What's your job about?

CSL Behring is a global organisation that delivers plasma-derived medicines for patients with rare diseases. At our Broadmeadows site, we manufacture a wide range of products, including recombinant vaccines, biotherapies to treat immune deficiencies, critical care products and more.

My role is to support the growth of the organisation in minor and major Capital Project Delivery as a Project Engineer. I’m involved with projects from early stages of scoping, through to the construction, commissioning and qualification of equipment. Ultimately, my team delivers projects to the Production Department to improve and grow safe, everyday production capabilities.

On a day-to-day level, my job is quite varied. It can involve execution of qualification protocols, communicating technical design detail with vendors or supporting procurement aspects of projects.

What's your background?

I moved to Brisbane when I was very young and lived in Queensland until I graduated high school. After graduating, I moved interstate to Melbourne, where I completed my Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. In school, my favourite subjects were physics and maths, so I decided to major in bioengineering systems. While at university, I worked a variety of jobs and volunteered, including work in the charity sector, tutoring and working as a disability support worker. I also spent a summer in Mexico in a public health course, learning more about access to healthcare and lifesaving technologies. 

In 2019, I graduated from university and started as a Manufacturing Graduate in the CSL Graduate Program the following year. Like many others fresh out of university, I lacked clarity on my career direction and the CSL Graduate Program appealed to me because it allowed for rotating positions within a large, global company. 

I completed two rotations in manufacturing before moving into an engineering rotation in Project Delivery. I’ve since moved into an ongoing Project Engineer role in the Project Delivery team. 

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes, absolutely! My team leverages a broad range of backgrounds and specialisations to deliver strong outcomes for projects.

There are some key transferrable skills that one can gain from a variety of life experiences, including communication skills, scheduling, and stakeholder management. A good knowledge of business would be incredibly beneficial to project management, but isn’t strictly necessary. An adaptable growth mindset will set you in good stead to learn most of the technical knowledge and skills that you need to fulfil your tasks. However, an engineering understanding is necessary to completing your responsibilities.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

1. My favourite part of my job is how hands-on it is! I like having a mix of desk-based and facility-based work. It is incredibly engaging to interact tangibly with the work that you do.
2. You work closely with so many people with different skills and as a result you’ll learn a lot; both in the terms of technical and interpersonal skills.
3. A great part of my workplace is how supportive other people are! You will find that others are incredibly accommodating and will always answer your questions. 

What are the limitations of your job?

It is incredibly rewarding to work at CSL Behring, as we deliver lifesaving medicines to patients around the world. However, because of the significant stakes of the industry, it is highly regulated. This ensures that patients receive high-quality and safe medicines. The flip side of this is that there is a strong emphasis on thorough documentation and traceability of all aspects of the manufacturing process. Ultimately, this is a deeply necessary and important part of working at a pharmaceutical company, but expect to spend some time at your desk with protocols and other paperwork.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

• Learn something just for the sake of learning it. Build up interests and activities that you can do for yourself even if you can’t see how they would figure into your career.
• Your student years are non-fungible years of your life. Do your best to make the most of them and enjoy yourself.
• Don’t underestimate yourself! It’s easy to talk yourself out applying for something, but trust in yourself.