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Gemma Sibillin

from Netball Coach to Systems Engineer
I help outline what the different systems of the plane need to do!
Industry
Aviation
Company
Boeing
Job Level
Entry

Ask me about

  • How I learnt to balance co-curricular activities and studying
  • How my job helps build an airplane
  • What an engineer actually does

About me

I always knew I wanted to work with numbers and maths, and after speaking to my family members in construction, they suggested I look into engineering. I landed on aerospace engineering because it sounded more interesting and fun than the rest – who doesn’t love going to the airport and looking at the planes! I studied Aerospace Engineering and Business Management at RMIT university, graduating in 2021. Whilst at both school and university I did both netball and rowing, so got very used to managing my time effectively, and keeping myself organised.

After university I worked as a wind engineer for a year, looking at airflow around buildings from a pedestrian wind comfort perspective – essentially making sure that people wouldn’t be blown away, and outdoor areas designed for dining were not so windy that food would get blown away, or get cold too fast.

I started at Boeing in 2023 as a graduate engineer on a rotation program, so have worked on try stress analysis on 777X, flight sciences and test engineering on MQ-28, and systems engineering on X-66 in the short time I have been here!

About my role

  • Confident
  • Forthright
  • Personable
  • Practical
  • Sociable

Systems Engineers look at the different areas of the aircraft, outline the requirements of each system, and identify how different systems interact. This involves looking at various scenarios during flight, and asking "What is the basic concept", then "How does a person interact with this system", and finally "What does this system need to do". This allows them to create a statement which defines the specifications of that system, and how to determine if it is functioning correctly. Systems Engineers usually work in teams to look at smaller sections of the aircraft, but need to be able to understand how each system works with other systems, so that they can be integrated to work together, and how changing one system can affect another.

Education

  • Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Business Management
  • Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)

Subjects

  • Business Studies
  • English
  • General Mathematics (Maths A)
  • Languages
  • Mathematical Methods (Maths B)
  • Physics
  • Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)

Hobbies

  • Beach adventures
  • Bike riding
  • Gym
  • Running
  • Seeing family and friends

Pets

  • 1 Dog

15 year old me!!

“You will learn so much more about yourself when you give everything 100%, because even if you don't succeed, you will learn so much in the process!”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Worked as a Netball Coach
  2. Represented Victoria in rowing
  3. Graduated University
  4. Worked in Sydney for one year
  5. Graduate Engineer at Boeing

My typical day

My employer

Behind every Boeing product and platform is a person using critical and creative thinking to solve complex problems and produce future aerospace products that defy gravity, break the speed of sound and allow Boeing to live out its mission to connect, protect and explore our world. Our teams span the areas of defence, space, commercial products and technologies. At Boeing, you could play a hand in taking products from inception and design to delivery and beyond, and solve challenges that enable all of humanity to take flight.