Scone, NSW | Aerial Firefighting | PT6 | Australia & Europe | Relocation Assistance
About the role
This isn't an everyday Chief Engineer role
Lead an engineering organisation supporting our own aerial firefighting operations across Australia and Europe, a diverse general aviation fleet and some remarkable historic aircraft from our home inScone in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
Pay's Air Service is looking for an experienced aviation engineering leader to lead and develop our engineering team.
We're looking for someone who can lead people.
You'll need to be a capable and credible licenced engineer, but this isn't a role where we expect the Chief Engineer to personally fix every problem in the hangar.
We need someone who can walk in each morning, know what's happening, make sure the right people are on the right jobs, remove roadblocks and keep work moving.
Someone who enjoys teaching, mentoring and developing engineers.
Someone who can plan major maintenance inputs and projects, manage competing priorities, parts and suppliers, and make sure aircraft are ready when we've committed to having them ready.
And when there's a difficult technical problem, we need someone with the experience and judgement to help the team work through it.
The aircraft and the work make the job interesting
A major part of our operation is ourPT6-powered Air Tractor AT-802 and amphibious Fire Boss fleet, operating on aerial firefighting contracts in Australia and Europe.
Our engineering organisation also supports a broader general aviation fleet and maintains and restores significant historic aircraft, including aircraft such as theSpitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk.
Most of our engineering work supports our own fleet.
We take pride in our aircraft and set high standards for their maintenance, presentation and reliability.
Rather than moving between different customers and expectations, you'll have the opportunity to take ownership of the long‐term condition and performance of the aircraft we operate.
Our engineering footprint extends well beyond Scone.Stawell, Victoria is a significant seasonal engineering base supporting a large number of contracted aircraft.
As the fire season dictates,



our engineers are also deployed to field locations across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales.
During the Northern Hemisphere summer, our engineering teams support Pay's aerial firefighting operations from bases in Greece and elsewhere in Europe.
Key responsibilities
Lead, coach and develop our engineering team
Plan and coordinate maintenance activity and major maintenance inputs and projects
Make sure the right people and resources are on the right jobs
Keep work moving and identify and remove roadblocks
Mentor engineers, apprentices and emerging leaders
Manage competing priorities, parts, suppliers and deadlines
Provide credible technical leadership and sound engineering judgement
Help the team work through difficult technical problems
Maintain high standards of safety, quality and regulatory compliance
Stay connected with engineers at our temporary bases at Stawell and seasonal field bases
Visit your people on the ground interstate and internationally when needed
There will be opportunities for interstate and international travel, althoughextensive travel isn't a requirement of the role.
About you
You might already be a Chief Engineer.
You might not be.
You could currently be a Chief Engineer or Deputy Chief Engineer, Maintenance or Engineering Manager, Base Engineer, senior LAME or team leader, or an experienced engineer who has discovered that you're as good atleading people and organising work as you are at working on aircraft.
We're more interested in what you've actually done, the judgement you bring and how you lead people than the title on your business card.
We're looking for someone with:
Solid aviation maintenance experience and technical credibility
Demonstrated experience leading, supervising or developing people
The ability to plan maintenance, organise work and deliver through a team




Sound technical judgement and problem‐solving ability
Experience managing competing priorities and deadlines
A willingness to be based inScone, NSW
Experience onPratt & Whitney PT6-powered aircraft is strongly preferred.
Experience with Air Tractor, AT-802 or Fire Boss aircraft would obviously be valuable.
Experience with Caravans, King Airs, agricultural aircraft or other PT6-powered general aviation aircraft may be equally relevant.
Warbird, vintage aircraft or restoration experience would be a bonus, but isn't essential.
Australian CASA qualifications and experience are preferred, but we're also prepared to consider experienced engineers withequivalent international qualificationswhere there is a practical pathway to meeting the Australian requirements for the role.
Why Scone?
This role is deliberately based in Scone because we believe good engineering leadership requirespresence.
We want our Chief Engineer to know their people, know what's happening with the aircraft and be there to help the team succeed.
We love this part of the world, and we think you will too.
The Upper Hunter gives you real choice in how you live.
In town, on an acreage close by or on a larger rural property.
There are public and independent schooling options, healthcare, sport and recreation, with Lake Glenbawn nearby andNewcastle, the coast and Sydney within reach.
If you're relocating, we'll help.
About Pay's
Pay's Air Service is a family‐owned Australian aviation business with a long history in general aviation and specialist aerial firefighting.
Today our people and aircraft operate across Australia and internationally, combining the character and hands‐on nature of general aviation with the scale and challenge of major aerial firefighting operations.
This is aviation in the traditional sense.Interesting aeroplanes, interesting engineering problems and good people who care about what they do.
$180,000–$220,000 + superannuation + relocation assistance
We're prepared to put together a strong package for the right person.
The advertised range is intended as a guide, andwe won't let it prevent a conversation with an exceptional candidate.
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📌 Chief Engineer (Aviation) (Scone)
🏢 Pay's Air Service
📍 Scone