What's your job about?
I am a Graduate Systems Engineer at Saab Australia and have rotated across two teams within Saab. I spent my first year in the emerging space team and developed orbital mechanics algorithms, sketched out software UI concepts and managed system interfaces. I became increasingly concerned about major space weather events – look it up!
After my first year in the space team, I rotated into the Combat Systems Engineering Group in our Naval Combat Systems division. I was excited about transitioning from a dynamic start up-like R&D team to a rigorous large-scale delivery project so I can gain a broad range of skills across different domains.
This year I am working on platform integration for a major shipbuilding project. I help shuffle all the cables, pipes, and equipment on the planned ship to achieve the best outcome for both manufacturers and sailors. Designing layouts under strict space constraints can be tough! A lot of the job involves negotiating with different stakeholders to resolve conflicting designs.
It’s mostly about reducing risk! We have to make sure that we know enough about all the parts and layouts on the ship to prevent any surprises at the manufacturing and testing phases.
What's your background?
I’m an Adelaide local, born and raised. At school I was interested in how things worked and was decent at maths, but I certainly wasn’t a practical engineer. I didn’t grow up using tools, never built a computer or a website, and I still don’t really know what’s going on inside my car! I decided to study engineering - not to build things, but to solve problems.
I moved to Canberra for university, where I studied engineering and commerce at ANU. I chose to major in mechatronic systems for the breadth. It had a little bit of electronics, mechanics, and computing – perfect for someone scared of being locked into a single field!
Whilst studying I completed four internships and loved every one of them. I also volunteered with many different university groups, which taught me a lot about people, projects, and organisations. For my honours project I assisted with a dosimetry sensor on ANU’s new Space Irradiation Beamline.
I applied for Saab’s graduate program after hearing positive reviews of the workplace – I have not met anyone who had a bad word to say. A major benefit for me was moving back to Adelaide and being closer to family.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
100% as long as they are willing to learn and ask questions. Before I started with space team last year I knew nothing about orbital mechanics or radars. At the start of this year, I knew nothing about navigation systems or combat ships. Now I can say I have a workable knowledge of both!
Systems integration is about developing a working knowledge across a huge range of areas, so as long as you’re willing to learn and engage, you can do this job with any type of technical background.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The people I work with! We have some of the best people in the industry at Saab. They are friendly, helpful, and incredibly knowledgeable. As a graduate I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from leading experts in various fields. It’s a fantastic experience.
What are the limitations of your job?
The scale and pace of such a large project can be demoralising at times. Many hundreds of people work on these ships, which aren’t due in the water for years anyway. It’s important to remind myself how my work connects to the bigger picture to stay motivated.
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