintenance duties on RNZAF specialist vehicles and aeronautical support equipment. You will also be eligible for deployment overseas as a camp technician.
Postgraduate Training
After graduating as a GSE technician you will be eligible to undertake postgraduate training in the maintenance of aviation fuel equipment. This is a competency based training package, which is done in the workplace using the Air BP Aviation Fuel Training scheme and normally takes six months to complete. It includes maintenance of the Deployable Bulk Fuelling Installation (DBFI). On completion of this training you will be eligible for deployment overseas in support of DBFI.
Specialist Training
There are a number of other postgraduate courses available that can be undertaken on an as-required basis for career progression, such as NCAE (Light) and A-Tech, or to meet other RNZAF requirements.
Read More
Read More
Read More
Read More
Read More