Nigel joined the Royal Australian Navy through the Australian Defence Force Academy in January 1991. As a junior officer he enjoyed postings to the guided missile destroyers HOBART and PERTH where he gained Weapons Engineering qualifications. His head of department posting was completed in the frigate STUART. Shore postings have included the Combat Data Systems Centre, Divisional Officer at the Defence Academy, and the Directorate of Navy Weapons Systems.

Nigel has enjoyed overseas postings on the Naval Attaché’s staff, Washington, and later as the Australian exchange officer to the United Kingdom Defence Ordnance Safety Group. During this three year posting to Bristol Nigel was also the Australian representative to the NATO Ammunition Safety Group AC-326, and the Australian member on the Munitions Safety and Information Analysis Centre (MSIAC) steering committee.

In 2015 he returned to Australia on promotion to Captain to take up the post of Director Ordnance Safety in Joint Logistics Command, with responsibility for Australian Defence explosive safety policy and regulation. During this posting he initiated a significant reform into explosive safety management in the Australian defence organisation.

Nigel assumed his current post in January 2018 as Director Land Explosive Ordnance Systems Program Office, delivering explosive ordnance acquisition projects and managing the explosive ordnance inventory for the Australian Army.

Nigel has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and Master’s degrees in Explosive Ordnance Engineering, and Project Management. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer with the Institution of Engineers Australia.