The key duties of the position include The Role Naval Construction Branch (NCB) is seeking a dedicated and skilled individual to join its assurance team as a Technical Officer. This is a unique opportunity to work on a range of navy vessel projects, right at the waterfront in Henderson WA, where the ships are being constructed. As an APS 6 Technical Officer, you will deliver continuity of technical assurance, working with uniform and civilian staff in a team, using your experience in ship repair/maintenance activities to verify the ships are constructed in accordance with agreed approved domestic/international standards throughout the different phases of the build. Some of the key responsibilities for the APS 6 Technical Officer are: Verification and Compliance Conduct inspections, both formal and informal, to verify product compliance with approved procedures, standards, and specifications. Ensure all work aligns with classification society rules (e.g., DNV) and contracted requirements. Conduct audits of shipbuilder processes to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose. Non-Conformance Management Identify, investigate, and report non-conformances. Support the verification of corrective actions and monitor process outcomes to ensure resolution and continuous improvement. Reporting & Communication Attend technical and project meetings, providing accurate and timely reports to support decision-making and documentation requirements. Complete detailed survey reports following inspections, ensuring traceability and clarity of findings. Utilise project management and reporting tools to document issues, track progress, and support workflow transparency across teams. Stakeholder Engagement Establish and maintain a good working relationship with various stakeholders including Defence, prime contractors, suppliers, classification society and other regulatory bodies. Test and Evaluation Witness and provide technical expertise to system testing at Factory Testing, Pre-commissioning Testing, Harbour Trials and Sea Trials. Technical review Conduct reviews of technical reports (including technical plans and procedures), ship drawings and specifications, etc. Safe Work Practices Exhibit a proactive approach to complying with and upholding project regulatory requirements, while fostering a Positive Safety Culture through effective mentoring of new personnel. Site-centric role As a field-based position, the role places a strong emphasis on leading and performing on-site surveillance activities across multiple Shipyard builds and Production areas. A number of roles are intended to be filled within NCB across a variety of shipbuilding disciplines with a merit pool to be established from this recruitment activity. Hull and Structure: Assess the condition and integrity of ship hulls, structures, and coatings across various platforms. Weld inspections, including traceability checks, non-destructive testing (NDT), and weld heat treatment follow-ups. Coating inspections, including surface prep, film thickness measurement, holiday testing, touchups Whole of Ship: Assess the quality of outfitting, stores and equipment across various platforms Quality inspections of ship compartments and spaces to support vessel acceptance About our Team Naval Construction Branch (NCB) is accountable for the assurance of ship construction, set-to work and transit of vessels constructed at the Osborne Naval Shipyard and Henderson precinct. We are headquartered in Osborne, SA and have a detachment in Henderson, WA and a smaller presence in Port Macquarie, NSW. NCB is furthering continuous naval shipbuilding and growing sovereign capability by overseeing the construction to ensure quality and standards are met, storing lessons learnt and developing standard shipbuilding procedures for construction. NCB will oversee the construction of many different Navy vessels including Offshore Patrol Vessels, Hunter Class Frigates, Young Endeavour, Evolved Cape Class and Pacific Patrol Boats. Working at NCB will enable you to be at the grassroots of continuous naval shipbuilding, where you are part of a working shipyard, being able to see and contribute to the vessels delivered and used in service by Navy. NCB currently has highly skilled and diverse shipbuilding experience, which will be shared to grow your hands-on construction knowledge. You will work alongside Navy personnel, internal project management officers and Prime contractors. The opportunity for technical staff to undertake industry placement is also available. Workplace Benefits and Conditions Defence offers a supportive and flexible working environment that promotes wellbeing, professional development, and work-life balance. Some of the key benefits include: Enterprise Agreement Salary Structure - Salaries are governed by an enterprise agreement that includes scheduled annual percentage increases. DECA Day - One day undefined leave per year to support personal wellbeing. Annual Leave at Half-Pay - Option to extend leave duration by electing to take annual leave at half-pay. Purchased Leave - Option to purchase additional leave to support personal flexibility. Paid Stand-Down Break - Paid stand down provided between Christmas and New Year. PFADS (Performance Feedback Assessment and Development Scheme) - A structured framework for performance management and career development, integrated with annual performance-based payments. Flex-Time Option - Flexible working hours available to support personal and operational needs. Career Progression - A strong culture of career advancement is actively encouraged and supported through structured pathways and development opportunities. Our Ideal Candidate Our ideal candidate would be an experienced and qualified individual with a strong work ethic and demonstrated leadership behaviours. Our ideal candidate will possess: Technical experience within shipbuilding or sustainment environments. Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to proactively engage and liaise with multiple Shipbuilder Primes and Classification societies. Ability to apply knowledge to assess technical packages and equipment performance against specified requirements, and to provide recommendations for improvement and implementation of corrective actions. Applied technical capability, demonstrate technical proficiency with the capability to lead the evaluation of technical packages and equipment performance against project specifications, and deliver well-supported recommendations that drive improvements & and corrective actions. Knowledge-sharing and Leadership skills, with the ability to participate in - or lead - processes involving knowledge transfer within the Shipbuilding or Sustainment domain. Commitment to continuous learning, a broad understanding of shipbuilding fundamentals and a desire to expand knowledge across multiple discipline build groups. A Collaborative approach, supported by strong communication skills and the capability to positively influence teams in their work with internal and external stakeholders. The NCB team is looking for a self-starting individual who is passionate about problem-solving and demonstrates strong initiative to improve practices in a dynamic environment.
