From designing heart-pounding rollercoasters to finding the perfect snack flavour, here are five careers in which engineers are pushing the boundaries of innovation.
These fascinating and unconventional engineering careers blend technical expertise with innovative excellence, showcasing the wide scope of modern engineering.
1. Theme park engineer
Imagine going to an amusement park with your child and telling them you designed their favourite ride.
Take Luna Park’s death defying Big Dipper, for example. Designed by Swiss engineering firm Intamin, the coaster swiftly enters a diving turn after departing the station, taking a zig-zag descent before accelerating to 72 km/h into a signature loop followed by a twisting inversion.
The Dipper then speeds over an airtime hill, subjecting riders to -0.3g, navigates swift S-curves over a fly-over wave turn, flips upside-down again in a flat spin and completes a 180-degree turn before a quick-twisting hop into the brakes.
So what does it take to pull off this engineering feat?
Theme park engineers require expertise in structural, mechanical, electrical or computer science engineering to design thrilling yet safe attractions. To accurately model rides, engineers need to utilise computer-aided design (CAD) and sophisticated simulation software, ensuring precise execution and performance.
Integrating complex mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, structural and control systems is also a must to create seamless experiences for punters.
But a continuous innovative mindset is the key to success as a theme park engineer – not just to build new attractions but to update existing ones by finding ways to improve performance, efficiency, safety and overall guest experience. That means staying on top of the latest tech, such as virtual reality, animatronics, advanced control systems and interactive features, to keep the park experiences fresh, exciting and ahead of the curve.
Read more: How do engineers keep theme park rides safe?
2. Flavourist
What do engineers and chefs have in common? When you factor in the need to blend artistry with practical skills to deliver successful, functional and enjoyable results – quite a lot.
In fact, your favourite savoury and sugary snacks are likely the brainchild of an engineer. Flavourists, process engineers and product developers combine expertise in food science, chemical engineering and sensory analysis to develop and optimise food products.
This involves formulating flavour compounds and ensuring product quality, consistency and regulatory compliance. Flavourists also explore innovative ingredients and new technologies – such as encapsulation and extraction methods – to enhance flavour stability and performance.
Not only do these taste makers need to collaborate closely with product development teams, chefs and marketers to tailor flavours to consumer preferences, they also need to utilise advanced analytical techniques and sensory evaluation methods to ensure flavours tickle the right senses.
A background in manufacturing processes is also essential to ensure product scalability, cost efficiency and commercial success.
Specialisation in this field could yield a top job at snack empire Mars, consistently ranked one of the best places to work.
As Daniera Thulin, senior product development manager at Mars, described it, there’s never a dull, or bland, moment in this role.
“There are several nuances when it comes to flavor,” she said. “Think about vanilla. What is the characteristic you’re looking for in your final product? It could be a bourbon vanilla or a spiced vanilla or a marshmallow-type vanilla. This is where understanding the concept you are trying to deliver on is important to the final product delivery. You also need to know where you’re putting that flavor and how it interacts with the full product.”
Sounds like a delicious career move.
3. Pyrotechnics engineer
Want a front-row seat at Sydney’s fabulous New Years Eve fireworks display? Become a pyrotechnics engineer.
But first things first, you’ll need a solid grounding in chemical engineering principles, including knowing how chemicals react, interact and behave under different conditions. Understanding oxidation, combustion and reaction rates is also key, as well as the minor detail of how to handle explosive and reactive materials safely.
Mechanical engineering skills also come in handy to design systems or devices, such as remote-controlled ignition systems, that control how pyrotechnic effects are launched and displayed. Structural engineering skills are similarly required to design the structural components of fireworks, such as casings, fuses and launch mechanisms – which are necessary to ensure stability, reliability and safety compliance.
Yet another important skill area is materials science – given casings, containers and structural supports have different tolerances for heat, pressure and corrosion.
And that’s just the basics. To create complex or synchronised pyrotechnic displays, electric engineering skills are a big bonus. This will help with timed ignitions, remote triggering or digital firing systems. Basic circuit knowledge, wiring skills and familiarity with control systems will also serve you well in designing smooth, safe performances.
Lastly, some foundational CAD or software programming skills wouldn’t go astray, with modern pyrotechnics often involving simulations or computer-controlled shows.
Read more: 400-drone show lights up a 65,000-year-old story
4. Orbital hotel engineer
If we’re going to have to abandon earth one day, orbital hotel engineers are helping to ensure we do so in style by creating lodgings that circle our planet.
Becoming an orbital hotel engineer means mastering a unique blend of aerospace, structural and systems engineering skills. Engineers in this field need a solid understanding of spacecraft design and orbital mechanics – essential for building safe, comfortable and sustainable environments in the extreme conditions of space.
Because orbital hotels integrate complex life support, power and communication systems, engineers must excel at systems integration, ensuring every component operates flawlessly.
Space hotels need to be built from materials – such as carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers and titanium alloys – that are both lightweight and tough enough to handle extreme temperature swings (from −157°C to 121°C), radiation and the occasional micrometeoroid impact. Modular designs, allowing hotels to be assembled in orbit, are also essential.
But a key aspect of orbital hotel design is addressing health concerns associated with prolonged microgravity exposure, including muscle deterioration and bone density loss. To address this, engineers need to design rotating hotel sections that create artificial gravity through centrifugal force. Typically spinning at two to four revolutions per minute, with diameters exceeding 12 m, these structures provide guests with comfortable gravity levels similar to that of Mars (about 0.38 g).
The sector is fast-growing, with companies racing to establish the first space digs. Roles include designing and constructing new orbital structures, managing the day-to-day operations of space hotels and pioneering new technologies to enhance guest comfort and safety.
There are currently several orbital hotel projects in the works. For example, Voyager Station, proposed by Orbital Assembly Corporation, is an ambitious rotating structure designed to host hundreds of guests – offering artificial gravity similar to the Moon’s surface. With the hotel set to open its orbital doors by 2030 – and a smaller offering slated to open even sooner – luxury space tourism could become the next travel frontier.
5. Storm-chasing vehicle engineer
Observing and tracking severe weather events is necessary to better predict storms, issue timely warnings, minimise property damage and enhance public safety.
And where better to do this than in a specially decked out storm-chasing vehicle. These engineer-modified robust sets of wheels must be able to safely navigate through severe storms, tornadoes and hurricanes. Storm vehicles not only have to withstand high winds, but also flying debris, heavy rain and potential rollovers.
The engineers who design them need to consider everything from aerodynamics to material science to create vehicles that are both mobile fortresses and sophisticated research platforms.
For example, Reed Timmer – a storm chaser, extreme meteorologist, inventor and engineer – designed the Dominator 3 to chase and intercept tornadoes head-on. The vehicle, based on a 2012 Ford F-350 Super Duty, looks like it belongs in a post-apocalyptic movie, with an armored shell made of steel and Kevlar that can take hits from flying debris without flinching. Its windows are reinforced with aerospace-grade polycarbonate and it even has hydraulic spikes that drop down into the ground to keep it from getting tossed by high winds.
Inside, the Dominator 3 is packed with meteorological tech. It carries equipment such as anemometers and radar systems to gather data right from the heart of a storm so that researchers can better understand tornadoes and improve warning systems.
Looking for a new career path? Engineers Australia members can access the official jobs board.
