Aviation Plating Shop Technician – Production (Technical Workshop)

About the role

The Aviation Plating Shop Technician will carry out electro‑plating and surface‑finishing operations on aircraft components in Kenya Airways’ technical workshop located in Westlands, Nairobi.

Key responsibilities

• Perform electro‑plating processes (cadmium, nickel, chrome) according to engineering requirements and maintenance manuals.
• Prepare components by cleaning, degreasing, masking and surface finishing before plating.
• Operate and maintain plating tanks, rectifiers and solution chemistry, controlling voltage, current and immersion times.
• Monitor and adjust bath parameters (pH, temperature, concentration) to ensure plating quality.
• Conduct anodizing, passivation, chemical etching and conversion coating (e.g., Alodine) as required.
• Interpret technical drawings, repair schemes and specifications such as AMS, MIL and OEM standards.
• Record work in job cards, plating logs and component history documents.
• Perform visual and dimensional inspections using gauges, micrometers and, where qualified, NDT methods.
• Follow safety, health and environmental protocols for hazardous chemicals.
• Assist in bath maintenance, waste treatment and periodic chemical testing (titration, specific gravity).

Required profile

• Diploma in Electroplating, Applied Sciences, Aircraft Maintenance or Mechanical Engineering.
• Minimum three years of experience in aerospace plating or surface‑finishing environments.
• Aircraft maintenance licence (advantageous but not mandatory) and relevant CNC/machining certifications.
• Training from NASF (e.g., Certified Electroplater Finisher) and safety/HazMat handling certifications.
• Familiarity with EASA or military aviation plating requirements and specifications such as AMS 2404, AMS 2401, MIL‑DTL‑5541.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025 and AS9100 quality systems.

Required skills

• Electro‑plating (cadmium, nickel, chrome)
• Surface finishing and masking techniques
• Bath chemistry monitoring (pH, temperature, concentration)
• Anodizing, passivation and chemical etching
• Conversion coating (Alodine)
• Interpretation of technical drawings and AMS/MIL specifications
• ISO 9001 / AS9100 quality system awareness
• Visual inspection and dimensional measurement
• NDT methods (if qualified)
• Hazardous chemicals handling and safety compliance
• Bath maintenance and waste treatment
• Chemical testing (titration, specific gravity)