Build & Fabrication Technician/Engineer - 3D Printing, Electronics & Assembly

Algenie designs and builds Helix photobioreactors: compact, high-productivity cultivation systems for microalgae and cyanobacteria.

We design, 3D print, wire, plumb, test and ship complete systems to universities, aquaculture producers and research organisations. Nothing we sell is mass produced. Every unit is built by hand, in-house, and signed off before it leaves the building.

That makes this role one of the most important in the company.

THE ROLE

The Build & Fabrication Technician/Engineer is the practical, hands-on core of Algenie's hardware team. You take a design, a bill of materials and a half-built frame, and you turn it into a working reactor that passes QC and survives real use in the field.

This is a build-and-make role, not a desk role. You will spend most of your time assembling and wiring Helix units, running our 3D print farm, maintaining the printers, sourcing the right fittings and fixtures, testing units before they ship, and solving the hundred small physical problems that appear between design and delivery.

We are looking for a Technician/Engineer with demonstrated hands-on capability to build, troubleshoot and improve real equipment, including Mini Helix reactors. The role combines practical build work with R&D; engineering: prototyping, testing, automation and turning results into reliable hardware. Appointment level and responsibilities will reflect demonstrated experience and capability. Show us what you have personally built and how it works. Antweight combat robots, home automation systems and aquaponics are examples; comparable professional, academic or personal builds count. Explain your individual contribution, the problems you solved and the evidence of a working result. Relevant practical technical skills and any claimed biological knowledge will be assessed through role-relevant practical tasks and discussion. Biology experience, especially algae and cyanobacteria cultivation or operation, is a significant advantage, not a mandatory qualification. We support appropriate use of AI tools within our workplace controls. AI assistance is not a substitute for demonstrated technical skills, sound understanding and the ability to carry out and explain practical work independently. Candidates must have Australian work rights that allow them to perform this role without employer visa sponsorship. Employer visa sponsorship is unavailable.

There is one standard we care about above all others: an eye for detail, and the judgement to know when a quick fix is the right call. Bodging is a normal and useful part of prototyping - a temporary rig held together for a week of testing is good engineering, not a failure. What we will not accept is a make-do fix on something that will be relied on consistently.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Reactor Build & Assembly

- Assemble complete Helix and Mini Helix units from drawings, BOMs and build instructions.
- Build and install fluid systems: vessel plumbing, tubing runs, pump units, fittings, manifolds, valves and leak-free connections.
- Fabricate and install electrical and sensor assemblies: main electronics boxes, LED strip mounting and clips, cooling fans and vent drives, pump spines, sensor harnesses, inline fuses (e.g. XT30) and spark/surge protection.
- Wire and commission sensors, actuators, motors, pumps, fans, heaters and chillers.
- Solder, crimp and terminate wiring to a neat, repeatable, documented standard.
- Repair, refurbish and rebuild customer-returned reactors.
- Use good judgement on build quality: anything expected to be used repeatedly must be square, sealed, torqued, labelled, strain-relieved and serviceable the first time.

2. 3D Printing (FDM) - Core Function

- Operate and maintain our FDM print farm as a primary, everyday responsibility.
- Slice, orient, nest and queue print jobs - choosing material, layer height, walls, infill and supports so parts are strong, dimensionally accurate and fit the first time.
- Print production parts, jigs, brackets, covers, clips, mounts and fixtures.
- Diagnose and fix print defects: warping, stringing, poor layer adhesion, dimensional drift, clogging, bed levelling, extrusion and thermal faults.
- Own the printers' preventative maintenance - beds, nozzles, hotends, extruders, belts, motion systems, firmware and spares.
- Post-process and rework prints: threaded inserts,



reaming, drilling, tapping, sanding, bonding and assembly.
- Resin printing (SLA/DLP) is a bonus, not a requirement - we are happy to teach it.

3. Electronics, Sensors & Basic Coding

- Wire, test and fault-find low-voltage DC systems, sensor harnesses and control wiring.
- Set up and calibrate sensors - temperature, level, flow, optical density, pH/EC, CO2, dissolved oxygen and similar.
- Write and modify basic Arduino and ESP32 code to read a sensor, drive an output, run a test cycle or log data. ESP32 experience is a requirement for this role; Arduino is ideal.
- Flash boards, connect over USB or Wi-Fi, read serial output, and work out why something is not responding.
- Use AI tools within workplace controls to research problems, generate and adapt code, and script small utilities; independently understand, explain and verify the practical work and results.

4. Quality Control & Release Testing

- Execute the Algenie release checklist on every unit before it leaves the building.
- Run functional tests on lights, pumps, fans, heaters, chillers and sensors, confirming each output actually switches on and off.
- Pressure-test fluid, pump and CO2 systems, inspect for slow leaks, and confirm sensor readings are plausible.
- Complete a wet run with the reactor held at temperature, checking for leaks throughout and at completion.
- Record results and sign-off accurately, and raise anything that fails rather than letting it through.

5. R&D; & Practical Development

Hands-on R&D; engineering: develop, build, test and improve Helix and Mini Helix reactor hardware, including automation, sensing and practical experiments.

- Work with the engineering team on new designs, contributing judgement about what will actually build, seal, hold and last.
- Source and select real-world parts: plumbing and irrigation fittings, tubing, seals, pumps, valves, fasteners, enclosures, fans, cables and connectors.
- Build and test prototypes - heat exchangers, cooling jackets, brackets, fixtures and jigs.
- Run quick physical experiments, measure what matters, and report back with photos and numbers.
- Keep a rough record of time spent by activity so the team can support R&D; tax claims.

