Job Kit: Space & Defence Specialist

with STEM™ CAREERS JOB KIT

Space & Defence Specialist

Insights, information and advice on careers in space and defence

Deanna Hood

QUT Engineering graduate and Engineers Australia Young Professional Engineer of the Year

I was the only girl in my Year 11 physics class, but I’m glad that I never let that stop me. You only have to be curious and motivated to learn. No one starts out an expert. As well as providing a top-notch industryfocused engineering education, QUT has a fantastic support group for women and gender-diverse students that seems to never stop growing.

Study engineering

Sustainability engineering is among the top 25 emerging occupations in Australia (National Skills Commission, 2021) .

Become a future leader

To infinity and beyond

Wondering where a STEM degree could take you? How about cyber security engineering in our defence force, or even launching your career out of this world?

In Australia, the space industry already employs more than 15,000 people and with the launch of our own space agency in 2018, the sector is expected to support a further 20,000 jobs by 2030. And we’re not just talking about working as an astronaut – we’ll need lots of different skills as our space sector grows. You could be working in design and manufacturing, robotics, data analysis, and even law or medicine.

And if a Defence career is on your radar, the career opportunities are equally broad and diverse. Defence Science & Technology, part of Australia’s Department of Defence, is the country’s second-largest publicly funded research agency, employing scientists and engineers in everything from cyber security and autonomous systems to materials science and food technology. We also have our very own space force – the Space Defence Command, established in 2022 to bolster Australia’s space defence capabilities

Shoot for the Moon

And you won’t need to wait until you’ve graduated to launch your career into space! At QUT, we’re supporting Australia’s first Moon mission – and you could be part of it.

In 2022, QUT received $1.2 million in funding to build Australia’s largest covered outdoor facility for testing equipment and robotics in realistic Moon,

Mars and asteroid conditions, as part of our $5 million Space Technology Precinct at QUT Kelvin Grove campus.

The lunar testbed will support loads of fascinating research into everything from autonomous rover navigation to space-mining activities.

QUT robotics researchers have also contributed to the tech behind rovers exploring Mars as we speak, and are a part of the team developing Australia’s first lunar rover, which the Australian Space Agency is planning on sending to the Moon in 2026.

If you’re a future engineering, robotics, mechatronics or industrial design student – the practical learning opportunities available for you are, literally, out of this world.

Dr Aaron McFadyen, School of Electrical Engineering & Robotics, QUT

you could be working in design and manufacturing, robotics, data analysis… ”

Careers in space and defence are some of the most exciting, important and rewarding STEM jobs out there. Are you up for the challenge?

Aaron McFadyen Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering at QUT

In a galaxy not so far away…

A LOT has happened in the arena of space since man walked on the Moon (yup, women are still on their way...). And it’s more about innovation than aliens…

Star Wars is one of the biggest blockbuster enterprises of all time, and led the way in space innovation. From the iconic lightsabers to galaxy-hopping spacecraft, the franchise has inspired countless innovations in the space and defence sectors. In real life it’s the people at places like NASA, The Australian Space Agency (ASA), Defence Science and Technology (DST) and Rocket Lab who are making the magic happen.

Whether it’s being part of a team working on new spacesuit tech that helps astronauts float in orbit safely for longer; launching satellites into space to monitor cyber signals and the dark web; or observing Earth for environmental and oceanography movement via pictures from afar, there are plenty of jobs in the space realm. In fact, the space industry already employs more than 15,000 Aussies, while our Defence industry employed more than 61,600 people in 2021-2022 – which was an increase of 9000 jobs in just 12 months!*

Job security, working for the “good” guys and having a galactic time at the office? Your dream career is ready for lift off in ten, nine, eight, seven

You have to GO to space to work in the space sector!

There is plenty of work done on the ground. Control rooms, machinery development, safety planning… It’s not just astronauts, scientists and engineers that the space industry needs either. People with data science, mapping, agriculture and mining skills are also an essential part of the team.

Working for national defence means full-on combat!

While plenty of Australians do pursue the option of joining our defence forces and we thank them for it, this isn’t that. Working in the national defence sector means supporting these departments to safeguard Australia against future defence and national security challenges. Scientists, engineers and technical specialists collaborate with the government and industry to solve problems, create new tech and research new, improved and safe solutions for our forces.

