Engineering Assistant – Electrical, Instrumentation & Automation Engineering (Remote Contractor - Long Term)

Equinox Automation is a specialist engineering consultancy based in New Zealand. We support industrial and energy clients with safety-critical engineering, including fire and gas mapping, functional safety, machine safety, instrumentation, control systems, and high-hazard facility work.

This is a serious professional services business. We are looking for a strong Engineering Assistant who wants ownership, responsibility, and long-term growth.

This is not a basic task-taker role.

We are looking for someone who can assist our engineers in delivering safety-critical projects — capturing and organising technical data, maintaining accurate registers and records, and following through on drawing reviews and documentation so nothing falls through the cracks. You'll also be using 3D model software, software-based drawing tools, and other specialist engineering software packages.

The right person will bring structure and consistency to project documentation and make life easier for the engineers they support.

The Core Role

Responsibilities include assisting with:

• Engineering deliverables across project work, including data capture, drawing markups, and technical reports
• Registers, tables, action lists, review comments, and project records
• Drawing reviews, technical markups, and as-building markups
• Fire & Gas Mapping, Functional Safety, and Machine Safety workflows — data extraction, model inputs, registers, datasheets, and report preparation support
• Instrumentation, Control and Electrical design workflows — instrument lists, I/O lists, cable schedules, equipment schedules, and commissioning documents
• Microsoft Office, Bluebeam, AutoCAD/DWG, and 3D model software, including model preparation and adjustments
• Internal SOPs, templates, checklists, and workflow improvements

What We're Looking For

• Engineering degree, or relevant professional experience, in electrical, instrumentation and control, electronics, mechatronics, or industrial engineering, or with relevant engineering design and documentation experience
• Strong attention to detail and clear, accurate technical English
• Able to read and work with engineering drawings and technical documents
• Strong Microsoft Office 365 skills; Bluebeam, AutoCAD/DWG, or similar software an advantage
• Able to work independently in a remote role, with good file management and document control habits
• Reliable, organised, and delivery focused, with a continuous improvement mindset
• Comfortable handling confidential business and client information
• Reliable high-speed internet, a secure remote setup, dual monitors, and ability to configure approved VPN access for New Zealand

Engagement Details

• Remote contractor role, 40 hours per week / 8 hours per day, Monday to Friday
• Core hours 1:00pm–5:00pm NZST, with occasional availability 8:00am–1:00pm NZST for meetings and reviews
• Other hours may be agreed upon based on performance and reliability after the trial period.
• Clear communication required through Teams, email, and project systems
• Contractor rate negotiable based on skill and experience; contractor responsible for own taxes, equipment, and work setup
• Initial basis - one-month trial. Long-term opportunity for the right person.

How to Apply

Please send:
1. Your CV
2. A short cover letter explaining your relevant experience
3. A custom 60-second video explaining why we should hire you for this role
4. Answers to the screening questions below

Generic or reused videos won't be accepted — the video must be specific to this role. Applications missing the video or screening answers will not be reviewed.

To show you read this full advert, include the phrase “detail-driven engineer” at the start of your application.

Applications close on 8th June, 5pm NZST. May close time earlier, depending on application demand and capability.

Screening Questions
1. Tell me briefly about yourself and your current work situation.
2. Tell me about your engineering background — your degree, specialisation, or relevant technical experience.
3. Have you worked on instrumentation, control, electrical, functional safety, fire and gas, or machine safety projects before? If yes, what did you do?
4. How comfortable are you reading and marking up engineering drawings (P&IDs, layouts, schematics)?
5. What software tools have you used? Include Microsoft 365, Bluebeam, AutoCAD/DWG tools, 3D model software, and any specialist engineering software.
6. Tell me about a time your attention to detail caught an error before it became a problem.
7. What is your expected contractor hourly rate in PHP?