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Rachael Aston

Senior Consultant
I manage the process of multiple companies bidding for a piece of work
Industry
Technology and Digital
Company
Skotte Group
Job Level
Mid

Ask me about

  • What it was like working as a woman on a male-dominated mine site
  • The difference between on site and in office work
  • My transition from engineering to consulting

About me

When I was at school, I enjoyed science and math but was also really interested in business management. I wanted to study something that had a clear and defined job at the end so chose Engineering & Business Management. When I finished university, I became a Project Engineer and started working on site at an alumina refinery. Here I was thrown in the deep end in a highly stressful environment but learnt so many key skills.

From there I moved into the coal mining industry and continued with project work, being promoted into a Superintendent role. I then decided to take a ‘sideways’ step and moved into a technical operational role as a Process Engineer. After doing this for a few years, working on site and in FIFO roles, I decided that the technical path wasn’t for me and started looking for opportunities elsewhere. Through networking I found out about Skotte Group and was interested in the type of work they were doing and made the move.

About my role

  • Analytical
  • Flexible
  • Perfectionist
  • Reliable
  • Understanding

Consultants working in transaction management coordinate and facilitate the process of companies tendering for a piece of work for a client i.e. the government. This involves managing requests for information, holding interactive workshops, issuing notices and key documentation and ensuring confidentially is maintained throughout the process. They assist the client in commercial assessments, investment decision making and bid evaluation.

Education

  • Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Business Management (International Business)

Subjects

  • Business Studies
  • Chemistry
  • English
  • Mathematical Methods (Maths B)
  • Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)

Hobbies

  • Gym
  • Reading
  • Running
  • Travel

15 year old me!!

“Don't worry about trying to narrow down your career path to one thing - it will more than likely change and that is okay.”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Worked part-time in a cafe whilst studying at university
  2. Landed a graduate job
  3. Got promoted shortly after finishing graduate program
  4. Moved cities multiple times for work
  5. Changed jobs & industry when I wasn't happy

My typical day

My employer

Skotte Group was formed in February 2022. We are a professional services company with foundations in program management, strategy, policy and commercial advisory services. We provide advisory and hands-on delivery services, and frequently work side by side in embedded roles with our clients. We are a growing team of professionals including accountants, lawyers, engineers, data and ICT specialists and this combination of skills gives us the ability to respond to our clients’ challenges. We work with public and private sector clients across multiple sectors including infrastructure, social services, health, information technology, education, transport, and manufacturing across Australia.