EL 1 - Systems Engineering Lead

Australian Department of Defence; Canberra; On-site; AUD 124,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

BDCP payment

Job summary

Australian Department of Defence is seeking a Systems Engineering Lead to shape the delivery of complex maritime capability for the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Government. You will work across the OPSS portfolio, guiding engineering delivery, capability integration and problem solving across demanding maritime projects.

The role sits at the intersection of engineering, acquisition, supportability and delivery, requiring systems thinking, stakeholder collaboration and strong

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading teams and mentoring staff.
• Ability to coordinate complex activities across technical and organisational boundaries.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience in Defence acquisition, systems engineering, verification and validation.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering teams across multiple maritime projects.
• Provide engineering governance and technical leadership.
• Engage with project managers, industry partners and stakeholders to deliver capability outcomes.
• Balance technical judgement with practical delivery across boundaries.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Systems thinking

Mentoring staff

Problem solving

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Australian Department of Defence – Canberra ACT

2d ago , from Australian Department of Defence

• $124,393 - $140,315 + 10% BDCP + up to 15.4% Superannuation
• Canberra - ACT, Henderson - WA

The Role

If you are looking for an engineering role that extends beyond a single technical discipline, this is an opportunity to help shape the delivery of complex maritime capability for the Royal Australian Navy and the broader Australian Government.

The Systems Engineering Lead works across the Offshore Patrol and Specialist Ships (OPSS) portfolio, supporting engineering delivery, capability integration and technical problem solving across multiple high-paced maritime acquisition projects. The role sits at the intersection of engineering, acquisition, supportability and project delivery, requiring a combination of technical judgement, systems thinking and stakeholder engagement.

The role provides broad exposure to Defence acquisition, engineering governance, capability delivery and stakeholder engagement, and is ideally suited to engineers seeking to broaden their experience beyond a single technical discipline.

We are looking for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, working across technical and organisational boundaries, and helping teams achieve practical capability outcomes.

This role is eligible for an additional remuneration benefit known in Defence as a Building Defence Capability Payment (BDCP). This enables Defence to provide a premium, in addition to the base salary otherwise payable under the Defence Enterprise Collective Agreement (DECA), for positions in occupational disciplines/classifications that are critical to Defence capability. For further information, please contact the contact officer.

About our Team

The OPSS Branch is a high-performing, forward-focused team delivering a diverse and evolving portfolio of maritime procurements that underpin future naval capability. Alongside our current projects, we are actively shaping and preparing for the next generation of acquisitions, ensuring we remain at the forefront of continuous shipbuilding.

OPSS Engineering & Technical provides engineering leadership, technical governance and specialist engineering support across a portfolio of maritime acquisition projects delivering capability to the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Border Force and other Commonwealth stakeholders.

The team works across the capability lifecycle, supporting engineering, verification, safety, supportability, acceptance and transition-to-service activities associated with complex maritime systems. We work closely with project managers, industry partners, operational users, and technical authorities to solve challenging problems, navigate ambiguity, and support the delivery of capability outcomes.

This is a highly collaborative environment suited to people who enjoy learning, tackling unfamiliar problems and working with others to deliver practical outcomes.

Our Ideal Candidate

We are seeking a technically credible engineer who enjoys solving difficult problems, working through ambiguity and helping teams find a path forward.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience leading teams, mentoring staff, coordinating complex activities and developing productive working relationships across diverse stakeholder groups. They will need to be comfortable operating across technical, project and organisational boundaries, rapidly understanding unfamiliar issues and helping teams navigate engineering, capability and delivery challenges. They will possess strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, together with the ability to influence outcomes and build productive working relationships across diverse teams.

While engineering experience is important, this role is less about deep technical specialisation and more about judgement, systems thinking, curiosity and initiative. We are looking for someone who asks good questions, challenges assumptions constructively and works collaboratively with others to develop practical, evidence-based solutions.

Experience in Defence acquisition, sustainment, engineering governance, systems engineering, verification and validation, system safety or integrated logistics support will be highly regarded.