“I live in relaxed coastal town but work for a global company. I could transfer to other offices if I wanted to, but my family and I like to ride our bikes down to get poke bowls or go out for a sneaky bevy at the local brewery and my toddler loves to swim at the beach – even in the middle of winter. We have the best of both worlds here.”

Haley has fond memories of growing up on the South Coast. Her family loved the outdoors and were always camping, fishing or bushwalking.  

Life was very different when they moved to the Gold Coast. When she left school Haley worked in hospitality for a while when a friend told her they were off to join the Navy. That sounds interesting she thought and 3 weeks later she was on a bus to recruitment. 

Navy training brought her back to the South Coast and it was like ‘coming home’ she remembers. The laid-back coastal lifestyle was still very much alive and well and she was determined to soak it all up.  

After 15 years in the Navy, Haley had a baby and no longer felt she could juggle the time being posted away with family life, especially as her husband is also in Defence. 

Haley was thrilled to be offered an opportunity at QinetiQ Air Affairs as an Avionics Instructor. She’d completed a Graduate Certificate in Aviation Management in 2015 and soon after a Bachelor in Training and Development. 

It didn’t take long for her to become QinetiQ Air Affair’s Aeroskills Training Services Manager- a position she holds to this day and relishes: 

“I love taking students who don’t have any knowledge or skills in Aviation and turning them into integral members of a flight team.” 

“My husband is a Flight Commander so he sees first-hand how important our work is in providing knowledgeable, skilled people to Defence and industry.” 

“It’s very rewarding,” added Haley. 

Haley’s role involves managing Navy training, liaising with Navy divisional and Seahawk Simulation Warfare Centre staff, managing a team of 8 instructional staff, managing training plans and programs compliance, continuous improvement and more. 

“There are so many opportunities here”, said Haley. 

“I live in relaxed coastal town but work for a global company. I could transfer to other offices if I wanted to, but my family and I like to ride our bikes down to get poke bowls or go out for a sneaky bevy at the local brewery and my toddler loves to swim at the beach – even in the middle of winter. We have the best of both worlds here.”  she added