Please note that the Mechanical Technician position is a permanent, full-time position based at the Australian Antarctic Division's head office in Kingston, TAS, with periodic deployments to Antarctica.

Working with the drill system engineer and other team members, you will help maintain, improve, and operate a highly specialised deep ice drilling system in support of the Million Year Ice Core campaign. The Mechanical Technician role will be hands-on, and you will be expected to:

• Co-ordinate and undertake servicing, repair and maintenance of mechanical components of the deep ice drill, tower, winch and associated drill-system infrastructure.
• Be part of the team operating the deep drill system in Antarctica and take the lead in resolving mechanical issues including operation of machining tools to modify, manufacture or fabricate components in the field.
• Maintain a register of drill system mechanical tasks and issues. Contribute to scheduling and planning of drilling, maintenance and cargo activities.
• Assist in the selection, design and manufacture of new components and equipment for the deep drill system in collaboration with other AAD staff and external collaborators.
• Manage and update as required the drill system mechanical engineering documentation.

To apply for this role, you must have the skills and licences listed below:

Qualifications/licences

Provide copy with application:

Qualification -

• relevant experience and a mechanical engineering trade qualification OR a degree or diploma in mechanical engineering from an Australian tertiary institution

Driver’s licence – Current, unrestricted “C” class (manual) Australian driver’s licence

Citizenship – In accordance with the PS Act 1999, Australian Public Service employees are required to be Australian citizens. Persons who are not Australian citizens will generally only be considered where there are no suitable Australian applicants, with next considerations being Australian residents with work rights and New Zealand citizens.

Obtain prior to commencement:

Valid Passport – The expiry date of the passport (and any relevant visa)

Provide First Aid (HLTAID011) must be valid for at least 18 months beyond the date of commencement.

Provide basic emergency life support (HLTAID010) must be valid for at least 18 months beyond the date of commencement.

Provide CPR (HLTAID009) must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of commencement

Knowledge and experience

We welcome applications from people with diverse experiences and technical backgrounds. You will thrive in this role if you enjoy practical, solution-focused work and are excited by the challenge of remote field operations.

We are particularly interested in people who have:

• Demonstrated practical hands-on ability in the manufacture, fabrication and installation of precision mechanical components under limited supervision.
• Demonstrated ability in the operation machine tools, including manual lathes and milling machines to produce precision mechanical components.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver technical/mechanical solutions to problems and issues under limited direction and at times with limited resources
• Ability to plan, coordinate and conduct mechanical servicing, maintenance and repairs.