RPS celebrates defence people, projects and partnerships

For years, RPS has worked extensively with the Australian Department of Defence on infrastructure and capability projects. Why is defence work such a big part of our portfolio? Because of the RPS employees who are passionate about, and truly understand this industry. And in the case of more than 50 of our people, this passion and understanding comes from prior careers in Australia’s Army, Navy or Air Force.

RPS Executive Director for Project Management, Geoff De Jongh – himself an ex-service member – says finding a career path where your skills and experience are valued is so important when transitioning into the civilian workforce:

“Leaving the military is always a big adjustment. Your training to that point is very purpose-driven, and you’re passionate about service and achieving goals. I think that’s one of the reasons why RPS is such a great fit for ex-service personnel. We’re equally passionate about delivering on objectives and supporting clients to achieve their goals. And the fact that consultants can still contribute to Defence projects even after they’ve hung up the uniform makes it extra special."

It’s a match up that RPS actively promotes, working with veteran employment organisations to connect with candidates. 

“We’re an official partner of the Prime Minister’s Veteran’s Employment Program, and we also work closely with Soldier On as a Platinum Pledge Partner to attract veterans with valuable expertise. You can see that the fit is good, as the average tenure of ex-Defence personnel at RPS is more than five years” says Geoff.

It’s not a one-way transfer of people and skills. RPS has also partnered with the Australian Army on a unique industry secondment program in 2024. Our consultants have the opportunity to join the Army full-time for 12 months to support the delivery of priority engineering projects. RPS project managers (and trained civil engineers) Eric Doekes and Ben Ellis-MacMahon have been posted to the Australian Army’s 12th and 19th Chief Engineer Works units this year to offer their engineering skills, while fully immersing themselves in Defence work, and life.

It’s not all about the work though. Veterans’ welfare is a core element of our corporate social responsibility program. We regularly volunteer with, and fundraise for partner organisations, Legacy Australia and Soldier On.

RPS is full of success stories – people who have made the transition into new civilian careers and are thriving. But we know that life after military service can be difficult for people. Ex-service personnel can be especially vulnerable.

“Another initiative that we’re really proud of is our work with Housing All Australians on research examining the issue of veteran’s homelessness, and how we might address that,” said Geoff.

So, today we want to celebrate all of the people within our ranks who have worn the uniform, and invite any ex-service personnel interested in joining an organisation that values your service and skills to get in touch!