Engineering Specialists - Multiple Disciplines | APS 6, EL1 & EL2

Work Initiatives; Canberra; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Work Initiatives is seeking Engineering Specialists across APS 6, EL1 and EL2 for a major Australian naval defence program. Roles cover multiple disciplines and may include international placements; Canberra, ACT based.

You will contribute to governance, assurance, certification and through-life support for cutting-edge naval platforms, with leadership opportunities at EL1/EL2 and a competitive remuneration package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Engineering recognized under the Washington Accord or equivalent.
• Strong technical competence and willingness to learn alongside industry leaders.
• Systems-thinking approach to identifying and managing risk.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across diverse audiences.
• Ability to build effective relationships with government, industry and international partners.
• For EL1/EL2, demonstrated leadership and mentoring experience.

Responsibilities

• Review designs, specifications and deviations to support approval and certification decisions.
• Develop methodologies and evidence used to assure and certify engineering systems.
• Contribute to safety cases, regulatory submissions and project plans.
• Collaborate with national and international partners, regulators and academia to apply best practice.
• Participate in international meetings; occasional after-hours work may be required.
• Prepare briefs, reports and presentations for senior decision-makers.
• EL1/EL2: lead teams, plan programs and mentor engineers.

Skills

Professional Engineer

Leadership

Systems thinking

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (Washington Accord) or equivalent

Job description

Engineering Specialists - Multiple Disciplines | APS 6, EL1 & EL2

for exceptional opportunities within a high-profile Federal Government agency supporting one of Australia’s most significant long-term defence capability programs.

We are seeking experienced Engineers from a wide range of disciplines, at APS 6, Executive Level 1 and Executive Level 2, to contribute to a major naval defence capability program that will shape Australia’s security, workforce, industrial capability and supply chains for decades to come.

About the Role

This major naval defence capability program is a historic and transformative endeavour for Australia. This whole-of-nation effort brings together government, industry and international partners to deliver one of the most complex engineering programs in the nation’s history.

Engineers will work across technical governance, assurance, certification, design review and through-life support of advanced naval platforms and systems. Roles range from highly specialist to broad, depending on your discipline and experience, and you may have the opportunity to work across streams. Successful candidates may also have the opportunity to nominate for international placements with overseas partner organisations, with in-country training and support provided beforehand.

These positions attract a competitive remuneration package, including an additional premium for critical capability disciplines and generous superannuation.

About the Team

You’ll join engineering branches responsible for the technical governance, safety certification and objective quality evidence (OQE) that underpin the safe, effective and sovereign operation of Australia’s future naval capability. Teams combine civilian and military personnel from diverse disciplines, and the culture puts people, technical development, integrity and safety first.

Engineering Disciplines

We are interested in hearing from Engineers with experience in one or more of the following:

• Mechanical, structural and materials engineering (including FEA and structural/materials modelling)
• Electrical, electronic and mechatronic engineering
• Instrumentation and control
• Systems engineering and systems integration
• Power, propulsion and energy systems
• Safety case development, system safety and environmental protection
• Marine structures, naval architecture, weld design and shock/survivability
• Signature management (acoustic and non-acoustic), trials, measurement and analysis
• Modelling and simulation (structural, thermal-hydraulics, fluid-structure interaction)
• Field support, engineering investigations, and decommissioning and disposal

Key Responsibilities

Depending on level and discipline, responsibilities may include:

• Reviewing, evaluating and recommending courses of action on designs, specifications and deviations to support approval and certification decisions
• Developing the methodologies, processes and OQE used to assure and certify engineering systems
• Contributing to safety cases, regulatory submissions, and plans, processes and procedures
• Working with national and international partners, industry, regulators and academia to apply engineering best practice
• Participating in international meetings and workshops, sometimes outside standard Australian working hours
• Preparing high-quality briefs, reports and presentations to inform senior decision-makers
• At EL1 and EL2, leading teams, planning and managing technical programs and resources, and mentoring developing engineers

About You

You will demonstrate:

• A Bachelor of Engineering (or equivalent) that satisfies the Washington Accord for recognition as a Professional Engineer
• Strong technical competence in your discipline and a willingness to keep learning alongside leading experts in novel technologies
• Sound judgement and a systems-thinking approach to identifying and managing risk
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to a range of audiences
• The ability to build effective relationships across government, industry and international stakeholders
• For EL1 and EL2 roles, demonstrated leadership, supervision and mentoring experience

Highly regarded but not essential

• Chartered Professional Engineer (Engineers Australia), Registered Professional Engineer (Professionals Australia), or membership of an equivalent institution such as RINA, IMechE, IMarEST or IEEE (or the ability to obtain it within 12 months)
• Experience in Defence, defence industry, maritime, energy or other highly regulated, safety-critical sectors
• Experience working with overseas partners or within multi-regulator environments
• Openness to an international placement of 2 to 3 years

You don’t need Defence experience. Engineers from all applicable industries are encouraged to apply.

Locations

Adelaide / Port Adelaide – SA, Canberra – ACT, Melbourne – VIC, Perth – WA, Sydney – NSW

Security Requirement

Applicants must be Australian citizens and able to obtain and maintain a minimum Negative Vetting Level 1 (NV1) security clearance. Some roles may require a higher clearance level.

At Chandler Macleod, we are committed to fostering a diverse workforce where everyone is welcome. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, neurodiverse individuals, people living with a disability, and the LGBTIQA+ community. You can read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion at: https://www.chandlermacleod.com/diversity-and-inclusion.