Barry Austin

Barry Austin joined the Ministry of Defence in 1984, with the expectation that it would be a short-term appointment until something better came along.

Having started work in the Central Accounting and Finance Teams, he was subsequently promoted to Executive Officer (Information Technology) and posted to the IT development team responsible for designing and implementing MOD’s New Management Strategy (NMS) – which oversaw the introduction of the TLB approach to managing Defence.  Subsequent postings in IT Project Management took him to Worcester and then RAF Henlow where he became the Data and Integration Manager for the RAF’s enterprise Logistics Information system.

Having gone through the Defence Finance Accountancy Training Scheme, he felt it was time to return to his core financial roots and was posted to HMNB Clyde as the Finance and Business Manager for the Facilities and Naval Base Design Authority Directorate.  This then led to a return to the Air Environment where he became the Financial Planning manager for the Equipment Support Programme within the Defence Logistics Organisations.

Having heard the plaintiff cries of IT once again, he returned to the world of Logistics Information Systems.  Initially as the Business and Transformation Manager within the Logistics Applications Project Team and after successfully completing the MOD Assessment Centre he became the Assistant Head of the newly created Logistics Networked Enabled Capability (Log NEC) Team.  Having navigated the team through Main Gate approval for the Future Logistics Information Services (FLIS) partnership, he was promoted to Deputy Head of Log NEC with responsibility for Programme and Performance Management.

Having commuted between Somerset and Abbey Wood for several years, he seized on the opportunity to become the Deputy Team Leader for the Networks Delivery Team within the Information Systems and Services (ISS) organisation.  In 2017 he became the acting Team Leader on temporary promotion to the Senior Civil Service and was subsequently appointed as the SKYNET 6 Acquisition Programme Manager in August 2018.  In January 2019, the MOD decided to join together the SKYNET 5 In-Service Delivery Programme and the SKYNET 6 Acquisition Programme to create a unified SATCOM Programme within Defence Digital (the successor to ISS), which he now leads.

In his spare time, he likes to read history, travel and avoid anything too strenuous.  In addition, he continues to wonder whether the Civil Service will provide a meaningful and long-term career.