🚀 Defence SA: Your Fast-Track to Australia’s Defence & Space Careers 🛰️
How a nimble South-Australian agency with a $18.6 million budget is shaping AUKUS, satellites and sovereign capability—and why that’s great news for job-seekers like you.
AT-A-GLANCE
Name of Department / Council: Defence SA
Location: Adelaide HQ, statewide remit
CEO: Matt Opie (appointed Apr 2024)
Total Revenue (2023-24): $18.614 million
Total Number of Employees: Approx. 11-50
DID YOU KNOW? 💡
Defence SA maintained full occupancy of its Defence & Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen in 2023-24, giving start-ups and global primes a soft-landing site—one reason Adelaide is dubbed “The Defence State” .
THE QUALIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, TRADES, PROFESSIONS, WORK EXPERIENCES & SKILLS MOST SUITED TO DEFENCE SA
Top 5 academic qualifications most suited:
Bachelor of Aerospace / Mechanical Engineering – supports space-hardware & platform integration work.
Bachelor of Cyber Security – aligns with Information Warfare & AUKUS Pillar II focus.
Master of Project Management – crucial for multi-stakeholder defence projects (e.g. 737 DMMF).
Bachelor of Commerce / Accounting – enables robust financial oversight of $18 m budget.
Diploma of Government (Procurement) – speeds up defence contracting cycles.
Top 5 certifications most suited:
PRINCE2® / AgilePM® – keeps complex defence projects on schedule.
CISSP or ISO 27001 Lead Implementer – underpins cyber-resilience programs.
Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) – signals high-end technical credibility.
Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) – supports transparent public-finance reporting.
NV1/NV2 Security Clearance – mandatory for much classified work.
Top 5 trades / professions most suited:
Systems Engineer
Policy Analyst
Procurement Officer
Communications & Events Specialist
Data Analyst
Top 5 skills most suited:
Stakeholder Engagement – liaise with Defence, primes, SMEs.
Strategic Writing – craft policy & funding briefs.
Risk Management – essential in sovereign capability programs.
Grants Administration – manage Activator & Collaborative Research Funds.
STEM Outreach – build the future talent pipeline.
Top 5 work experiences most suited:
Industry placement or internship in defence supply chain.
Public-sector project delivery.
Space start-up founding or mentoring.
Cyber-exercise participation (e.g. NATO Locked Shields) .
University-industry research collaboration leadership.
THE KEY FACTS
Name: Defence SA
CEO: Matt Opie
Location: Statewide (based in Adelaide)
Year Founded: 2007
Mission & Purpose: To be South Australia’s single point of contact for defence matters, capturing naval, land, air, cyber and space investment—illustrated by leading the $737 Deep Maintenance & Modification Facility near RAAF Edinburgh .
Main Duties: Industry attraction, policy advice, investment facilitation, workforce & skills development; for example, supporting 37 university students through the Defence Industry Scholarship Program .
Key Projects & Future Plans:
AUKUS Pillar I nuclear-powered submarine supply-chain strategies.
Space Assembly, Integration & Test Facility ($20 m) at Lot Fourteen .
Activator Fund ($4.8 m) & Collaborative Research Fund Round 7.
THE EMPLOYEES & REVENUE
Total Employees: Approx. 11-50
Pay-level breakdown: Not individually disclosed; seven executives (1 EXEC0F, 6 SAES1) were reported .
Salary Bands (SA Public Sector indicative):
ASO4-ASO6: $75k–$99k
SAES1: $156k–$220k+
Average salary: ≈ $105k (mid-point of ASO6 scale).
Total Revenue: $18.614 m (2023-24)
Average Revenue per Employee: Roughly $372k–$1.69m.
GETTING A JOB AT DEFENCE SA 🔍
Academic subjects in demand
Certificate / Diploma Level: Project Admin, IT Support, Procurement & Contracting, WHS, Graphic Design—for junior support roles and communications assets.
Bachelor / Master Level: STEM (Engineering, Computer Science, Physics), Finance, International Relations, Communications.
PhDs: Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Space Systems—to feed cutting-edge R&D partnerships.
Trades & Professions sought
Electricians & Mechanical Fitters (for facility builds)
Policy & Research Officers
Events & Marketing Coordinators
Cyber Analysts
Procurement Specialists
Work Experience valued
Defence industry internships
Public-sector policy writing
Complex stakeholder negotiation
Grant-funded research projects
Agile project delivery in tech firms
Skills in demand
Soft skills: Strategic communication, negotiation, adaptability, cultural awareness, problem-solving.
Technical skills: Systems engineering, cyber-hardening, data analytics, satellite payload integration, financial modelling.
General skills: Report writing, public-sector governance, risk & compliance, events coordination, stakeholder mapping.
Hobbies & Interests that align
Maker-space tinkering 🔧 (prototyping mindset)
Amateur astronomy 🔭 (space enthusiasm)
E-sports strategy games 🎮 (systems thinking)
Volunteer STEM mentoring 🤝 (workforce pipeline)
Defence history reading 📚 (contextual knowledge)
Want more information on this organisation?
Website: https://defencesa.com
Careers Portal: SA Government IWORKFORSA jobs board — search “Defence SA”.
HR / Talent Acquisition: enquiries@defencesa.com | +61 8 8463 7140
Postal / Street Address: Level 4, 151 Pirie Street, Adelaide SA 5000
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