Youth Coaching, Adventure motorcycle riding, Fishing, Golf
Benjamin Christie
Pilot, Authentic Leadership, General Management, Operational Excellence
Paradise Point,QLD
Summary
Experienced leader and manager of global operations in high-risk environments with over 25 years of experience in Defence and Industry. Excellent reputation for resolving complex problems, communicating effectively and improving customer satisfaction. I am seeking to pivot from Defence to a senior position in the aerospace project and consulting environment.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
36
36
years of post-secondary education
8
8
Certifications
Work History
Military Pilot
Defence - Royal Australian Air Fiorce
Richmond, NSW
- Twenty five career mastering all aspects of large-scale Military aviation operations and training, technologies and organizational performance.
- Held diverse assignments, including: Military C130J Operations Flight Commander (flight operations manager), senior instructor, executive officer, acquisitions / procurement project manager, and Training Centre Manager.
- Exercised international deployment authority for Air Force unit conducting complex and extensive operations on a global scale, including tactical / covert / special operations, flight safety, air transport, cargo, executive and industrial operations, repair stations, and aircraft maintenance processes.
Joint Operations Room Commander
Defence - Headquarters Joint Operations Command
Bungendore, NSW
01.2021 - Current
- Offer professional, friendly and efficient service to ADF customers, handling challenging situations with ease.
- Resolve conflicts and negotiate mutually beneficial agreements between parties.
- Provide inputs to maintain Chief of Defence Force (CDF), Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) and Principle Staff Offer (PSO) situational awareness.
- Understudy Director Current Operations (J33) and be capable of performing these duties
- Maintain high level situation awareness across ALL theatres globally in the -24 hr to +7 day period (awareness, assessment, decision making, reporting).
- Maintain effective lines of communication with all force assigned subordinate headquarters, as well as JOC Service components and external agencies across whole of Government.
- Employ operational risk management systems, and command and control structures.
- Steward political, strategic and International Engagement effects.
- Ensure effective inter-personal skills in liaison with whole of government and United Nations agencies.
Commanding Officer No. 37 Squadron
Defence - Royal Australian Air Force
Richmond, NSW
10.2018 - 12.2020
- Worked within applicable standards, policies and regulatory guidelines to promote safe working environment.
- Prepared variety of different written communications, reports and documents.
- Chief Operating Officer (equivalent) accountabilities for all aspects of the ADF's largest operational flying Squadron.
- Responsible for global employment of a fleet of twelve C-130-J-30 military aircraft, capital value of approx. $80M each (total platform asset value $960M).
- Accountable manager for annual expense budget of $1.6M, key stakeholder in annual engineering and maintenance sustainment budget of approx $100M.
- Core accountabilities span an array of general management roles including: Risk and safety management, including during warlike operations through the Middle East Area of Operations; Global Operations management; Capability and Project management; Training management; and Personnel Management of the Squadron's posted strength of 420 personnel.
Executive Office No. 84 Wing
Defence - Royal Australian Air Force
Richmond, NSW
01.2015 - 12.2017
- Led projects and analyzed data to identify opportunities for improvement with a focus on aviation safety and compliance.
- Managed large, complex, and technically oriented operations, and formulated strategic solutions for diverse customer base.
- Supervised cross-functional teams spanning the Air Force domain.
- Integrated flight operations in a global taskforce, employing diplomacy to negotiate solutions.
- Negotiated with carrier officials regarding violations, deficiencies, and other action items.
Project Manager, Proposals Co-ordinator, Contract
CAE Australia
Silverwater, NSW
01.2013 - 12.2014
- Acted as Proposals Coordinator within the Operations Group, managing bids and proposals valued anywhere between $100K to $20M.
- Performed Project Manager roles and coordinated a team of project managers to execute won bids, successfully and simultaneously managed complex Defence aviation simulator contract worth $6M annually with additional upgrade projects.
- Demonstrated excellent administration knowledge and cost reporting skills to achieve business results.
- Project Manager for CAE's KC-30A Aircrew Courseware development project (value $1.0M), involving complex stakeholder groups in Spain and Australia. Team Project Manger of MRTT simulators acquisition program (value $18.3M).