Words of wisdom

Inspired by her maths teacher mum, Rebekah Anchondo studied aerospace engineering and systems engineering at uni, and now works at NASA. “You don’t have to fit a certain mold to be an engineer,” she says. “I was never the type of person to tinker with machines. However, I did love solving problems and doing puzzles. The engineering industry is incredibly broad, and it is not ‘one size fits all’.”

Take off!

If you know what you like but aren’t sure how it adds up to a job in the space/defence sector, we’ve connected the dots for you.

If you’re into...

Space exploration

Follow the job ads to aerospace engineering and put your STEM skills towards solving the complex challenges involved in designing and building aircraft and spacecraft. From developing more efficient engines to designing advanced materials, aerospace engineering offers endless possibilities for exploration and innovation.

Subjects: physics, maths, engineering, computer science

Work as: design engineer, project manager

Earn: $59K-$155K*

Career quickies

Here’s a hitlist of other job titles you could be adding to your resume...

• Defence industry scientist

• Entrepreneur

• Remote-sensing scientist

• Propulsion engineer

• Space scientist

Playing detective

The Australian government has invested heavily in securing Aussie defences — like dedicating $230 million to cyber security. Developing safe software; coming up with new bullet-proof protection for our troops; and inventing ways to fuel air-force jets could be your calling.

Subjects: chemistry, maths, computer science, mechatronic engineering

Work as: an aerospace engineer; in research; for the government. (The Department of Defence offers graduate ops across a bunch of defence.gov.au/Graduates/program-technology)disciplines:

Earn: graduate salaries start from $71K*

Building stuff

Like rockets, robots, drones or satellites… space is pretty inspiring so get your tools out. Sending automated machines into space can help efficiency back here on Earth in everything from agriculture and conservation to hooking up your Netflix, making a FaceTime call on your smartphone or not getting lost using virtual maps. Sounds pretty interesting, right?

Subjects: computer science, electrical/ mechanical engineering, industrial design

Work as: an aerospace engineer; in development; for private enterprise. (We’re talking companies like Fleet Space, SpaceX, Rocket Lab)

Earn: $61K-$138K*

• Astronaut

• Satellite communications analyst

• Space lawyer

• RAAF engineer

… and the skills to get you there

✔ Detail orientated

✔ Good communicator

✔ Problem solver

✔ Analytical thinker

✔ Team player

✔ Curious

✔ Creative

Jet-setting tech specialist

Kathleen has worked in the US, UK and Australia, conducted engine runs in the cockpit of a RAAF F-111, and even scored a trip on the Queen’s private plane! While working as the Deputy Chief Engineer at Airbus in Brisbane, Kathleen took to the skies in the MRH-90 multi-role helicopter (Taipan) to do system testing.

“It was an awesome opportunity,” she says.

Kathleen has been at Airbus for 10 years. She had roles in engineering and system monitoring before starting her current job as Manager Engineering Services in 2019. In the course of her exciting career, she’s worked on prototype jets, unmanned planes and helicopters — as well as cool tech such as control and navigation systems. “You get to see the whole lifecycle,” she says.

Eye on the sky

Kathleen originally set her sights on becoming an airforce pilot, but decided not to go down that path for medical reasons.

Instead, she opted to study aerospace engineering at QUT. After uni, Kathleen started out as an avionic systems engineer at Boeing in Queensland, then moved to the UK and became a systems engineer at Raytheon.

“I really wanted to travel,” she says.

Kathleen’s travel bug then took her to the US — first to Honeywell in Florida, then Northrop Grumman in San Diego. There, Kathleen worked on the X-47B — one of the first

unmanned combat aerial vehicles. She also had some pretty excellent job perks.

“Northrop Grumman had their own shuttle plane, because the traffic around LA was so horrendous,” Kathleen says.

Don’t be shy

Kathleen says that doing well in maths and science at school is a good way to set yourself up for a defence avionics career. And don’t be afraid to ask questions or approach people working in the field.

“Don’t be shy,” she says.

Thinking about where you want to live is also important. Many defence bases are in remote areas, although there are some opportunities to live and work in cities.

