Careers

As Australia’s national hydrographic authority the Australian Hydrographic Service employs a range of highly skilled and experienced people. Navy officers and sailors receive specialist training for service in the Surveying ships and Units of the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service. Meanwhile, officers of the Commonwealth Public Service are recruited and trained in a range of unique talents to enable them to compile, maintain and publish Australia’s official charts and associated publications.

Click below to find more about careers at Australian Hydrographic Office.

• Civilian Careers
• Current Vacancies
• Officer Careers
• Sailor Careers

Civilian Careers

Permanent positions

There are currently 100 permanent civilian positions at the Australian Hydrographic Office. These positions are staffed by Commonwealth Public Servants employed under the Public Service Act. They cover a broad range of levels and classifications in the following fields:

Current Vacancies

• None

All applicants should visit the Defence Civilian Recruitment website for detailed information on How to Apply.

Officer Careers

The primary role of a surveying officer is to collect the information, which is required to make charts and provide the associated services, which help make navigation at sea safe and support Defence operations. Duties include watchkeeping on the bridge of surveying ships, leading survey parties both ashore and afloat in remote locations, and assessing and compiling survey information before it is rendered to the Australian Hydrographic Office, and provision of advice to Defence operational planners and units.

Hydrographic Officers are drawn as volunteers from the Navy’s Seaman Officer Branch. They normally commence sub specialist training after completion of initial seaman officer training and the award of a Bridge Watchkeeping endorsement aboard an RAN ship.

Educational Pre-requisites

All Seaman Officers are eligible for selection as surveying officers. There are no additional educational requirements, though the nature of the specialisation relies on abilities in mathematics and some familiarity with science subjects.

Career Path

Wherever possible, volunteers are posted to a survey ship for experience prior to being posted to the RAN Hydrographic School at HMAS PENGUIN in Balmoral, Sydney. Officers undertake an intensive six-month course that covers the practical aspects of hydrographic surveying as well as including theoretical and academic studies. Subjects include geodesy, the practical operation of survey equipment including satellite position fixing, depth measurement, hydrographic data logging and processing and the operation of small survey craft. The course carries an international accreditation with the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) as meeting the standards of competence for hydrographic surveyors.

On completion of the course officers are posted to sea for consolidation training, normally as an assistant surveying officer aboard one of the larger survey ships. Subsequent postings may be to sea as Executive Officer aboard a smaller survey ship or to staff positions at the RAN Hydrographic Office in Wollongong.

After several postings, commonly two or three, surveying officers may be posted to the Long Hydrographic Course at HMS DRAKE in England. This is a six-month IHO accredited Category A course which prepares Officers to supervise the conduct of Hydrographic Surveys, a pre-requisite for Commanding Officers of surveying ships.

Possible postings after the Long Hydrographic Course included the Command of smaller survey ships, instructor positions at the RAN Hydrographic School and more senior staff positions such as the Quality Control Officer or Staff Officer Operations at the Australian Hydrographic Office.

All Hydrographic Officers remain Seaman Branch Officers in the RAN and can be called upon for duties in general service both afloat and ashore at any time.

Recruitment

To find out more about Officer Careers as Military Geospatial Officers (Hydrography) contact Defence Recruiting.

Sailor Careers

Side Scan Operations

Conducting GPS Observations using Trimble

Sailor Career Opportunities

The specialist sailors in surveying ships are part of the Hydrographic Systems Operator category. They perform many of the essential survey related tasks in the survey and support units of the Hydrographic Survey Force (HSF).

Australia’s charting area extends from Antarctica to the equator and from midway across the Indian Ocean to halfway to New Zealand. This area comprises approximately one eighth of the Earth’s water surface.

Employment

Hydrographic Systems Operator (HSO) sailors experience a varied work environment both ashore and at sea. Much of the work is outdoors, often in remote areas of Australia’s north but as far south as Antarctica. HSO sailors are part of the Seaman department in any ship. As well as their specialist duties they participate in all general seamanship activities.

Hydrographic Systems Operator’s (HSO) specialist duties include:

Sea Duty

Surveying ships often operate well away from their home port for periods of up to three months at a time and many surveys take place in remote areas otherwise rarely visited by ships.

Specialist Training

All seaman branch General Entry (GE) sailors undergo an initial 15 weeks training at HMAS CERBERUS in Victoria. Those who have joined as Hydrographic Systems Operator sailors then undergo a 10 week Basic Hydrographic Systems Operator course at HMAS PENGUIN, set on the Sydney harbour foreshore, before being posted to sea to consolidate the technical and professional knowledge. Sailors who join another branch such as the Bosun’s Mate category may apply to transfer to the HSO Category later in their careers.

HSO sailors undergo Intermediate and H2 Hydrographic Surveying courses at HMAS PENGUIN. These courses are pre-requisites for promotion to Leading Seaman and Petty Officer respectively. Those that successfully complete the H2 course receive IHO Category B accreditation.

Promotion

Promotion to Leading Seaman requires a minimum of 4 years service as an Able Seaman and completion of the Intermediate Hydrographic Systems Operator Category Course (8 weeks) and other professional Naval courses.

Promotion to Petty Officer requires a minimum of four years service as a Leading Seaman and completion of the H2 Hydrographic Surveying (25 weeks) and other professional Naval courses
Promotion is competitive and determined primarily on merit

Postings

Hydrographic Systems Operator sailors can expect to be posted to any of the HSF units, which include:

• The Hydrographic Office, located at Wollongong.

• Two Hydrographic Ships (HS's) based in Cairns:
  • HMAS LEEUWIN
  • HMAS MELVILLE

• Four Survey Motor Launches (SML’s) based in Cairns:
  • HMAS PALUMA
  • HMAS MERMAID
  • HMAS SHEPPARTON
  • HMAS BENALLA

• The Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) Flight, based in Cairns.

• The Deployable Geospatial Support Team (DGST) (formerly known as HODSU), based at Wollongong, but operating around Australia, the South Pacific and in Antarctica.

• The RAN Hydrographic School, HMAS PENGUIN in Balmoral, Sydney.

Recruitment

To find out more about Hydrographic System Operator Sailor Careers contact Defence Recruiting.

Conducting leveling observations

Survey Motor Boat (SMB) – Coming Alongside

Preparations for Deployment of the Light Utility Boat (LUB)