Ascent Graduate Program
Our Graduate Program puts you in the front seat supporting national defence capability and ensuring mission success for our customers, delivering solutions that will keep our soldiers, sailors and aviators safe, and equipping the ADF with the weapons systems necessary to achieve governments’ strategic objectives.
Ascent Graduate Program
Our Graduate Program puts you in the front seat supporting national defence capability and ensuring mission success for our customers, delivering solutions that will keep our soldiers sailors and aviators safe, and equipping the ADF with the weapons systems necessary to achieve governments strategic objectives.
Become a sought-after Weapons Engineer
Learn from the best in the industry
Get hands-on experience to rocket-launch your career
The Ascent Graduate program provides impending or newly graduated engineers with the opportunity to explore a unique and rare profession while transforming their freshly acquired theoretical knowledge into tangible, real-life experience.
Our program aims to open doors into an otherwise elusive industry, while continuously building a future workforce within the broader defence industry, ensuring the safekeeping and security of Australia for many generations to come.
What our Graduate Program offers:
- A guided and supported opportunity to become an expert in a rare and sought-after specialisation.
- A permanent role at Ascent – we value all graduates as a part of Ascent’s future.
- Practical learning opportunities, graduate days, base tours, and hands-on learning opportunities.
- A mentoring program supported by some of the defence industry’s brightest minds.
- A genuine opportunity for impactful and meaningful work.
So what makes this Graduate Program different?
At Ascent we are firm believers in empowering good people to do good work, and make sure we do not get in the way of someone that is ambitious, innovative and hell-bent on finding solutions to defence-related problems.
Our graduates are treated as defence industry experts-in-the-making, not units of human-resource commodity.
You can expect to have a level of autonomy while you do actual, meaningful work, and to have your professional opinions and expertise heard.
Don’t worry, we are not throwing anyone into the deep end either – throughout your time as an Ascent graduate you will have access to organic mentoring, a team to bounce ideas off, and the appropriate level of guidance in your tasks.
– Ben –
Ascent Graduate
What do our graduates work on?
At Ascent you can expect to work on a number of interesting and innovative projects. Ascent has contracts with the Australian Department of Defence spanning Maritime, Land and Air domains delivering capability to the Navy, Army and Air Force. Additionally, Ascent has done space launch certification work as an authorised service provider to the Australian Space Agency. There is a wide spectrum of potential day-to-day tasks, depending on the contract you are placed into.
Broadly speaking, you can expect to work on:
- Expanding your expertise and learning about multiple interacting engineering disciplines in a real-world scenario.
- Applying your knowledge and experience using various technologies, tools and processes to develop effective approved solutions.
- Analysing and interpreting data to generate arguments that will support informed decision making.
- Engaging with stakeholders across defence and the defence industry.
- Constructing technical advice on how to employ weapon systems.
- Cross-collaborating with a national team of like-minded, motivated engineers.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2025 Graduate Program.
We believe in hiring smart people, nurturing their ideas, and giving them the opportunity to make a tangible and value-driven difference to the defence industry – starting from the ground up with our Graduate Program.
A Perfect Fit
Cultural and character fit is a major consideration for this role. Our team consists of hand-picked individuals across the country, meaning that the right fit is even more important to ensure we collaborate effectively, even when remote.
You’re our kind of person if you:
- Are an out-of-the-box thinker with a natural flair for problem-solving and innovative solutions, that enjoys solving complex problems.
- Are a naturally inquisitive and curious person.
- Are proactive and boast a can-do attitude
- Are eager to achieve objectives and don’t shy away from getting on task and getting your hands dirty (figuratively, in most cases!).
- Have excellent interpersonal skills and are able to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Have a hunger for continuous learning.
- Demonstrate exceptional communication skills.
- Have an adventurous side and are willing to relocate to work on exciting projects.
- Have a passion for, or interest in the defence industry
- Are excited by things that go boom.
Requirements:
- Currently in final year of study, or have completed a Degree/Masters Degree in Engineering within the last 24 months, preferably majoring in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical/Electronics, Mechatronics or equivalent qualifications.
- Availability to commence our program in February 2025.
- The ability to travel internationally and interstate, when required.
- The ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion at all times.
- The ability to obtain a Defence Security Clearance. In order to qualify, you must be an Australian Citizen and have a ten-year verifiable background.
