We caught up with Claudia, a graduate process engineer based in Perth who is currently in her second year of the Ausenco new professionals program (NPP) to learn about her experience so far, some key highlights and some advice for future graduates.
Tell us a bit about your role at Ausenco.
As a graduate process engineer, I get to work with a multidisciplinary team of engineers to help clients design processes to extract valuable minerals from mined ore, while minimising the effects on the environment and communities.
Day to day, I provide support in preparing process deliverables such as PDC, PFDs, P&IDs, mass balances, modelling, and process calculations.
Can you describe your experience in the NPP, what have you been working on?
The experience has been great so far. I have been exposed to different mineral processes and project phases through my involvement in different projects. I’m also learning a lot from my seniors who are all very generous in sharing their experience and expertise. The NPP program hosts alot of lunch and learn sessions on different parts of the business, as well as other discipline roles which helps me gain a better understanding of all the different facets of the industry.
Most recently, I’ve been involved in the Tumas uranium project and the Jaguar nickel project. Currently I’m working the Caldeira project, which is a rare earths project in Brazil, and Mt Keith SCU project which is a brownfields nickel concentrator job.
What are some of your key highlights so far?
One of my key highlights was going to the graduate workshop held in Brisbane. It was nice to get to meet the other graduates from APAC and know more about them and what they’re working on. It was also interesting to experience the office culture in Brisbane compared to Perth.
Attending the AusIMM International Women’s Day luncheon in March is also a recent highlight of mine. It was nice to get together with the people in the office for the event and the guest speaker was insightful in talking about her experience working in Antarctica for a year.
What are your next steps for your career?
In the short term, I’m hoping to gain more experience and knowledge for different minerals and types of processes, and look forward to working on more interesting and unique projects. I would also like to have some site experience, especially in commissioning a plant. I think it would be a very rewarding experience for me to be able to see a design I took part on come to life. Other than that, I’m hoping to be able to “graduate” to a process engineer.
In the long term, one of my goals would like to become a chartered engineer which I will be working towards from now. By this time, I would also hope to have gained some experience in project management.
What advice would you give to prospective students looking to apply for a graduate position?
My advice to would be to do research the company you’re applying to and make sure you understand their values and what they’re all about. Don’t be afraid to be proactive and ask for feedback from either your mentors or peers. Lastly always keep a positive outlook and don’t be afraid of rejections. There’s always something to learn from bad or challenging experiences.
Applications for the 2025 New Professionals Program are closing soon. Apply now!
Learn more about Ausenco’s graduate program.