- Proposals Coordinator, responsible for overall coordination of multiple large and small bids to enhance the business prospects of the company. Overall proposals coordination lead spanning multiple revenue opportunities. Required effective internal and external communication skills, and project administration when acting in the role of execution project manager. Responsible for aligning the Operations Group opportunities with Business Development revenue activities to ensure effective business forecast are maintained to the Global organisation.
- Contract Manager for CAE’s Aerospace Simulators Through Life Support contract, a newly won umbrella contract anticipated to provide the framework for multiple aviation simulator contracts with the Australian Defence Force (value $2.0M annually). Acted as Project Manager for ‘pull-through’ and upgrade opportunities on the RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft simulator, including complex Visual System upgrade project (value $ 4.8) and aircraft Obsolescence Improvement Program upgrade projects (value $8.9M).
KC-30A Training Centre Manager
CAE Australia
RAAF Base Amberley, QLD
01.2011 - 12.2012
- Exceeded goals through effective task prioritization and great work ethic.
- Project Managed development of ‘green-field’ training centre & facility. Demonstrated leadership in a team of Project Managers during project acquisition and phase-in. Managed development of new capabilities involving significant compliance, strategy and policy implementation. Negotiated contracts and executed financial, engineering, and quality plans. Managed the acquisition of a highly skilled, effective training team, and executed an array of project plans to develop a ‘Global Training Centre of Excellence’.
- Managed complex aviation training solutions development, and managed training projects. Contributed to sales and marketing, and capture of high value training solution contracts to Air Force. Represented company on long-term contract assignment to Europe as training system project lead, ensuring effective communication between many stakeholders. Acted as principle learning systems design expert. Employed diplomacy to enhance relations, and lead development team to deliver effective solutions to customer.
- Established a Training Centre, for maintainer and aircrew training. Employed PMBOK project methodology to meet complex contractual requirements. Project managed the establishment of a ‘Green Field’ site into a modern training centre. Established an aircrew training program, including training courseware development, training management system, AQTF and RTO compliance. Established an in-house ‘Tiger’ Team to consolidate multiple legacy maintenance management systems and provide business case for new investment in global best practice training centre management systems.
- Contribute to business development: identify revenue opportunity and liaise with customer to achieve contract sale. Contributed to simulators ($18M+) and facility ($3M+) contracts. Lead the capture of training services contract with annual revenue of $2.6M. Regional proposal and capture manager for multiple revenue opportunities. Developed effective relationships with multiple stakeholders across Defence aviation domain to promote company products and services. Initiated lead and liaison with BD Director to promote potential civil training contract valued at $20M+.
- Manage Financial aspects of multiple, complex contracts. Liaise with higher management and accounting manager to set and achieve budget. Meet stringent financial and KPI reporting requirements to internal and external stakeholders.
- Manage personnel: Recruit, hire, train, discipline, manage, and direct logistics for all aircrew instructors. Standardise and evaluate program requirements, training and scheduling. Manage courseware development, simulator technician and facility maintenance staff, engage with software and hardware engineering staff to provide interface to operational personnel to ensure project success.
- Manage Technical Documentation including development and review on contract instruments, project plans, quality and risk management plans within the Defence-Aerospace domain.
- Executed Strategic Objectives encompassing project planning, operational, facility, financial and human resource domains. Demonstrated leadership and innovation and to achieve strategic business objectives across key result areas.
Education
Master of Military And Studies - Defence Strategy, National Security
Australian National University
Australian Defence College - Canberra 01.2018 - 12.2018
MBA - Organizational Leadership
University of Souther Queensland
Springfield, QLD 01.2008 - 11.2012
Bachelor of Science - Aviation
University of Wester Sydney
Parramatta, NSW 07.1997 - 12.2022
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science And Management
University of New South Wales
ADFA, Canberra 01.1989 - 12.1991
Advanced Diploma in Project Management - General Project Management
Australian Institute of Management
Sydney, NSW 02.2012 - 11.2012
Advanced Diploma of Aviation - Military Pilot
Royal Australian Air Force
Canberra, ACT 01.2003 - 06.2003
Advanced Diploma of Personnel And Ops Management - Personnel And Operations Management
Royal Australian Air Force
Canberra, ACT 01.2003 - 06.2003
Advanced Diploma of Government - Public Services Management
Royal Australian Air Force
Canberra, ACT 01.2003 - 06.2003
Skills
Leading operational excellence
Accomplishments
- Managed Operational Headquarter aspects of Australia’s Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) from Kabul, Afghanistan (2021); Tongan tsunami crisis (2021); ADF’s response to widespread Australian bushfires and numerous floods events throughout 2021-2022.