Benefits of working at Ascent
- Competitive remuneration
- Assistance with relocation costs
- Novated Lease package
- Salary Sacrifice packages
- Annual flu vaccinations
- Regular team and social events
- A luscious $5000 annual professional development fund
- Reimbursement of professional membership fees up to $1000 annually
- 5 days professional development leave annually
- Work life balance with generous leave (including reservist leave) and flexible work arrangements
“You can expect to have a level of autonomy while you do actual, meaningful work, and to have your professional opinions and expertise heard.”
Unsure whether Ascent is the right fit for you?
Here’s what makes the A-Team extra special:
Opportunities for growth
We hire extraordinary people and provide them with the means and opportunities they need to develop their skills and perfect their craft.
Close-knit team
Despite being a nationally dispersed team, we are a supportive and collaborative unit that has each other’s backs and celebrates each other’s wins.
Fostering Innovators
We foster a culture where our people are keen to contribute their ideas – we are all innovators.
Work/Life Balance
It’s a buzzword, but we mean it. We care that you are meeting expectations, not just the number of hours you work.
The fine print
Things you should know:
- The graduate program is subject to a 6-month probation period.
- The recruitment process includes a written assessment that you will have a week to complete.
- You will have to be able to supply at least 2 contactable, relevant references as part of your application
- As a Defence security clearance is required for this role, applicants must be Australian citizens and eligible to obtain and maintain an appropriate clearance. To learn more about clearances please visit – https://www.defence.gov.au/AGSVA/
The Process
Application
Hit ‘apply now’ to submit your CV and a cover letter to tell us about yourself and why you want to start your career with Ascent. Include any important details we should be aware of – like graduation dates etc.
Please address your cover letter to Michael Isherwood. You’ll get an email acknowledgement after you’ve applied - Ascent endeavours to provide a first-class experience for all suitable applicants.
Any questions about the Graduate Program can be directed to [email protected].
Assessment
The assessment task consists of a short series of questions that gauges your problem-solving abilities. You will have a week to complete and submit this.
Video Interview
An opportunity to ask all the questions you have about Ascent and the Graduate program, and for us to get to know you better. These virtual interviews will be with our recruitment team.
In Person Interview
Our final shortlisted candidates will be invited to meet with Division or State Heads in their respective state or city.
Offer
Once accepted, you will officially be part of the A-Team, and will start onboarding in preparation for the start of the graduate program.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2025 Graduate Program.
FAQs
Positions are available in Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra. If successful you can expect to work in the areas of each locale where Defence establishments are located (such as at/near Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, or Russell Officers, Canberra). If you are interested in applying interstate you are encouraged to make this clear in your application.
You can expect to start at above award wages with opportunities for advancement, given demonstrated performance and growth of your skillset. If you have previous industry experience you are welcome to state a claim for increased salary on commencement, commensurate with the relevance of this experience. Ascent prides itself in offering industry-leading renumeration to all of its employees.
You are expected to work a standard working week during normal trading hours (i.e. approx. 40 hours over 5 days, Mon-Fri). Ascent is supportive of flexible working arrangements, which can be organised to suit individual needs.
With regard to working remotely (e.g. during Coronavirus lockdown and restrictions), remote work is fully supported within Ascent. It should be noted, however, that as we are a client-facing company working with Defence partners, operating in-situ is the preferred method of work for all our employees, where able.
We are well aware that there are a number of disciplines that don’t fit neatly in a box, because, after all, we’re in one of them. Explosives/guided weapons are especially far-reaching (from material science through to software compliance). It is for this purpose that we listed a number of different disciplines as options in the ‘must have’ category. That said, if you believe your degree or background ‘tick the metaphorical boxes’ for a specialist that can apply a multi-disciplinary, scientific and engineering approach to complex mechanical/electronic/chemical systems, feel free to apply.
Apologies to Civil Engineers, but you build targets not weapons systems. Whilst a valuable qualification, Civil Engineering degrees do not lend themselves to applications in EO and GWS acquisition and sustainment.
Ascent is highly supportive of diversity in all of its forms and believe that the right person for the job can truly be anyone. We are a technological-services company, and our selection criteria is keenly focussed on your ability to think critically and laterally, apply information from a wide range of disciplines and be able to communicate your thoughts in a clear and professional fashion. If you meet those criteria (and the essential criteria in the main text of this ad) then you shall be considered and can expect to have equitable treatment.
Due to the classified nature of the work we perform a Defence Security Clearance and eligibility to access International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controlled equipment and data is mandatory. You must be an Australian Citizen to apply for a job with Ascent.
