Engineering Governance Lead

Hanwha Defence Australia; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9 Day fortnight

Flexible Working arrangements

Defence Reservist Leave

Professional Development

Health & Wellbeing Platform with EAP

Job summary

Hanwha Defence Australia is seeking an Engineering Governance Lead to drive independent oversight, assurance and regulatory compliance across Defence programs. You will champion engineering excellence, lead governance forums and reporting, and advise senior leadership on risk and governance matters.

The role offers high visibility, requires strong systems engineering expertise and the ability to operate across Commonwealth procurement frameworks, with executive-level collaboration.

Qualifications

• Experience working in Defence governance environments and defence procurement frameworks.
• Proven track record improving governance frameworks and assurance functions.
• Strong engineering risk management and safety engineering expertise.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent engineering oversight across Defence programs.
• Lead and improve engineering governance and assurance framework.
• Ensure compliance with Defence contractual requirements and standards.
• Chair governance forums, reviews and assurance activities.
• Drive safety, risk management, certification and assurance best practices.
• Lead audits, compliance reviews and corrective action programs.
• Develop governance dashboards and executive reporting.
• Advise leadership on governance and compliance matters.

Skills

Stakeholder leadership

Engineering governance

Regulatory compliance

Systems engineering

Risk management

Technical reviews

Audits & assurance

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Lead Engineering Excellence in Australia's Defence Future:

Join Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA), one of Australia's fastest-growing defence organisations, and play a pivotal role in shaping engineering governance across critical Defence programs. As a global defence leader with capabilities spanning armoured vehicles, artillery systems, air defence technologies and autonomous systems, we’re delivering some of the most significant defence projects in Australia.

We’re seeking an experienced Engineering Governance Lead to drive engineering assurance, compliance, technical governance and continuous improvement across our organisation. This is a unique opportunity to influence engineering decision-making at the highest levels while contributing to Australia’s sovereign defence capability.

About the Role:

You will be the driving force behind engineering governance, assurance and compliance activities across the business. You will champion engineering excellence, provide independent oversight across Defence programs, and ensure engineering outputs remain compliant, safe and fit for purpose. This role offers significant visibility across the organisation, partnering with Senior Engineers and Program Managers to strengthen governance maturity and engineering capability.

Key Responsibilities:

You will:

• Provide independent engineering oversight across complex Defence programs.
• Lead and continuously improve HDA's engineering governance and assurance framework.
• Ensure compliance with Defence contractual requirements, engineering standards, policies and regulatory obligations.
• Chair engineering governance forums, technical reviews and assurance activities.
• Drive engineering safety, risk management, certification and assurance best practices.
• Lead engineering audits, compliance reviews and corrective action programs.
• Develop governance dashboards, performance metrics and executive reporting.
• Advise senior leadership on engineering risk, governance and compliance matters.

About You:

Experience:

• Experience operating within Defence governance environments, including DEFCON/ASDEFCON contracts, CASG requirements and Commonwealth procurement frameworks.
• Proven experience supporting complex Defence programs within Defence industry, Defence primes or Commonwealth environments.
• Demonstrated success establishing and improving engineering governance frameworks and technical assurance functions.
• Strong expertise in systems engineering, engineering risk management and safety engineering.
• Experience leading technical reviews, assurance activities, audits and governance boards.
• Experience managing controlled engineering documentation, approvals and configuration-managed processes.

Qualifications:

• Tertiary qualification in Engineering, Science or a related discipline.
• Qualifications or demonstrated expertise in systems engineering, safety engineering or governance disciplines will be highly regarded.

Skills & Attributes:

• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and leadership capability.
• Strong understanding of engineering governance, lifecycle management and technical compliance.
• Highly developed communication and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while delivering high-quality outcomes.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a proactive approach to managing risk.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to build relationships across all levels of the organisation.
• To be successful in this role, you will need to be eligible to obtain an Australian Government Security clearance up to NV1 (must be an Australian Citizen). Eligibility criteria can be found athttp://www.defence.gov.au/agsva

What we can offer you:

• 9 Day fortnight
• Flexible Working arrangements
• Defence Reservist Leave
• Professional Development
• Health & Wellbeing Platform including an Employee Assistance Program

Hanwha Defence Australia looks for people who can embrace our three core values of ‘Challenge, Dedication, and Integrity’ that were established in the spirit of Trust and Loyalty. If you want to work with us on this exciting journey, now is the time to join.

Hanwha Defence Australia is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to apply. We also welcome applications from individuals with culturally diverse backgrounds.

We are a proud supporter of the Veterans’ Employment Program and welcome the interest of ex-service members, veterans and their families.

Please Note Cover letters and CVs are required to be submitted in PDF/DOCX format.