6. Installation, Delivery & Field Support

- Prepare, pack, load and transport systems to customer sites.
- Install, commission and hand over units on site, including wiring, plumbing, power-up and functional checks.
- Show customers and partners how to operate their system.
- Provide practical remote and on-site support.

7. Workshop, Documentation & WHS

- Maintain a clean, tidy and protected workshop, storage area and print room.
- Manage stock and reorder materials and spares before they run out.
- Follow WHS requirements including safe electrical practice, chemical handling, tool use and manual handling.
- Keep build notes, checklists and simple work instructions current.

ESSENTIAL

- A relevant qualification or equivalent demonstrated practical experience. Accepted disciplines include mechatronics, electrical/electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, Computer Science, Biology or a closely related field. A degree, diploma or advanced trade qualification is welcome; equivalent demonstrated practical experience is accepted in lieu of formal qualifications.
- Demonstrated hands-on projects building, assembling, wiring, commissioning or maintaining physical equipment. Professional, academic and personal builds count. Explain your individual contribution and provide evidence of the result.
- Strong, current FDM 3D printing ability. You can slice a part and know it will fit, diagnose a failing print by eye, and you have maintained your own printers.
- Practical experience with sensors, actuators, motors, pumps, fans, heaters and chillers.
- Solid practical understanding of basic electronics and DC wiring.
- Some hands-on coding ability, with ESP32 experience required. Arduino experience is ideal.
- Comfortable with mechanical assembly and plumbing.
- Able to read drawings, BOMs,



wiring diagrams and simple schematics.
- Able to use AI tools appropriately within workplace controls while independently demonstrating the technical understanding and practical skills needed to research, troubleshoot and write code.
- An eye for detail, and sound judgement about when to improvise and when to do it properly.
- Current driver's licence and willing to travel occasionally.
- Australian work rights that allow this role without employer visa sponsorship. Sponsorship is unavailable.

NICE TO HAVE

- Biology experience is a significant advantage, especially algae and cyanobacteria cultivation or operation. Any claimed biological knowledge will be assessed.
- Resin (SLA/DLP) printing experience - we can teach this.
- PLC programming or industrial control experience.
- Machining, CNC or laser cutting.
- Electrical control panels and low-voltage DC distribution.
- I2C sensor integration, RS485, CAN or Modbus.
- Aquarium, aquaculture, hydroponics or fluid-systems experience.
- CAD (Fusion 360 or similar).
- Welding and metal fabrication - useful occasionally, not central to the role.

WHAT WE OFFER

- Free motorcycle parking and convenient public transport access.
- Generous share provisions through share options: a real stake in the company you are helping to build.
- Work that ships. Everything you build goes out the door to a customer, and you will see it running in the field.
- A small, hands-on engineering team. Short path from an idea to built hardware.

HOW TO APPLY

Tell us about your relevant qualifications or equivalent practical experience and a project you personally built, including your contribution and evidence. Please include which FDM printer you use, your printing experience and a failure you diagnosed and fixed. Candidates will demonstrate relevant practical skills and independently explain their work; claimed biological knowledge will also be assessed. Assessment topics may include pH control and sensor calibration, safe CO2 dosing, selecting and validating algae lighting, electronics troubleshooting and automation. Biology experience is advantageous, not mandatory.

Pay: From $90,000.00 per year

Application Question(s):

- Which FDM 3D printer do you own or operate regularly, how long have you been printing, and what is one print failure you diagnosed and fixed yourself?
- Do you have Australian work rights allowing this role without employer visa sponsorship, and will you require sponsorship? Sponsorship is unavailable. Briefly outline your relevant qualifications or equivalent demonstrated practical experience; formal qualifications are not required where equivalent experience is demonstrated. Accepted fields include engineering, Computer Science, Biology and related disciplines.
- Describe a project you personally built, such as an antweight combat robot, home automation or aquaponics system, or a comparable professional, academic or personal build. What was your individual contribution, what fault did you diagnose, which measurements or tests did you use, and what evidence of the result can you share?
- What hands-on biology experience do you have, especially algae or cyanobacteria cultivation or operation? Give a concrete example and your contribution. How would you select and validate light spectrum and intensity, considering species, pigments, culture density and operating conditions? If you lack this experience, say so and outline how you would investigate; biology is advantageous, not mandatory.
- A recirculating hydroponic system has rising pH. How would you investigate and control it while minimising unwanted residues or changes to nutrient balance? Briefly describe measurements, method, trade-offs and safeguards, including how you would check pH calibration/drift and distinguish a sensor fault from a real process change.
- Are you willing to complete a role-relevant practical assessment of your technical skills and any claimed biological knowledge, and independently explain your work? We support appropriate AI use within workplace controls; AI assistance cannot substitute for demonstrated skills and understanding.
- Describe a sensing or automation system you personally built or modified using an ESP32. What code, sensors and outputs did you use? Give one electronics or mechatronics troubleshooting example, the measurements you took and how you calibrated or validated the result.

Work Location: In person

📌 Build & Fabrication Technician/Engineer - 3D Printing, Electronics & Assembly (Ultimo)
🏢 Algenie
📍 Ultimo