Canberra, ACT Based | Requires a current AGSVA NV1 Clearance

About Us

IAG Defence & National Security (DNS) is part of IAG, a specialist advisory firm supporting complex infrastructure, Defence and national security programs across Australia. Our DNS team works closely with Commonwealth agencies and industry partners to deliver specialist expertise into nationally significant programs. Our success depends on our ability to identify, engage and mobilise highly specialised talent quickly and effectively.

IAG is recognised as a Veteran Friendly Employer under the Veteran Employment Program.

The Role

We're looking for an experienced Engineering Lead to develop, maintain and govern program-level capability baselines, requirements, architectures and integration artefacts across a complex Defence communications and information systems portfolio in Canberra. This role combines technical systems engineering knowledge with Defence capability management experience and a detailed understanding of the interdependencies between Defence capabilities.

You'll translate strategic guidance and operational needs into coherent system-level requirements, keep traceability between requirements, design, interfaces and engineering decisions, and assess how proposed changes affect baselines and related projects. You'll also help bring Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and emerging digital engineering tools into baseline analysis and technical decision support.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop and refine capability scope, requirements and engineering inputs to support continual modernisation of capabilities
- Translate strategic guidance, operational needs and emerging capability requirements into coherent technical and system-level requirements
- Support requirements analysis, decomposition, traceability and prioritisation across projects and products
- Lead the development, maintenance and evolution of capability and system baselines
- Contribute to the development and review of program-level artefacts, including capability frameworks, concepts, system definitions and supporting engineering documentation
- Maintain visibility and traceability between capability requirements, system design, interfaces, dependencies and approved engineering decisions
- Assess the impact of proposed changes on system baselines, capability coherence and related projects or products
- Assess system-of-systems integration requirements, technical dependencies and interoperability considerations across the portfolio
- Support the alignment of capability design activities and associated architectures across projects and products
- Provide engineering input to capability architecture, interface definition and integration planning activities
- Identify and analyse design conflicts, gaps and dependencies that may affect capability coherence or integration outcomes




- Support the application of MBSE and contemporary digital engineering methodologies to the development and management of capability baselines
- Promote traceability between requirements, architectures, interfaces, design information and other engineering artefacts
- Support engineering transformation activities that improve baseline visibility, design coherence and engineering governance outcomes
- Identify and assess opportunities to apply emerging digital engineering technologies, including automation and AI-enabled engineering tools, to support baseline analysis, change-impact assessment and technical decision support
- Undertake and coordinate technical analysis to support capability design, integration, prioritisation and investment decisions
- Assess technical options, trade-offs, risks, constraints and dependencies, including the implications of proposed capability, architecture and baseline changes
- Prepare technical assessments, briefs and recommendations to support governance and decision-making
- Engage and coordinate with Defence, industry and other stakeholders to develop and maintain coherent capability requirements, baselines and integration outcomes
- Facilitate technical workshops, design discussions and working groups relevant to capability definition, baseline development and integration
- Represent engineering interests in technical, design and integration forums as required
- Provide systems engineering support to capability planning, concept development, modernisation and related capability development activities
- Support alignment between engineering activities and applicable strategic guidance, capability priorities and Government-directed outcomes

Required

- Current NV1 security clearance
- Demonstrated experience developing, refining and managing complex capability and system requirements across multiple projects, products or systems
- Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining or assuring system and/or capability baselines, including requirements traceability, design coherence and change-impact assessments
- Demonstrated experience applying Systems Engineering principles to complex capability development, integration and modernisation activities
- Demonstrated experience assessing system-of-systems integration requirements, technical dependencies, interfaces and interoperability considerations
- Demonstrated ability to undertake complex technical analysis and provide evidence-based engineering advice to support capability design, integration and investment decisions
- Demonstrated understanding of, and experience applying or supporting the application of,



MBSE and contemporary digital engineering methodologies
- Demonstrated ability to engage and coordinate with Defence, industry and technical stakeholders to achieve engineering outcomes
- Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of technical assessments, briefs and recommendations for senior decision-makers
- Tertiary qualification in Systems Engineering, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology or a related technical discipline highly regarded
- Formal Systems Engineering certification, professional accreditation or relevant advanced training highly regarded
- Formal training, certification or practitioner experience in MBSE and/or relevant digital engineering tools and methodologies highly regarded
- Experience within Defence capability management, acquisition, integration or sustainment environments, or equivalent complex Government capability programs highly regarded
- Experience within communications, networking, integrated mission systems or other complex system-of-systems environments highly regarded
- Knowledge or experience of open systems architecture, modular design approaches and interoperability principles highly regarded
- Experience identifying or applying automation, data analytics or AI-enabled engineering tools to baseline analysis, change-impact assessment or technical decision support highly regarded
- Experience working within multi-domain capability environments highly regarded

Engagement Details

- Location: Russell Offices, Canberra, ACT
- Hybrid work option may be available
- Travel may be required
- Extension options available

What We Offer

With offices in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, we're a tight-knit team working across some of Australia's most critical Defence and national security programs. We value expertise, collaboration and flexibility, providing our people with opportunities to contribute to meaningful and technically challenging projects. We can offer great work, great people, excellent culture, great conditions, and an all-round great time whilst you continue building a rewarding career in the Defence and national security sector. As part of IAG, you'll be joining a team of more than 250 professionals.

Most opportunities advertised by IAG Defence & National Security are subject to client approval, security validation and contractual confirmation. Employment or engagement will only be offered following successful client acceptance and completion of all required pre-engagement checks and onboarding activities.

Please Note

As this role may support a Defence program, a Defence employment moratorium period may apply to current or recently separated ADF/APS personnel seeking to move into industry roles. If you are currently serving or have recently left Defence, we'd recommend confirming your eligibility to apply before submitting.

📌 Engineering Lead (Canberra)
🏢 IAG Defence and National Security
📍 Canberra