Engineering Manager

Canberra, ACT | Defence Project | Contract Opportunity

Duration: 12 month contract

About Expert360:

Expert360 empowers more than 42,000 (and growing!) elite professionals around the world to find great work and be successful. Expert360 was founded in 2013 with a simple but powerful mission to connect amazing people with great companies to get important work done.

We believe in choice, flexibility and empowerment. We believe that if you can change the world of work, you can change the world. Come and join us in defining and bringing to life the future of work!

About the role:

Expert360 is seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to support a major Defence project focused on the delivery of complex ICT and engineering capability into a maritime environment.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced engineering leader with a strong Defence background to step into a key role supporting platform engineering outcomes, stakeholder engagement, project delivery and risk management across a high-profile program of work.

The Opportunity

As the Engineering Manager, you will lead and coordinate engineering activities to ensure deliverables are planned, progressed and completed in line with project timelines and stakeholder expectations. You will work closely with Defence stakeholders, installation teams and engineering teams to support the successful delivery of capability into Defence platforms.

This role will suit someone who is comfortable operating in a complex Defence environment, managing engineering priorities, driving problem resolution processes and building strong relationships across multiple stakeholder groups.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the engineering workforce to ensure project deliverables are planned and delivered in line with required timeframes
• Oversee engineering activities across allocated Defence maritime platforms
• Facilitate and progress engineering problem resolution processes and approvals as required
• Develop and execute detailed engineering plans to support project outcomes and platform delivery schedules
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with key Defence stakeholders, SPOs, engineering authorities and project teams
• Work closely with installation and delivery teams to ensure engineering approvals and activities are completed ahead of deployment milestones
• Identify and manage engineering risks, issues and opportunities across the project
• Prepare and contribute to engineering documentation, reports, briefs and project presentations
• Support engineering governance, planning and project management activities across the broader program

About You:

To be successful in this role, you will bring strong Defence engineering experience and the ability to lead within a complex, stakeholder-heavy environment.

Essential Experience

• Bachelor of Engineering or other relevant tertiary qualification
• Demonstrated experience working as an Engineering Manager within Defence or a complex Defence-related program
• Experience leading engineering activities on large and/or complex projects
• Experience working with Defence stakeholders, including SPOs and related technical or support organisations
• Strong understanding of Defence capability lifecycle and project delivery environments
• Experience delivering engineering outcomes within maritime or Navy-related programs
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills

Desirable Experience

• Master’s qualification in Systems Engineering, Engineering Science or similar
• Broad knowledge of Royal Australian Navy ship classes/platforms
• Experience working with Defence engineering governance and approval processes
• Previous experience managing engineering teams in a Defence setting
• Experience supporting major maritime capability delivery programs

What Makes a Good Fit:

We’d be keen to speak with candidates who can demonstrate:

• A strong background delivering engineering outcomes in Defence environments
• The ability to lead engineering teams while balancing delivery deadlines, technical requirements and stakeholder expectations
• Experience working across maritime, Navy or complex ICT-enabled Defence projects
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and navigating structured engineering approval processes
• A practical, solutions-focused approach to engineering risk, planning and problem resolution
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear project documentation and briefings

Work Arrangement:

• Canberra-based preferred
• Standard Monday to Friday working arrangement
• Interstate travel may be required from time to time
• Some work may involve visiting operational or maintenance environments

Security Requirements:

• Ability to hold or obtain an NV1 Security Clearance
• Ability to meet any project-specific compliance requirements associated with Defence environments

Interested?

If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.