From Navy technician to helping to deliver a world-class combat system 

Leigh Fester has a strong work ethic that he says was largely shaped by his boilermaker dad.  From the age of six, his father gave him the opportunity to get supervised hands-on experience with metal working equipment, including welders. 

“He owned a very large metal fabrication company,” says Leigh. “By the time I was 10 or 11, he was getting me up at 5:00am and I was helping him with jobs.” 

That deep sense of wanting to contribute and a natural curiosity about what makes things tick has served Leigh well through a 20-year career, in which he has served in the RAN, earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and in recent years worked at Saab Australia on advanced combat systems.

The strong positive impression he makes on colleagues has seen him repeatedly offered new opportunities – and it continues to open doors to interesting roles.

“When people keep approaching you with new opportunities, I guess it means you’re doing something well,” he says. 

Delivering the Australian Interface for the Hunter-class combat system 

Leigh’s current role is Engineering Manager within the Combat System Integrated Project Team (CSIPT) – a multi-company partnership that is delivering the combat system for six Hunter-class frigates.

Saab is developing the Australian Interface, which will bring the ship’s sensors, weapons and communications together. The Australian Interface will also enable the Hunter-class vessels to integrate seamlessly with other fleet assets using Saab’s Australian Combat Management System (AusCMS), including Anzac-class frigates equipped with 9LV. 

Leigh spends most of his time at the CSIPT office in central Melbourne, working closely with engineers from across the program. As Engineering Manager, he leads the delivery of key elements of the combat system, including the Meteorological and Oceanographic System (METOC) and the Visual Surveillance System (VSS). His days are a mix of coordinating with suppliers, working through technical issues with engineering teams, and making sure designs are progressing as planned. Alongside the technical work, Leigh also mentors junior engineers and supports his team to step up and deliver, helping keep the program moving forward.

“The role involves dealing with a lot of different stakeholders, not just internally but externally as well,” he says.

“There’s a lot of coordination that goes on, especially when you’re working with different companies and suppliers. It’s about making sure everything lines up and gets delivered the way it’s meant to.” 

A varied career 

Leigh’s career journey to working on one of Australia’s most advanced naval programs began with a decision to join the RAN after finishing school.  Over nearly 14 years in the RAN, he progressed from hands-on electronics technician to instructor and to leading communications maintenance teams on board amphibious ships. Along the way, he built deep technical expertise while also developing leadership skills, managing departments, mentoring hundreds of junior technicians and earning his engineering degree.

After leaving full-time service, he moved into industry roles in systems engineering and production, further broadening his experience across complex defence projects.  

When a former colleague offered him a chance to join Saab to work on the communications system for the advanced MQ-28 Ghost Bat, Leigh jumped at the chance. After two years of working on that project, he joined Saab’s CSIPT, where he stepped into a program operating at an entirely different scale and level of complexity. Leigh says one of the best things about working at Saab is the ability to shape your own career. 

“In the Navy, you’re given different opportunities and you can choose the direction you want to take,” he says.

“It’s the same at Saab – you can really push your career in the direction that interests you.” 

He also values the way the company supports its people, particularly veterans transitioning out of service.

“Saab does a lot better than most,” he says. “There’s real support there.” 

For Leigh, one of the most rewarding aspects of the role is knowing the work has real-world impact. 

“You feel like you’re part of something bigger,” he says. “You’re contributing to a capability that helps protect Australia.”