An engineer to a systems thinker. Steven Wallace.
With a career spanning the UK, New Zealand and Australia, and a string of engineering challenges under his belt, Steven Wallace is no stranger to system complexity. Steven worked across submarine systems, autonomous vehicles, and concept electrical architectures for navy vessels before he formally stepped into a ‘systems engineering’ role.
“Some of the projects I worked on were fast paced – developing concepts, modelling and testing, and rapid prototyping,” says Steven. “Although I had previously applied some of the high-level processes, it wasn’t until I moved to New Zealand and joined an engineering consultancy firm that I developed an interest in ‘systems engineering’ as a discipline.”
Today, Steven is a Senior Systems Engineer at Shoal Group, a Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) and has recently been voted in as the Vice President of INCOSE NZ, a role commencing at the end of April 2025. INCOSE is the International Council on Systems Engineering.
“Having helped establish the New Zealand Chapter a few years ago, I’m looking forward to working alongside the co-founding members and the growing community of systems engineering professionals,” says Steven. “During the next two years, I’m excited to play a part in shaping the organisation and advancing the systems engineering profession.”
From concept definition to design and implementation, and through to verification and validation, Steven has developed both experience and a passion for systems engineering. When he relocated back to New Zealand, after living in Sydney for a year, we spoke with him about his career, the complexity of systems, and international moves.
Q. What first sparked your interest in engineering?
Steven. I was always a maths and logic kind of guy, preferring zeros and ones and ideas backed with evidence to literature, so engineering was a natural fit. Funnily enough, I’ve come to learn that telling a story with numbers is just as important.
I studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Bristol and applied for entry level roles. My first role was working on the electrical controls for the next generation submarine reactor that would eventually power the Dreadnought Class Submarines (which are scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s). That sparked my interest in large projects and complex systems.
I then worked for an R&D project called ASTRAEA II with a conglomerate of large aerospace companies, which ended up being really fun. We aimed to prove that autonomous vehicles could be as trusted in controlled airspaces the same as piloted vehicles. The project was fast paced with rapid prototyping and hardware in the loop testing. It got me interested in modelling and simulation, something I didn’t really enjoy at uni, but the real-world application made it far more interesting.
Q. What then drew you to systems engineering?
Steven. The attraction to systems engineering was really quite organic. In the UK, my work was split into modelling and simulation of electrical architecture of navy vessels and how it would respond to future technologies. Then another role was pulling submarine design information into a single source of truth – but from spreadsheets, not the sophisticated approach we have at Shoal! It taught me the value of getting stuff right up front to prevent the challenges of delivery later on.
Although it started with these early roles, when I moved to New Zealand, I found myself becoming more and more exposed to projects where understanding the bigger picture and how everything fits together was not only important, but crucial.
When I found myself with ‘systems engineer’ in my job title, I began to connect the dots – this was the future for me!
Q. What attracted you to Shoal?
Steven. There were a number of things that prompted my move to Shoal. As my career progressed, values became more important to me. When an ex-colleague joined Shoal, I gained some insight into the Shoal culture. It appealed to me – supportive, social and surprisingly flexible.
Most of my experience in systems engineering was in defence, so seeing how systems engineering principles apply across other sectors was a big draw. I saw that Shoal had a role in a big Kiwi transport project. It provided an opportunity for me to broaden my expertise.
And finally, Shoal also struck me as a company where systems engineering is deeply respected. It was an opportunity for me to develop the discipline further.
Q. What have some of your milestones been throughout the past few years with Shoal?
Steven. About nine months after joining Shoal, I had the opportunity to become the program lead for the Transport & Infrastructure arm of the company, with about 20 people in my team. It challenged me in new ways – client management, delivery, deadlines and relationships, understanding individual’s strengths and optimising the team for success. I learnt about the commercial side too, with contracts and governance.
Another standout moment was more personal. My partner had the opportunity to move to Sydney for a year’s training. Shoal was incredibly accommodating, and I couldn’t have asked for more in terms of support. I spent that year supporting a major transport project out of Melbourne.
Today, I am helping Shoal to shape our capability in Transport & Infrastructure, taking a deep dive into defining skillsets to support the sector into the future, with a capable and experienced team. It’s a new way to play into my strengths, building further on my leadership and systems thinking.
Q. You recently earned your CSEP certification.
Steven. Yes. I was already a Chartered Engineer, and I’d had ‘systems engineering’ in my job title for so long but never formalised it. Preparing for my CSEP was a great way for me to assess where I was strong and where I needed to sharpen my skills. It was hard work but also a great way to consolidate my experience and Shoal supported me all the way.
Altogether, it took me around three months to prepare for the exam and the materials that are submitted with the application form. Jon Hallet, Senior Principal Systems Engineer with Shoal and an ESEP (Expert Systems Engineering Professional – the certification above CSEP), was a great help, reviewing my materials and supporting the process. In fact, Shoal has a strong focus on professional development and fully supports qualifications like this.
Q. You’ve now worked in three countries, two of them with Shoal. You’re now back to New Zealand?
Steven. Yes. When my partner was offered a role in Christchurch, Shoal was amazing. Leadership supported me without hesitation.
Although I’ve been working remotely for quite some time now, I still feel connected. I have meaningful work. Shoal has great systems and communications, for work and socially. I certainly appreciate how adaptable the Shoal model is. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, in terms of flexibility and support. Now that I’ve been elected Vice President of INCOSE NZ, I’ll be more connected with the systems engineering community here than ever.
I’m going to miss the diversity and variety of food in Sydney, but I won’t miss the humidity! I’m looking forward to heading out into the countryside outside of Christchurch and the simplicity of a cheese roll!
About Shoal
Shoal is complex systems design company. We use Systems Engineering combined with Modelling, Simulation and Analysis to help our clients define, analyse, decide, optimise, and deliver technology-intensive projects in complex environments across Defence, Space, Transport and Infrastructure.
More: shoalgroup.com
Media Contact
Shaun Wilson
CEO and Founder, Shoal Group
+61 438 394 288
[email protected]
