The Role

Research Engineering’s Maritime Engineering team is seeking a Senior Research Engineer to lead the design and production of bespoke maritime systems.

The successful candidate will develop engineering solutions from initial concept to operational use. So, candidates with experience managing, and contributing to, engineering activities across the entire development cycle are desirable.

The role may include scoping user needs, estimating costs and timelines, applying professional standards, designing parts, coordinating trials, running technical simulations, improving safety processes, and other similar activities.

The Maritime Engineering team’s projects will range from simple rapid prototyping, to more complex platform development. Both, present unique technical and non-technical challenges. So candidates with an ability to adjust their engineering approach to suit the task at hand are preferred. This may be demonstrated by experiences overcoming similar challenges in the past, particularly if those examples demonstrate an ability to take initiative, and think creatively.

Key expected results include:

• Lead engineering projects with considerable complexity and/or strategic significance with limited guidance form higher authority, including technical reviews and any other design tasks.
• Improve engineering quality, working with the Discipline Leader Maritime Engineering to implement improvements to quality management systems, and other processes such as safety and security.
• Communicate project progress and outcomes with all relevant stakeholders in a clear and concise manner, setting clear expectations and negotiating effectively and respectfully.
• Manage people by providing clear and consistent communication, setting clear expectations and performance standards, delegating appropriate responsibility, and guiding and developing other engineers in the team.
• Continual training and development is actively encouraged and supported by Research Engineering.

The role will also require various technical skills, so we are open to candidates from various technical disciplines such as mechanical, mechatronic, electrical, software or other.

About our Team

The Senior Engineer will be part of the Maritime Engineering Discipline. The team includes engineers from various disciplines (i.e. mechanical, mechatronic, electrical), as well as technical staff who support production and in field trials. The team reports to the Discipline Lead Maritime Engineering, and is based in Sydney.

The Maritime Engineering Discipline is part of the Research Engineering Branch. While Maritime Engineering focuses on delivering new defence capabilities in the maritime domain, Research Engineering works across all domains, and has several sites across Australia

The Maritime Engineering team works collaboratively, in a dynamic research and development environment, which presents numerous opportunities to shape strategically significant projects and varied challenges to hone your engineering skills.

Our Ideal Candidate

We are seeking individuals who are genuinely interested in the opportunity provided; the development of novel maritime systems for defence.

Our ideal candidate will be willing to work both independently and within a design team.

• They will be adaptable to changing requirements that occur in the research and development environment, and respond positively to the dynamic nature of work.
• The candidate will also have good communication skills; and a desire to grow to become the leading authorities in their domain - continually seeking to improve and broaden their skills, and challenging themselves to produce excellent solutions.

A combination of the following experiences would also be advantageous:

• Experience delivering mechanical and robotic systems, noting direct experience with maritime sensors, effector, or vehicles is desirable but not required.
• Experience leading complex engineering projects, particularly overcoming technical and non-technical challenges with a team and other stakeholders.
• Design specific knowledge such as structural or thermal analysis, embedded electronic systems, design for manufacture, or equivalent.
• The capability to hold a position of engineering authority is also desirable.

Application Closing Date: Monday 31 March 2025

For further information please review the job information pack, reference DSTG/01705/25 on https://defencecareers.nga.net.au/?jati=D31C1D0D-3A2B-2839-398E-E3941447C7C1