Development Engineer
Design tests, analyse data, and improve products at a pioneering NZ seismic protection company scaling fast
- Hands-on, data-driven role at the heart of a growing deep-tech manufacturer
- Join a high-growth environment with new premises, expansion, and plenty to learn
- Combine mechanical know-how with analytical and prototyping experience
If you enjoy designing tests as much as running them, and you know what to do with data once you have it, this role was built for you. Tectonus needs someone who is hands-on by nature, rigorous about how they capture and use information, and genuinely curious about how things work. No CAD, no desk-bound design work. This is a practical, technical role at the heart of a fast-growing seismic protection company.
About the Company
Tectonus was born out of university research, founded on a unique approach to seismic protection. What began as deep technical innovation has matured into a proven, real-world solution, now protecting buildings in some of the world’s most seismically active regions.
The company is now in a scale-up phase and expanding globally, with current projects being delivered across hospitals, schools, and other critical buildings. The team has just grown into new premises - significantly expanding its manufacturing capability and capacity. This marks a shift from early-stage innovation to building repeatable, high-quality solutions at scale - without losing the technical rigour that underpins the product.
Culturally, Tectonus sits at the intersection of deep engineering expertise and a growing manufacturing mindset. It’s a highly technical environment, grounded in structural and mechanical engineering excellence, but one that values end-to-end thinking- from design through to manufacture, delivery, and real-world performance. Roles here require the ability to see the full picture: championing manufacturability while staying true to the engineering principles that make the technology world-class.
Your role
This is a newly created role reporting to the COO. You will own the product testing and development function end-to-end, sitting at the intersection of prototyping, test design, data analysis, and process improvement. The longer-term mandate is to help build the product catalogue that enables Tectonus to deliver at scale.
Day to day, you will:
You are hands-on by instinct and analytical by discipline. You ask good questions, surface problems early, and approach each challenge fresh rather than defaulting to what has been done before. You will bring:
Why This Role?
This is a newly created role where you will design the tests, run them, analyse what they tell you, and use that to make the product better. You will work alongside a technically sharp team and contribute directly to products that protect lives in some of the world's most seismically active regions.
If you’re curious, eager to learn, and open to new ideas, we’d love to hear from you.
If this sounds like you, we’d like to hear from you. Applications are managed by Sprout People on behalf of Tectonus.
About the Company
Tectonus was born out of university research, founded on a unique approach to seismic protection. What began as deep technical innovation has matured into a proven, real-world solution, now protecting buildings in some of the world’s most seismically active regions.
The company is now in a scale-up phase and expanding globally, with current projects being delivered across hospitals, schools, and other critical buildings. The team has just grown into new premises - significantly expanding its manufacturing capability and capacity. This marks a shift from early-stage innovation to building repeatable, high-quality solutions at scale - without losing the technical rigour that underpins the product.
Culturally, Tectonus sits at the intersection of deep engineering expertise and a growing manufacturing mindset. It’s a highly technical environment, grounded in structural and mechanical engineering excellence, but one that values end-to-end thinking- from design through to manufacture, delivery, and real-world performance. Roles here require the ability to see the full picture: championing manufacturability while staying true to the engineering principles that make the technology world-class.
Your role
This is a newly created role reporting to the COO. You will own the product testing and development function end-to-end, sitting at the intersection of prototyping, test design, data analysis, and process improvement. The longer-term mandate is to help build the product catalogue that enables Tectonus to deliver at scale.
Day to day, you will:
- Design and execute product tests using in-house testing equipment
- Capture, analyse, and present performance data with clear recommendations
- Own and continuously improve manufacturing and testing processes, reducing cycle time and cost without compromising quality
- Work with product engineers to develop and validate new concepts, materials, and design changes
- Document and update manufacturing processes and support the QA inspection team locally and internationally
- Contribute to building the product catalogue that allows Tectonus to quote and deliver at scale
You are hands-on by instinct and analytical by discipline. You ask good questions, surface problems early, and approach each challenge fresh rather than defaulting to what has been done before. You will bring:
- A background in mechanical, materials, manufacturing, or a closely related engineering discipline
- Proven experience designing and executing product tests, not just running them
- Strong analytical ability: you know what to do with data once you have it
- Comfortable working with physical products and equipment in a hands-on environment.
- A strong listener who asks intelligent questions and find the gaps before they cause a problem
- Genuinely innovative: you approach problems fresh, not from a template
- Comfortable working in a role that is newly created and will evolve as the business scales
- A clear communicator who can present findings and recommendations concisely to a technical audience
- Tertiary qualified in Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering or a closely related discipline
Why This Role?
This is a newly created role where you will design the tests, run them, analyse what they tell you, and use that to make the product better. You will work alongside a technically sharp team and contribute directly to products that protect lives in some of the world's most seismically active regions.
If you’re curious, eager to learn, and open to new ideas, we’d love to hear from you.
If this sounds like you, we’d like to hear from you. Applications are managed by Sprout People on behalf of Tectonus.