Posted: 22/05/2026
Closing Date: 19/06/2026
Job Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Adelaide and Edinburgh
Job Category: Other
At Swordfish, we specialise in delivering transformative innovation to our Defence clients through integrated teams that combine the engineering disciplines with deep defence domain knowledge, specialist skills in the applied sciences, mathematics and digital technologies. We are passionate about applying quality engineering and embracing emerging technologies to bring innovative solutions to Defence.
Over the past 25 years, Swordfish has established a reputation for outstanding innovative R&D, and is a preferred and trusted industry partner to Defence clients. We are proudly Australian owned and operated and are committed to safeguarding our sovereignty, citizens, and national interests through helping to provide Australian Defence with a capability edge.
We strive to maintain a respectful and honest working environment that fosters a culture of inclusion, open collaboration and trust. Our teams welcome new ideas and alternative solutions, are passionate about what they do, and eagerly welcome new team members.
We seek someone who can lead the delivery of complex software engineering and R&D activities across multiple Defence-focused projects.
We are looking for someone who thrives in a fast-moving technical environment and enjoys working closely with engineers, researchers and Defence stakeholders to turn ideas into delivered capability.
Our ideal candidate can effectively manage multiple concurrent projects and priorities while maintaining strong relationships with technical customers and internal engineering teams. You will be comfortable engaging with clients, stakeholders and software engineers, and be able to clearly communicate technical objectives, risks, issues and delivery outcomes.
You will have a strong technical aptitude and the ability to understand technical requirements sufficiently to coordinate multidisciplinary teams. You will work collaboratively with Technical Leads who are responsible for technical design, engineering direction and solution quality. Previous exposure to software engineering or technical delivery environments is highly desirable.
We value people who are collaborative, proactive and delivery-focused, leaders who can bring structure to ambiguity, motivate teams, remove blockers and help create an environment where engineers can do their best work.
This role offers a strong pathway toward Program Management and broader opportunities within Swordfish.
- Manage the delivery of multiple concurrent software development and R&D projects across Defence-focused programs.
- Build trusted relationships with Defence customers, stakeholders and technical partners.
- Work closely with software engineers, researchers and technical leads to understand customer requirements and translate them into actionable delivery outcomes.
- Coordinate Agile delivery activities across multidisciplinary teams using Scrum and Kanban methodologies.
- Help define delivery scope, acceptance criteria and success measures for software capabilities.
- Support backlog management and sprint planning activities in collaboration with technical leads and engineering teams.
- Lead project planning, scheduling, resource coordination, risk management and reporting activities.
- Facilitate collaboration between technical teams and stakeholders to ensure alignment of priorities, expectations and delivery outcomes.
- Monitor project progress, identify delivery risks and implement mitigation strategies.
- Support the development and continuous improvement of project delivery processes, governance and team workflows.
- Use tools such as Jira and Confluence to manage delivery activities, reporting and documentation.
- Contribute to strategic planning, capability development and customer engagement activities.
- Mentor and support junior project managers and team members where required.
- Help foster a positive, collaborative and high-performing engineering culture.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline
- Australian Citizenship
- NV1 Australian security clearance or eligibility for Clearance
Location
This role is full-time and based in Adelaide, with a hybrid working arrangement. Team members typically work three days per week on-site at DST Edinburgh, with remaining time split between the Adelaide CBD office and remote work depending on project needs.
Benefits
- Interesting and rewarding work
- Supportive mentors and friendly, experienced team members
- Flexible work arrangements and work-life balance
- Support for your professional development
- Relocation support if you live interstate
- Competitive remuneration
- Opportunity to grow into Program Management
Desirable Skills and Experience
The skills below represent the potential breadth of the role. Successful candidates typically bring significant depth in a subset of these areas, along with the ability to learn the rest.
Project & Delivery Management
- Experience managing multiple concurrent technical or software delivery projects.
- Strong understanding of Agile delivery methodologies including Scrum and Kanban.
- Experience with project delivery tooling such as Jira and Confluence.
- Ability to manage schedules, priorities, risks, dependencies and stakeholder expectations in dynamic environments.
- Experience working within Defence, research, engineering or technology organisations is highly desirable.
Technical Aptitude
- Strong technical understanding of software engineering or systems engineering environments.
- Ability to communicate effectively with software engineers and technical stakeholders.
- Previous exposure to software development, systems engineering or technical project delivery environments is highly desirable.
Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to build trusted relationships with technical customers and delivery teams.
- Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams across complex delivery environments.
- Experience performing Product Owner or customer-facing backlog management activities within Agile delivery environments.
- Ability to influence outcomes, resolve issues and maintain momentum across multiple projects.
