Where did you study and how long did it take you to complete your degree?
Swinburne University,Victoria – 4.5 year course (included 1 year of work experience). I have also achieved my Chartered Professional Engineering (CPEng) Status and am a Registered Project Manager (RegPM).

What made you choose engineering?
Mathematics and science were my strong subjects at school. I wanted to combine these subjects with the desire to design and build things. I was exposed to engineering at a young age through my father’s engineering career and decided that engineering was for me.

What made you decide to join the DMO?
After working in private industry for a number of years across a variety of disciplines, I sought out a new challenge. I came across the opportunity to work as a Systems Engineer with the Leopard Tank Program within LSD. I had engineering experience with passenger trains and locomotives which gave me grounding in working with heavy vehicles such as tanks. I commenced with the DMO early 2002.

What aspects of your current duties do you enjoy?
From the Leopard Tank technical cell, I moved across to the project team working on the LAND 907 Tank Replacement Project.

Project LAND 907 is the Tank Replacement Project that incorporates unique Australian modifications and a variety of commercial contracts. Some 59 M1A1 Advanced Integrated Management (AIM) Situational Awareness (SA) Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) and seven M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Evacuation System (HERCULES) Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs) have been acquired through the project.

I have enjoyed the challenge which has allowed me to be pivotal in a major engineering project throughout the capability/project management life cycle. This is rare within Defence as most projects have a longer delivery time.

As the Systems Engineer and the understudy to the Prime Equipment Manager – Tank, I ensure the MBT meets technical compliance requirements as articulated in the Technical Certification Plan, including the writing of weapon and platform safety cases. I manage the Systems Engineering aspects of the integration of Australian options onto the vehicles; review design and design changes proposed by the Contractor or Commonwealth; and oversee test & evaluation activities associated with the MBT. I also provide systems engineering and project advice to project staff, contractor and external agencies; manage tank program commonality and inter-operability requirements; manage Australian design review issues with respect to MBT; and provide input into project plans appropriate to MBT and ensure that support documentation and specialist support test equipment complies with Commonwealth requirements.

I have enjoyed the variety and the challenges I have faced in the work I have completed to date.

Where would you like to take your career in the future?
As a mum of one and possibly more in the future, I would like to take my experience to either start my own engineering company or work for an engineering consultancy company, so I may truly achieve a work/life balance. My ultimate goal is to have a successful career and raise my family without the help of childcare (just the occasional visit to grandma’s house!). This would be the foundation for a great role model for other women in engineering or considering engineering as a career.