About the Role:
At Nova Systems, our people are smart, passionate, and committed to solving complex challenges that make our world safer and more secure. We are a trusted partner to Defence, government, and industry, delivering world‑leading Test & Evaluation, certification, systems engineering, and capability assurance services across air, land, maritime and space domains.
Nova Systems has an established and growing presence in New Zealand, supporting advanced aviation programmes, flight test and evaluation activities, across Defence and government organisations.
As part of our continued growth in New Zealand’s aviation and aerospace domain, we are seeking an experienced Flight Test Engineer to support current and emerging programs across Defence, government, and commercial aerospace.
As a Flight Test Engineer at Nova Systems, you will play a key role in planning, executing, and reporting on flight test and acceptance activities for fixed‑wing, rotary‑wing, and uncrewed aircraft systems. You will work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams, aircrew, regulators, and clients to ensure systems are safe, compliant, and fit for purpose.
This role offers the opportunity to contribute to complex, real‑world aviation programs while helping shape New Zealand’s future flight test and aerospace capability.
What You’ll Be Involved With
We are seeking an experienced Flight Test Engineer to join our Test & Evaluation team in New Zealand, supporting complex and high‑profile aviation programmes across fixed-wing, rotary-wing and emerging aviation technologies.
In this role, you will work alongside test pilots, engineers and stakeholders to plan, conduct and analyse flight test activities, ensuring aircraft and systems are safe, compliant and fit for purpose. This position offers exposure to operational test, certification, acceptance, and capability introduction activities, with opportunities to work across New Zealand, Australia and the broader Nova global network.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan, conduct and support flight test and evaluation activities in accordance with approved test plans and safety requirements
- Develop and review test documentation, including test plans, procedures, safety cases and reports
- Analyse flight test data and provide clear technical recommendations to stakeholders
- Support aircraft certification, airworthiness and operational release activities
- Work closely with test pilots, maintainers, regulators and customer representatives
- Contribute to continuous improvement of Nova’s Test & Evaluation methods and tools
- Promote a strong safety, compliance and risk management culture
What We Would Like From You
Ability to gain and maintain a NZ Government security clearance.
Ability to work on a client site as required.
Ability to travel within New Zealand as required.
We welcome applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates from New Zealand, Australia, UK, USA & Canada.
Life at Nova – it all adds up!
With people being our point of difference, we deliver on promises, reward good work, champion professional growth and support flexibility, all within a diverse and inclusive culture that recognises moments that matter.
Life at Nova is our collection of employee benefits, designed to meet the many and varied needs of our people.
Just a few of the great benefits you will have access to are:
Life at Nova – it all adds up!
With people being our point of difference, we deliver on promises, reward good work, champion professional growth and support flexibility, all within a diverse and inclusive culture that recognises moments that matter.
Life at Nova is our collection of employee benefits, designed to meet the many and varied needs of our people.
Just a few of the great benefits you will have access to are:
- Generous Parental Leave: Primary Carers receive 20 weeks paid leave; Partner Carers receive 4 weeks. Full superannuation contributions for up to 52 weeks
- Professional and Personal Development: $5,000 per year of allowance with PD leave included. Up to $1200 per year can be used towards well-being such as a gym membership or assets related to well-being activities
- Flexibility: We promote a culture that encourages and enables flexible ways of working that support our people
- Dress For Your Day: We empower our people to determine their outfit for the activities of the day which allows for personal expression that builds trust
- Reward & Recognition Program: Offering exclusive discounts from hundreds of major retailers, helping you to save on groceries, petrol, holidays, and more
- Employee Assistance Program: for employees and family members
- Annual Nova employee engagement: Great way to connect more broadly and strengthen your internal networks and have some fun!
- Well-being Hub with access to health and fitness content
- Free Flu Vaccination annually
- An inclusive, collaborative, and supportive culture
- Social activities throughout the year, we even dress up at times, think Safari – we don’t like to take ourselves too seriously!
You can view the full range of benefits at https://www.novasystems.com/au/careers/life-at-nova-systems
APPLY NOW
Alternatively for a confidential discussion, please contact Paul Sloan in the Nova Talent Acquisition Team on (08) 8252 7100.
Nova Systems does not accept any recruitment agency solicitation.
Nova Systems is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels safe, valued, and included, where our people are our point of difference.
Nova Systems respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters in which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Nova Systems also acknowledges the services of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have contributed to defending Australia & New Zealand and its national interests. To find out more about our commitment to Reconciliation - Nova Systems RAP
As a Defence security clearance is required for this role, applicants must have full working rights and be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate clearances.
About Nova:
Nova Systems is a global engineering services and technology solutions company with strategically located offices in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Singapore. From national Defence and essential services to border control and cyber security, these are the challenges we partner with our clients to anticipate, understand, and solve.
At Nova Systems, we provide highly specialised advice and solutions at scale, we are agile and ready to predict, react and respond. We refer to it as being “Optimised for Performance”. Small enough to care, big enough to matter, we leverage the benefits of scale for our clients.
But what makes Nova Systems truly unique, is our people. Nova Systems is where the best and brightest minds come together to challenge, collaborate, and innovate.
At Nova Systems we see things differently. We bring (and take) a different perspective. We are the smarts behind the solution.
What We Do
Built on 25 years of test and evaluation and engineering experience, Nova Systems designs, integrates and delivers complex programs for Defence, emergency services and civil applications. We have deep understanding of Defence requirements and the environment their systems must operate in.
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