Production Technician - RF and digital hardware

About the role

As a Production Technician you will be hands‑on assembling, integrating and testing RF and digital communication units that progress from engineering prototypes to flight hardware. You will work closely with production, quality and development engineers to ensure each unit meets space‑industry workmanship and quality standards.

Key responsibilities

• Assemble, integrate and test RF and digital communication units, including fine‑pitch PCB work, cable/harness assembly and mechanical integration.
• Perform functional, environmental and RF performance testing using laboratory equipment such as spectrum analysers, vector network analysers, signal generators, power meters and oscilloscopes.
• Troubleshoot production failures, conduct root‑cause analysis down to the component level and document findings in non‑conformance reports.
• Support development teams with industrialisation tasks: test‑jig development, work‑instruction creation and design‑for‑manufacture feedback.
• Assist product qualification and acceptance testing, including thermal cycling, vibration and thermal‑vacuum campaigns.
• Maintain accurate build records and test data in line with the quality management system.
• Handle flight hardware following ESD, cleanliness and foreign‑object debris (FOD) control procedures.
• Contribute to continuous‑improvement initiatives to increase yield and throughput.

Required profile

• B‑Tech Degree or Advanced Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (or equivalent) with demonstrable experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Production Technician or similar role working with RF and communication systems.
• Experience in an electronic engineering or manufacturing environment, preferably in space, defence, aerospace or other high‑reliability electronics sectors.
• South African citizenship or a valid work permit.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 / AS9100 quality management systems and configuration‑controlled production documentation.
• Experience with conformal coating, staking and bonding processes, and working in clean‑room or ES environments.

Required skills

• Fine‑pitch PCB assembly
• Cable and harness assembly
• Spectrum analyser operation
• Vector network analyser operation
• Signal generator usage
• Power meter and oscilloscope operation
• Troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis
• Test‑jig development
• Design‑for‑manufacture feedback
• Thermal cycling, vibration and thermal‑vacuum testing
• ESD control and FOD prevention