What's your job about?
I am a Systems Engineer at Raytheon Australia, a capability partner for the Australian Defence Force. As a systems engineer, you are involved in the design, integration, and management of complex systems over their lifecycle. This means I have had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects within the company including the Collins Class Submarines Life of Type Extension and the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) surface fleet continuous development.
On the Collins Class Submarines, I worked on Combat System Architecture, which involves developing high-level conceptual models that describe the required structure and behaviour of the components within the Combat System. I am currently working on a continuous development project for RAN vessels. My job on this project involves working with my team to develop an innovative technical solution that will not only fit within the customers’ needs but can be integrated with the equipment currently installed on Navy vessels.
What's your background?
My dad was involved in the defence industry which meant I had the opportunity to attend a lot of defence information events and open days. Getting to see the innovative technologies used, as well as the large and complex scales of the projects, was always fascinating to me. This, along with my interest in maths and science led me to study a Bachelor of Mechanical Mechatronic Engineering at the University of South Australia.
Toward the end of my degree, I applied for an overseas internship in Spain as well as a graduate program, GradX, run by Raytheon Australia, which also included the option to do an internship. I was fortunate enough to get accepted into both. As the Raytheon Australia GradX program also included a full-time job at the end of it, as well as support in my final year of university and a senior mentor within the company, I knew it would be the best offer to accept. After hearing of my opportunity in Spain, Raytheon Australia encouraged me to take the overseas internship, allowing me to participate in the GradX program remotely while I was away. After finishing my last semester of university in 2021, I officially accepted a position at Raytheon Australia, which led me to where I am today.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Of course! Although you have to complete a degree in engineering to be a Systems Engineer, there are not many limitations on what type of engineering you must study to get into the field. As Systems Engineers design large complex solutions, having people with different engineering backgrounds and experiences helps, as everyone can bring different strengths and skills to develop an innovative solution. Apart from technical skills, communication is a large part of engineering. It is important to be able to convey ideas to a range of different audiences and technical levels.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I have the opportunity to be involved across the entire lifecycle of a project. While working on the submarines I was involved in a range of integration and test activities, which gave me the opportunity to go onboard one of the submarines and test the systems I had seen on paper hundreds of times. Being able to see the components come together and work as a complete system puts everything into perspective – it was also a fun change from normal office life.
What are the limitations of your job?
It’s important to learn that sometimes you must work within constraints. Although the large scale of the systems we deal with can be a good challenge, it can sometimes also be a limitation, especially when it comes to balancing design and project constraints.
When beginning the design for a project, it can be easy to get carried away without considering the project constraints. These can include limitations to time, budget, and current technological capabilities. It is important to learn how to balance these constraints and understand that sometimes it’s not always possible to achieve the most idealistic solution.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student…