Veteran-owned Advisory Firm Conscia has Helped Customers Across Australia Bring Complex Projects to Life
For over five years, Veteran-owned advisory firm Conscia has helped customers across Australia bring complex projects to life.
In 2021, this demonstrated experience, and Conscia’s focus on delivering unique and forward-thinking outcomes, saw the company selected to contribute to Lockheed Martin Australia’s bid for JP9102.
“Under JP9102, Conscia will oversee the design and construction of two new satellite operations facilities, and the upgrades to two existing satellite ground stations,” said Michelle Owens, Senior Associate and Team Leader at Conscia.
“It is an incredible opportunity, not just for Conscia, but for Australian industry as a whole, as we work hand-in-glove with Lockheed Martin Australia to develop this leading-edge space capability.”
Although Lockheed Martin Australia and Conscia have only been working together for a few years, the pair’s shared commitment to excellence and innovation has paved the way for an enduring relationship.
Recently, Conscia was announced as one of Lockheed Martin Australia’s strategic in-country business partners on the Australian Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise (GWEO).
Under GWEO, Conscia is slated to use its expertise in the planning, delivery and accreditation of sensitive facilities and infrastructure for Defence to identify potential future locations for central manufacturing.
When reflecting on the success of Conscia’s relationship with Lockheed Martin Australia, Michelle credits the mutual respect and two-way communication between the teams.
“Conscia’s logo is the Solomon Knot, which represents the interconnection between Conscia and our Clients. Our work with Lockheed Martin Australia embodies this concept. The team are incredibly supportive, and their dedication to building Australian industry capability shines through with every interaction.”
For Michelle, her experience with Lockheed Martin Australia has been a career highlight at Conscia. On JP9102, she worked with a team that advised on the ground segment and focused on the facilities, both satellite operations facilities, and satellite ground stations.
With over 10 years of experience in project management, Michelle was able to bring an understanding of construction and Defence processes to JP9102. She worked with the Lockheed Martin scheduling team to integrate the facility schedule into the master schedule and develop design documentation and tender schedules related to the facilities.
“JP9102 was my first capability project. Although the facility portion of the project is only one small piece, it is incredibly rewarding to know I have contributed to the broader capability
“Having exposure to such a large project and working with the Lockheed Martin master schedulers helped me develop my skills and better understand what goes into a capability master schedule.
“And more broadly, it has demonstrated Conscia’s capability to potential customers in Australia and overseas.”
In addition to her work in project management, Michelle’s time at Conscia has given her the opportunity to support and mentor those she works with.
“I love being in a position where I can motivate and empower others, especially women in the industry,” she said.
“At Conscia, I’m always learning and growing in my role. My work with Lockheed Martin Australia is the perfect example of this. I was able to take my existing knowledge and experience, and the lessons I learned working on the JP9102 capability project, to support junior staff to grow in confidence and take on challenges they didn’t think they could do.”
The supportive work culture at Conscia has helped Michelle to build up her confidence following a burnout experience earlier in her career. Her understanding of mental health has grown since then, and she feels it’s something that can be difficult to talk about yet is so common and can be so debilitating.
“Once I moved to Conscia and surrounded myself with people that supported me, I built up my confidence and belief in myself again.”
“I will always be grateful for the support of my Conscia colleagues, for seeing what I was capable of, having confidence in my abilities and challenging me in the best way.”
Conscia continues to support Lockheed Martin on JP9102 and other project opportunities in the UK and Poland.