About the role
Turn engineering designs into flight-ready electronics for Praetorian’s Dagger and Venator platforms, from first prototype through to deployment.
About Praetorian
Praetorian Aeronautics builds autonomous systems that protect defence operators against the rapidly evolving threat of drone warfare. Headquartered in Adelaide, with offices in Melbourne and Darwin, we design and manufacture a sovereign, non-ITAR Australian counter-autonomy ecosystem:
Arrow – portable VTOL interceptor for neutralising drone threats beyond visual range.
Dagger – a long-range, high-altitude interceptor for larger threats at extended distances.
Venator – an autonomous mothership that carries interceptors forward across air, land and maritime missions.
Hadrian – a battle management system that lets a single operator detect, decide and defeat complex threats.
Cerebrum – a counter-swarm AI plugin for Hadrian that coordinates responses against large drone swarms.
The Role
Every platform we field is only as reliable as the hardware inside it. Working closely with our electrical and aerospace engineers, you’ll turn drawings into working, tested subsystems and catch problems on the bench rather than in the field. Your build experience will directly shape how Dagger and Venator are designed for manufacture as we move toward scale.
What You’ll Do
- Assemble and integrate wiring harnesses, embedded electronics and PCB assemblies using soldering, crimping and rework techniques
- Test and troubleshoot electronic and electromechanical assemblies using power supplies, multimeters and oscilloscopes
- Safely handle and integrate lithium batteries and other high-energy components into flight hardware
- Inspect assemblies against drawings and specifications, flagging non-conformances before integration
- Support field trials, including test site setup and flight test operations
What We’re Looking For
- 3+ years’ experience in electronics assembly, testing or technician roles
- Diploma or trade qualification in Electronics or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience
- Strong soldering, crimping and wiring harness skills
- Confident reading circuit schematics and engineering drawings
- Comfortable working outdoors at test sites and travelling as required
Nice to Have
- IPC-A-610 and/or IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification
- Experience with lithium battery handling and ESD-controlled environments
- Background in UAVs, robotics or autonomous systems
What We Offer
- Flexibility that’s rare in defence: flexible start and finish times.
- Ownership from day one: your feedback goes straight to the engineers designing the next build.
- A stake in what you build: access to our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP).
- Clear growth: your scope grows as Praetorian scales.
- Breadth: you’ll work alongside specialists in flight sciences, electronics, autonomy and test, with direct access to leadership.
Security & Compliance Requirements
Because of the nature of our work, candidates must have the right to work in Australia and hold citizenship of a Five Eyes nation (Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada or New Zealand). This role doesn’t currently require a security clearance, but it may in the future.