Pesala joined Babcock in 2019. Based in Auckland, Pesala is a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, working at Marine Industrial Design (MID) at the Devonport Naval Base.
Pesala is a proud Sri Lankan Navy veteran who served nearly 14 years as an engineer onboard various naval vessels and dockyards as well as propulsion and ICE workshops.
He migrated to New Zealand in 2017 and worked as a Marine Fire Service Engineer prior to joining Babcock. In that role Pesala worked on fixed fire extinguishing systems across a variety of vessels including small sailing boats, passenger ferry fleets, super yachts, fishing vessels, cargo ships, naval vessels and cruise ships.
We sat down with Pesala to find out about his career at Babcock.
Why did you choose to join Babcock?
In my heart, I still belong to the Navy even though I no longer wear the uniform. I was looking for the best way to engage with New Zealand Defence and I heard about Babcock. I was fortunate enough to join MID and feel like I was making a difference, while also broadening my horizons in design engineering and naval architecture.
How does your team contribute to our purpose of ‘Creating a safe and secure world, together’? What is your role in this?
No matter what we design, as a team, our prime aim is to deliver robust, safe and environmentally friendly practical design deliverables that go beyond the expectations of Navy, defence and commercial clients in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.
I support the Maritime Fleet Sustainment Services (MFSS) contract, which provides the full range of support services to the Royal New Zealand Navy’s entire fleet. I lead Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs), engineering designs and Naval architecture support to ensure operational readiness as scheduled.
What are the most enjoyable and/or interesting aspects of your job?
Alongside the MFSS work for the Navy, I also undertake design engineering and Naval architecture support for our commercial clients, so I work on a broad range of projects.
No two projects are same. One day I am designing improvements to frigate funnels, the next day I may be doing docking calculation and dock block design for a fancy superyacht. The next week I may be doing structural and system designs for a special floating structure or analysing stability of an amphibious digger.
Babcock supports me with the cutting-edge tools and training I need, along with a culture of teamwork. I have had the opportunity to grow my technical expertise and knowledge sharing within a vibrant engineering/Naval architecture community.
What is your proudest moment since joining Babcock?
It is the day I could introduce the latest 3D scanning equipment and processing software to Babcock New Zealand. It drastically enhanced the efficiency of our design workflows and became popular across all our design teams within a short period of time.
What makes Babcock a good place to work?
Babcock is a great place to work because of our strong team culture and the way people genuinely support each other to grow. You’re encouraged to learn and develop every day, and the work–life balance is excellent within a friendly, positive environment. The company also backs your goals, giving you the support and opportunities you need to progress.
Learn more about a career with Babcock
At Babcock, you’ll be part of something bigger with opportunity across Babcock’s global reach of diverse and innovative programs. With an engineering career at Babcock, you have the opportunity to work across a diverse range of programs and projects:
- Design, modify and maintain naval ships
- Design, build and maintain ship and submarine systems
- Develop advanced communication and surveillance systems
- Modify and maintain aircraft
- Develop and maintain systems for future soldiers.
Read more on our Engineering Careers page.
Our Early Careers Program provides a range of pathways to help launch your career, gain first-hand experience and develop the knowledge and skills that can open up a world of opportunities. Read more on our Early Careers page or visit us at an upcoming careers event.