May Lee faced a layoff at the age of 59 after spending around 30 years at the Hewlett-Packard company. Her search for a new direction eventually took her to McMurdo Station in Antarctica.
May Lee’s career change at 59 began after her long career at Hewlett-Packard ended with a layoff in February 2025. After spending decades with the company, she initially looked for another job in the technology sector but did not receive an offer.
Lee had joined HP in 1987 as a software engineer intern. Over the years, her career at the company also included marketing and communications work.
Following the layoff, a former HP colleague encouraged her to consider interests outside the technology industry. Lee had already visited Antarctica twice as a tourist and had developed a strong interest in the continent.
She then began looking into whether that interest could lead to employment.
Why did May Lee look for work in Antarctica?
Antarctica was already familiar to Lee because of her two previous visits. She had not originally planned to build a career there, but the situation changed after her HP layoff.
Lee said she had paid off her house and had savings, which gave her some flexibility while considering jobs that paid less than her previous corporate role.
She researched employment opportunities in Antarctica and applied for a supply technician position with Amentum.
The selection process included background checks and physical qualification requirements. Lee was eventually selected for the role.
What job did May Lee do at McMurdo Station?
Lee worked as a supply technician at McMurdo Station during a 2025 Antarctic deployment.
Her work was very different from her previous desk-based career. She was responsible for a warehouse handling IT and communications supplies and performed tasks involving cargo, deliveries and inventory.
Her duties included operating a forklift, moving cargo and checking the quantity of orders against station records. The position also involved physical outdoor work.
The responsibilities described by Lee are consistent with the duties listed for supply technician positions at McMurdo, which include receiving, storing and documenting materials, inventory management and forklift-related work.
What is McMurdo Station?
McMurdo Station is the largest U.S. year-round station in Antarctica and the largest station on the continent. The National Science Foundation describes it as the central logistics hub for the U.S. Antarctic Program.
The station is located on Ross Island and supports scientific research and operations elsewhere in Antarctica, including activities connected with Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
McMurdo’s environment is also very different from a conventional workplace. The NSF lists an annual mean temperature of about -18°C, with recorded temperatures ranging from approximately -50°C to 8°C.
What was daily life like for Lee in Antarctica?
Lee’s account described life at McMurdo as different from the corporate environment she had known at HP.
Limited internet access meant that people spent less time on their phones and more time interacting with colleagues. She compared the station’s social environment to a small college town.
Her work also required adapting to a physically demanding setting. Instead of spending most of her working day at a desk, she handled cargo and worked around warehouse operations in Antarctic conditions.
The experience combined employment with life inside a remote station community, where colleagues also share much of their daily environment.
Is May Lee returning to Antarctica?
Lee has indicated that she is preparing for another Antarctic deployment.
In a September 2026 LinkedIn update, she said she was moving from her first Antarctic role with Amentum to a new assignment with GHG Corporation and looked forward to being responsible for the McMurdo TV/radio station during her second deployment.
The U.S. Antarctic Program’s official jobs information lists GHG Corporation among organisations providing information technology and telecommunications positions in support of the programme.
This would give Lee a second role in Antarctica after her earlier work in supply and warehouse operations.
Who is May Lee?
May Lee is a former Hewlett-Packard employee who spent around three decades with the company.
She joined HP in 1987 as a software engineer intern and later worked in marketing and communications. Her employment ended after a layoff in 2025. That’s when she thought for a career change at 59.
Following an unsuccessful search for another technology-sector position, she looked into Antarctic employment. She eventually worked as a supply technician at McMurdo Station during a 2025 deployment.
Her career change at 59 took her from a long corporate career into a remote Antarctic work environment, where her first role involved supply and warehouse operations.
May Lee biography at a glance
| Detail | Information |
| Name | May Lee |
| Age at layoff | 59 |
| Former employer | Hewlett-Packard |
| Time at HP | Around 30 years |
| Joined HP | 1987 as a software engineer intern |
| HP employment ended | February 2025 |
| Antarctic employer | Amentum |
| Antarctic role | Supply technician |
| Antarctic station | McMurdo Station |
| First Antarctic deployment | 2025 |
| Planned second assignment | McMurdo TV/radio station |
| Second Antarctic employer | GHG Corporation |
How different was Lee’s new job from her HP career?
Lee’s move involved a major change in the type of work she performed after her career change at 59.
After decades in a corporate environment, she took a seasonal position involving warehouse operations, cargo handling and inventory work. The role also required physical work outdoors and adapting to the conditions of a remote Antarctic station.
Her second planned assignment is different again, involving responsibility for the McMurdo TV/radio station.
Her career change at 59 therefore involved moving from a long-term corporate position at HP to Antarctic supply operations and then toward a communications-related Antarctic role.
Can non-scientists get jobs in Antarctica?
Yes. Antarctic programmes require many workers who are not scientists.
The official U.S. Antarctic Program says its annual participants include scientists as well as support staff who operate and maintain research stations. Its employment information lists opportunities in areas including transportation, logistics, operations, information technology, communications, maintenance, food services and other support functions.
Amentum’s McMurdo supply technician position, for example, involves inventory management, receiving and storing materials, transportation and logistics support, forklift work and outdoor duties.
Requirements vary depending on the employer and position.
What are jobs in Antarctica like?
Antarctic jobs vary considerably depending on the station and the type of work.
Scientists conduct research, while support teams handle many of the practical functions needed to keep stations operating. These include logistics, transportation, communications, maintenance, food services and other operational duties.
For workers such as Lee, the experience can involve living in a remote environment while working alongside the same community of colleagues.
The conditions also mean that some jobs require physical work, safety training, medical qualification and the ability to operate in extreme cold.
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