- Steered Defence’s largest operational flying Squadron through initial two years of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
- Led a safety culture change program that transformed the special operations safety culture from one of inappropriate risk-taking to one aligned with Air Force safety requiremnts. Presented this transformation change story to the ADF Safety leadership forum in Canberra (2020) to a wide audience of senior military and civiliat aviation safety experts to broad acclaim.
- Transformational change of several key C-130J Hercules capabilities essential to maintaining competitive strategic edge, including project leadership of the RAAF’s first ever C-130J mission to Antarctica, and role enhancement to embed an ISR capability on the C-130J platform.
- Held pivotal role as Commander Air Mobility Task Group during high-risk, high intensity kinetic operations to clear Iraq of ISIL threats.
- Held pivotal roles with CAE Australia in delivering the KC-30A Training Centre, and services to the RAAF, including flight instruction, training consultant to Airbus, Training Centre Manager; Project, Proposals and Commercial management.
- Leadership roles in several search and rescue (SAR), and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief(HADR) events including: cyclone Trevor (NT, 2019), Fijian cyclone (2016), Indonesian earthquake and tsunami relief (2018) and the major Indonesian tsunami (2004).
Affiliations
- Graduate, Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership - Public Sector Leaders Senior Colloquium
- Strategic Advisor, One Giant Leap Australia Foundation
- Member, Sir Richard Williams Foundation
- Member, Castle Hill RSL Sub Branch
Certification
Military pilot: C-130 E/H/J – ABNOPS Check and Training Captain (4400 hours total, 2300 hours Command)
Interests
Awards
Indigenous Liaison – Leadership Award, RAAF Richmond, 2020
Timeline
Joint Operations Room Commander
Defence - Headquarters Joint Operations Command
01.2021 - Current
Military pilot: C-130 E/H/J – ABNOPS Check and Training Captain (4400 hours total, 2300 hours Command)
12-2020
Certificate IV in Workplace Coaching, Open Door Coaching
12-2020
Commanding Officer No. 37 Squadron
Defence - Royal Australian Air Force
10.2018 - 12.2020
Master of Military And Studies - Defence Strategy, National Security
Australian National University
01.2018 - 12.2018
Executive Office No. 84 Wing
Defence - Royal Australian Air Force
01.2015 - 12.2017
Simulator Evaluator, Simulink
10-2013
Project Manager, Proposals Co-ordinator, Contract
CAE Australia
01.2013 - 12.2014
AIPM Registered Project Manager
07-2012
Advanced Diploma in Project Management - General Project Management
Australian Institute of Management
02.2012 - 11.2012
KC-30A Training Centre Manager
CAE Australia
01.2011 - 12.2012
Airbus A330 Type Rated, CAE-Iberia, Madrid
06-2010
MBA - Organizational Leadership
University of Souther Queensland
01.2008 - 11.2012
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Training Express
07-2007
Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 Administrator
06-2006
CASA Commercial Pilot: MECIR, Grade 3 Flight instructor, Low Level Flying and Aerobatics endorsements
01-2005
Advanced Diploma of Aviation - Military Pilot
Royal Australian Air Force
01.2003 - 06.2003
Advanced Diploma of Personnel And Ops Management - Personnel And Operations Management
Royal Australian Air Force
01.2003 - 06.2003
Advanced Diploma of Government - Public Services Management
Royal Australian Air Force
01.2003 - 06.2003
Bachelor of Science - Aviation
University of Wester Sydney
07.1997 - 12.2022
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science And Management
University of New South Wales
01.1989 - 12.1991
Military Pilot
Defence - Royal Australian Air Fiorce
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