Growing up in the small dairy farming town of Carterton, New Zealand, Harley James was exposed to the Air Force from a young age. Jets often flew over the farm and Defence was seen in the community as a solid career choice.
When the opportunity presented itself, he joined the RNZAF straight out of school at 17 to earn some money while he trained (and saved up for a V8 Commodore)!
What followed was an exciting 22-year career in various engineering-related roles, including initially as an avionics technician working on cool things like Skyhawks, Aermacchis and Simulators. Later in his career as an Engineering Manager, he fulfilled exciting roles like maintenance flight commander for Iroquois and P-3K2 Orion aircraft.
Upon leaving the Air Force in 2012, Harley indulged his inner rev head by becoming owner-operator of a custom motorcycle workshop for a year, before receiving a fortuitous phone call from the GM of Beca Applied Technologies. Since 2013 Harley has been with Beca.
"I have always been excited about something on the horizon with Beca, be it an awesome project opportunity, the team pulling off an impressive project or celebrating a win."
Service Snapshot
- Years of service: 1990-2012 (Royal New Zealand Air Force)
- Most senior role: Engineering Manager - No 5 Squadron
- Where you served: New Zealand, Solomon Islands
What does Remembrance Day mean to you?
Remembrance Day is an important opportunity to pause and reflect on the service and sacrifice of those who have served their country, particularly those who gave their lives in times of conflict. It is a time to honour their courage, commitment and the freedoms their service helped protect.
For me, it is also a reminder of the personal sacrifices made not only by those in uniform, but by their families and loved ones who supported them. While we reflect on those who served in the past, it's equally important to acknowledge the men and women who continue to serve today, often spending long periods away from home in support of their communities and country.
Taking a moment of remembrance helps us appreciate the values of service, resilience, and commitment that continue to resonate across generations.
What’s one thing you’d like others to know about military veterans/reservists?
It may seem like we come from a different world – and it’s true that when we get together we sort of speak our own language. My partner comments that it’s hard to break into that world if you’re not from a Defence background. Having been out a while now I can say that most industries have their own bunch of TLAs (three letter acronyms) so bear with them.
I think Veterans have a high level of technical skill and leadership talent based on the training and need for these qualities in the services. From a breadth of skills and capabilities perspective, Veterans can be great to have in your organisation.
What were you looking for in an employer when you transitioned to civilian life?
When I left the Air Force, I ran a custom motorcycle shop because I wanted to learn more about the financial side of running a business. But my family stayed in Auckland, so that proved all too hard on the family and I moved back to Auckland after a year.
The day I left that business I received a call from the GM of Beca Applied Technologies, inviting me for a chat. It was a very good conversation and two days later I had a job with Beca. On the Tuesday I was over in Australia doing work for Beca. What a whirlwind – that was 13 years ago!
We are caring, flexible and dynamic as an organisation. I’ve had an amazing career in Beca. I really enjoy challenging my teams and myself to do new and exciting stuff. I have always been excited about something on the horizon with Beca, be it an awesome project opportunity, the team pulling off an impressive project or celebrating a win.
A large organisation like ours also provides fantastic career opportunities. I was at a 30-year celebration for one of our executives recently where he commented that every 5 to 7 years it’s quite good to reinvent yourself. I feel that I’m in this category.
What was one of the biggest adjustments you faced moving from military service to civilian life?
I was fortunate to work with people from Beca on many avionics engineering projects while still in the RNZAF. We had a good relationship, and I knew I would enjoy working with them, so the adjustment to life at Beca was fairly easy. I’ve been able to continue working on projects at Whenuapai for example, that I knew from my RNZAF days.
What transferable skills have you harnessed in your civilian career?
The leadership skills, resilience, tenacity and care for people that you learn while you’re camping on the side of an airfield in Honiara in the Solomon Islands while on a peacekeeping mission – these are the kinds of experiences that only a defence career can give you and they really stand you in good stead for leadership in the corporate world too.
What advice would you give to other veterans/reservists considering a career in professional services?
I would say, when you’re ready, just do it. For me, it was a real challenge making the decision to leave Defence, having not been out in the ‘real world’ and having had that 22-year security blanket. Working with contractors like Beca, CAE and Boeing gave me some great insights.
I ended up working with a coach whose advice was to simply get out of the Air Force and see what happens. It was good advice, a bit hard to swallow, but it certainly helped me get clarity about what I wanted to do next – it gave me a completely new focus.
What’s the proudest thing you’ve done in your civilian life?
Probably becoming General Manager of Beca Applied Technologies. I had the opportunity to lead an amazing team and undertake some really cool, groundbreaking projects for NZ, in a really exciting part of the business. That team has done and continues to do some incredible things for our Defence force that I’m so proud to have been a part of. Now as Northern Regional Manager, I get to lead a team who have a huge role to play in shaping New Zealand’s largest city. I help connect people, projects and clients across Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and Te Tai Tokerau (Northland).
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