Chief Engineer

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we're on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We're looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you'll do

The Chief Engineer is responsible for leading all aspects of and ensuring engineering and technical work is in accordance with the Engineering Management System. The Chief Engineer plays a pivotal role in:

• Day to day leadership and management of Australian and US based SGS-E Sustainment Engineering teams.
• Ensuring engineering work is carried out in accordance with approved plans and processes.
• Continuous improvement of engineering processes and procedures.
• Maintaining engineering management system compliance with the Land Materiel Safety Manual (LMSM) and other relevant regulatory requirements (eg WHS).
• Exercising Design Authority on the SGS-E system.
• Maintaining the technical integrity of the system.

The day-to-day

Key responsibilities of the Chief Engineer are:

• Provide technical authority for all engineering aspects of the SGS-E program, including hardware, software, support, and testing carried out by the Viasat SGS-E Sustainment team.
• Ensure engineering services adhere to sound engineering processes in the development, production, test, and sustainment of systems in accordance with the approved CEMP and standards.
• Working closely with the government client and subcontractors to deliver on engineering activities.
• Working closely with program management to provide advice on programmatic outcomes.
• Ensuring the system configuration baselines are managed through approved change processes.
• Ensuring work is carried out to approved standards by proficient and authorised personnel through delegation and management of Technical Authority.

What you'll need

• Tertiary qualifications in Engineering and hold Professional Chartered Engineer status in accordance with Engineers Australia requirements (or equivalent).
• Experience in leading and running multi-disciplined engineering teams within Defence (or similar industry) projects, particularly in Sustainment projects.
• Possess leadership skills to guide and motivate teams. This includes the ability to lead without authority, to delegate tasks, to provide clear directions and to inspire collaboration and partnership.
• Have a deep understanding of Defence engineering frameworks (eg LMSM) and standard methodologies.
• Have strong interpersonal and communication skills to build and maintain relationships (eg understanding partner requirements and leading expectations).
• Preferably have experience in satellite communications, communications systems or ICT systems.
• Be skilled at critically analysing complex problems, determining root causes and proposing effective solutions.
• Have a continuous improvement mindset. Proactively identify areas for improvement, implement process enhancements, and drive efficiency in the engineering services provided.
• Must be an Australian citizen and have an active Australian Government Security Clearance (NV1))
• Must meet International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) requirements.

What will help you on the job

• Should understand scheduling, budgeting and how engineering activities impact these factors.
• Confirmed experience in a Defence sustainment project.
• Experience in an engineering management or senior leadership role.
• Ten or more years of Defence industry engineering experience.
• Certified SAFe Practitioner
• Clear and concise communication skills; ability to articulate technical material to both a technical and non-technical audience
• An understanding of service management principles, frameworks, and standard methodologies, including incident management, change management, problem management, and service level management.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.

Viasat actively supports a diverse workforce and strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

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