Major Adelaide defence firm Saab hiring for more than 100 jobs by Christmas

A huge defence recruitment drive aims to employ more than 100 people within months – including workers from the axed sub builder.

Adelaide-based defence firm Saab has launched a massive recruitment drive, aiming to employ more than 100 people by Christmas, including some workers from the scuttled French submarine project.

The major systems provider for defence, civil and security projects hopes to recruit most of the permanent workers in South Australia.

Vacant positions are across multiple fields – maritime, underwater, land, security, space and corporate – from interns to experienced engineering roles.

The recruitment drive will help ease uncertainty about job availability for about 350 workers at Naval Group, which on September 16 was dumped in favour of an Adelaide-built nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

Saab Australia managing director Andy Keough, a former Collins-class submarine commander, said major defence firm heads, at a roundtable on Monday, tallied more than 400 jobs available now within their companies.

“Companies like Saab have this massive demand, not just now but into the future as well,” said Mr Keough, also a former Defence SA chief and ASC executive.

“The industry itself has got some great fundamentals and, over the long term, incredible opportunities.”

Engineers Ethan Beaumont, Sian Hardie, and Tom Hodge in the future combat system lab at SAAB at Mawson Lakes. The company is preparing to recruit for more jobs. Picture: Matt Loxton

Saab is actively recruiting for 75 roles and expects more to become available in coming weeks as it seeks to accelerate growth by Christmas.

The new roles include specialist software and combat systems engineering roles, along with program management, information communications technology and procurement.

Saab last September was awarded a $370m deal to deliver more than 500 deployable health modules for the Australian Defence Force, providing clinical treatment and support infrastructure in the field.

The firm is providing the combat management system for Australian navy ships in a contract expanded in March.

It is expected the SA growth for the Mawson Lakes-based firm will continue and hundreds more hirings are expected in 2022.

Naval Group workers face an uncertain future after the Attack-class contract was axed and replaced with plans to build at least eight nuclear-powered boats, as part of the AUKUS agreement, between Australia, the US and Britain.

Government-owned ASC, formerly the Australian Submarine Corporation, on September 17 was announced as the manager of the Sovereign Shipbuilding Talent Pool, which seeks to either bring affected workers into ASC or connect them with other defence companies.