The Mission

MicroTau's mission is to improve the efficiency of the global aviation fleet, saving US$8 billion in fuel and 40 million tonnes of CO2 every year. We need a Field Engineer to install our riblet film on planes that fly around the world, develop and run tests to assess performance and provide feedback and support to customers and other teams within MicroTau to support the development of our next-generation designs. You will report to the Product Engineering Team Lead. This position requires frequent domestic and overseas travel, sometimes at short notice.   

What You Will Do

• Develop and perform field testing methodologies that can be used to assess identified performance requirements of MicroTau Riblet Film. The performance of tests will often be at airports (both domestic and international), with an expectation that site visits can occur at a frequency of up to 1-2 times per month. 

• Assess and quantify risks that could impact test objectives.

• Provide rapid customer support and perform problem-solving investigations for any confirmed or potential nonconformities identified during field testing initiatives. 

• Prepare documentation for field tests, including traceability documentation, conformance documents, installation procedures, support strategies, and non-conformance management plans. 

• Perform post-testing reviews, documenting updates to verification and validation criteria, risk assessments, and performance results, and recommends changes to the development pathway.

What Success Looks Like

• First Month: You will learn about MicroTau's field installation and testing objectives for aircraft applications in the short, medium, and long term. You will learn more about the MicroTau team, our processes, and how we embody our values of lift over drag, active transparency and changing the boundary conditions.

• First Six Months: You will have developed the test protocols for and performed your first field installation. You will provide ongoing support and testing of MicroTau material, feeding back results to the team to ensure learnings are implemented. 

• First Year: You will have performed multiple installations of MicroTau film on aircraft. You will collect and collate data and analyse results to identify relevant trends and differences in performance. Based on your findings, product improvements will be ready to install on planes for in-field testing.   

About You

• Bachelor of Engineering or Science (Mechanical, Aerospace, Materials, Systems, Chemistry or equivalent).

• Laboratory, experimental or testing experience.

• Experience writing work instructions or standard operating procedures. 

• Experience providing technical customer support and rapid assistance is preferred. 

• Experience working in regulated environments (aerospace, medical, automotive) is preferred.

• Willing to travel at a frequency of up to 1-2 times per month to both domestic and international locations.

Why You Should Join MicroTau

• Impact: Aviation is one of the hardest to abate industries, and its share of global emissions is only growing. Join our mission to improve the efficiency of the global fleet and save millions of tonnes of CO2 every year.

• Technology: Our technology leverages the drag-reducing properties of shark skin to make aircraft more efficient. You'll be exposed to expertise and developments in materials, photolithography, fluid dynamics, and scale manufacturing.

• Team: Our team focuses on achieving our mission. We live our values of lift over drag, active transparency, and changing the boundary conditions, and we welcome new team members who want to do the same. 

• Corporate Jet: We have (most of) a corporate jet. It won't fly, but it sure does look cool.