While things have changed a bit during the current global pandemic, another advantage of a defence aerospace career is the globe-trotting lifestyle.

“Take the chance to work overseas if you can,” Kathleen says, adding that a role at a global aerospace company can open doors to international travel. — Nadine

Cranenburgh

I went to work in a shuttle plane, because the traffic was so horrendous!”

For defence avionics engineer Kathleen Boseley, international travel and cool aircraft are just part of the job.

A day in the life of a… GUIDANCE, NAVIGATION AND CONTROL ENGINEER

Since childhood, Nic Zettl has had a passion for space. Now, he creates tech to help homegrown commercial rockets blast off

Nic is a guidance, navigation and control (GNC) engineer at Queensland-based Gilmour Space. He designs systems that tell a rocket where it is, where it’s pointing, and how to get to where it needs to go.

Nic’s been in his current job for around seven months, but worked at the company for over two years. He started out as an undergrad intern, then took up a full-time software engineering role after graduating from his engineering degree at QUT.

“In the first two weeks I was in a HAZMAT suit prepping rocket fuel!” Nick says.

Nic also has experience outside the space industry. During his degree, he did an internship as a quality assurance analyst on powerline assets, and set up the asset-tracking system at a glass manufacturing firm.– Nadine

Cranenburgh

Here’s what a typical day looks like:

6.00am

Get up and have a morning coffee with my wife. I try to keep to one a day! Then I get on the road and drive to work.

8.30am

Get in to work at the Gilmour factory on the Gold Coast. I check emails as we have lots of overseas suppliers and customers, so I have to catch up on time zone differences.

9.00am

I might travel out to one of our test sites to have fun getting my hands dirty! One exciting task is helping with propulsion tests and data logging on rocket motors.

1.30pm

If I’m not on site, there’s a great cafe near the factory. We head out as a team to stretch our legs and get some sunshine. It’s hard to go past a good steak sandwich!

2.30pm

I spend a good chunk of my day programming and reviewing work with the team. We need to get the sensors, hardware and software working together properly.

4pm

I might have meetings where reps from different projects give updates on their successes or challenges. Or maybe do research to wrap my head around different areas of physics, maths or programming.

5.00pm

It’s a high pressure job with tight deadlines, so sometimes we need to work longer hours to meet our goals. It’s well worth it to do what I love! After work I play basketball a couple of times a week and referee soccer.

Get the job!

Got your heart set on a next-level career in space and defence? Prepare for launch

Movie marathon

Stream these STEM-themed movies and call it homework and career prep all in one

Stowaway (2021)

Subjects covered: Chemistry, biology, physics

Meet the crew of MTS-42 who are on a two-year mission to Mars. There’s a mission commander, medical researcher, a biologist… And a stowaway, oops! This unplanned passenger puts everyone’s lives in danger – there’s not enough oxygen supply to go around. Over 10 days, the crew and mission control back on Earth search for a solution to keep all four people onboard alive.

Moonfall (2022)

Subjects covered: Physics, technology

Two former astronauts and a conspiracy theorist discover the Moon is controlled by artificial intelligence when it starts on a collision course with Earth. Will they be able to correct the Moon’s orbit and save our planet, and all of humanity, from destruction? This is a must-watch for fans of all things tech and space.

Electives checklist

Choosing high school electives? These subjects will set you on the right path to a career in space and defence

✔ Science ✔ Maths

✔ Physics

✔ Engineering studies

✔ Computing studies

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Subjects covered: Physics, engineering, maths

This action-packed sequel to the classic 1986 original Top Gun movie follows the daring pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he trains a new generation of aviators. With breathtaking aerial stunts and impressive special effects, this blockbuster is bound to leave you in awe of the exciting world of aviation; a must-watch for fans of high-flying adventure.

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Subjects covered: Astrobiology, engineering

After a global disaster wipes out most of Earth’s population and leaves its surface contaminated with ionising radiation, a lone scientist living at a base in the Arctic Circle must warn off a returning interplanetary spaceship. Lucky for the crew onboard, the scientist has some new home recommendations – he’s spent most of his life finding habitable planets for humans to live on!

SHUTTERSTOCK