Jack Kafoa

Griffith Sciences' 2022 Outstanding First Peoples Alumnus

Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)

Growing up, Jack Kafoa remembers watching Mega Structures and other shows on the Discovery Channel, and being fascinated by engineering. “I just thought they were so cool, and when I grew up, I knew that I wanted to be involved in engineering and work on those really large-scale structures,” he says.

At just 30 years of age, Jack is a senior engineer for the dams team at GHD, a leading engineering and architectural firm committed to solving the world’s biggest challenges in the areas of water, energy and urbanisation.

In his work, Jack strives to be a part of important projects that have significant impact, that improve society and the future of civilisation. He’s passionate about contributing in any way, big or small, that utilises his skills and experience for the benefit of others. All of this makes him the perfect recipient of a Griffith University Outstanding First Peoples Alumni Award.

Jack says his time at Griffith was instrumental in helping him get to where he is today, and there was a lot of support for internships and assistance with exploring possible careers post-graduation. After he completed his Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), Jack did some intern work on the local council, which gave him valuable insights into civil engineering and government processes.

All those things helped him when it came time to landing an internship at GHD, where he’s been now for eight years.

“My job looks after any and all things to do with water, dams and the design of them,” he explains. “We advise clients on how to operate, maintain and work on all the dam safety requirements, and we also look at upgrading or building new structures as required.”

He says he loves the variety of projects he gets to work on. “It’s very multidisciplinary,” Jack says. “We cover a lot of aspects and disciplines but that’s what makes it so interesting to me.”

During his time at GHD, he’s had the opportunity to work on some significant projects that have had enormous impact on the communities that surround them.

“One of my first projects was a levee, which is basically a flood protection wall, in Roma. I worked on that throughout the detailed design and construction. I was able to go out to the construction and observe all the key parts and inspect the quality of it. It’s really cool to work on a big project like that from start to finish.”

Since then, he’s been involved in several big projects in Queensland, including a significant safety assessment and upgrade project for the Wivenhoe Dam and various other works for client SEQ Water. And with the recent flooding in the state, his work has the potential to make a huge difference.

In addition to his work duties, Jack is committed to the leadership and development of peers and young professionals. He helps shape the next generation of engineers as a highly engaged supervisor for Griffith’s Work Integrated Learning program and supports Griffith students at GHD through Griffith’s Industry Affiliates Program.

“I've been given a lot of great opportunities and made sure that I took advantage of those, so I really want to see where I can help others,” he says.

Moreover, Jack was a key contributor to GHD’s Reconciliation Action Plan and served on their advisory committee.

He draws on his own experience when mentoring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates.

“I tell them to never give up, we will always have setbacks and failures, it is how we persevere through these that make us great. Be confident in the skills and experiences you bring to the job—even if you think they are not relevant—everyone is different and it's diversity and diverse thinking that brings success.”