Defence Team student testimonial: Nelson
August 16, 2024 - Defence Stories

My name is Nelson and I am Master’s student studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ottawa. I am from Ottawa, and in my downtime, I enjoy hiking, camping, cycling, boxing, and video games. I got my job at the Department of National Defence (DND) through the CO-OP program. I am a student at Assistant Deputy Minister (Material), Director General Major Projects Division (ADM(MAT), DGMPD), air and land team.
My role includes:
- Providing technical advice on the vehicle qualification status and performance
- Interpreting and applying technical standards and policies for military vehicles and equipment, technical drawings maintenance documentation, and technical reference material for military vehicles and equipment.
- Providing technical support to qualification, production and fielding activities of the military vehicle and its equipment
- Managing technical requirements related to design, testing and qualification of military vehicles and its equipment
- UsingIBM Rationale DOORS International Business Machines, Dynamic Object Oriented Requirement System (DOORS) for operational and technical requirements management, producing vehicle and equipment qualifications reports and travelling to witness testing on Armored Combat Support Vehicles (ACSV’s)
- Overall, I have had a great experience working at DND. There are abundant opportunities for growth and development. The team I work with is very welcoming and helpful; the work is dynamic, fulfilling, and challenging which allows me to gain valuable work experience with other engineers.
I enjoy the days that I go into the office as it is nice to interact with people in person and see colleagues face-to-face. Being downtown can also be enjoyable for walks and grabbing food during my lunch break. This summer, I hope to become a dependable member of the team, gaining valuable experience, and learning from as many colleagues as possible. My goal is to gain mentorship and support for the next steps in developing my professional career in engineering.
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Contact
- If you are a student and want to submit a testimonial, please send an email tohrciv_communications_rhciv@forces.gc.ca
- Hiring managers, if you need support finding a student for your team, contact the National Student Hiring Team at CIV.DND.NationalStudentHiring-EmbaucheNationaleEtudiants.MDN@forces.gc.ca