APS6 - Senior Financial Assurance Officer, Affirmative Measures - First Nations

The opportunity we have available

We are seeking a motivated and practical candidate who can:

• Interpret legislation, delegations, Accountable Authority Instructions and internal policies, and apply them to real-world scenarios
• Provide clear, accurate and practical written advice through a shared mailbox
• Identify matters that are urgent, sensitive, high-risk or require escalation
• Use sound judgement when working through ambiguous or incomplete information
• Support assurance activities, including surveys, reporting, data checks and follow-up of outstanding responses
• Work confidently with systems, particularly Lighthouse, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word
• Develop and maintain guidance material, SOPs, staff communications and training content
• Build trusted relationships with business areas, SES offices, corporate teams, vendors and external stakeholders
• Manage competing priorities while maintaining attention to detail and good record keeping.

This role would suit someone who enjoys working through practical governance questions, writing clear advice and helping staff understand what they need to do to meet their financial obligations.

What you will do

In this role, you will support the delivery of the department’s financial assurance and governance functions. Key responsibilities include:

• Triaging and responding to enquiries through the Financial Assurance mailbox, including identifying when matters require escalation or further review
• Providing practical advice on the department’s Financial Governance Framework, including Accountable Authority Instructions, Financial Delegations, Official Hospitality, Gifts and Benefits and financial non-compliance
• Supporting administration of Lighthouse, including assurance surveys, non-compliance reporting, form workflows, reporting and data quality activities
• Assisting with annual and periodic assurance processes, including the Management Assurance Certificate and Credit Card Assurance Certificate
• Supporting the identification, recording, analysis and reporting of financial non-compliance, including routine quarterly reporting and brief preparation
• Maintaining guidance material, SOPs, intranet content, templates and other staff-facing resources
• Preparing clear written advice, internal communications, training material, Senate Estimates input and executive briefing material
• Assisting with financial literacy and capability activities, including staff information sessions, training products and targeted communications
• Contributing to business improvement initiatives that strengthen controls, improve consistency and make it easier for staff to understand their obligations.

Inherent requirements for the role

The inherent requirements for this role include:

• Demonstrated capability consistent with the APS6 work level standards, including the ability to work with limited direction, exercise sound judgement and deliver quality outcomes.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, accurate and fit-for-purpose advice, guidance, briefing material and staff communications.
• Ability to interpret and apply legislation, Accountable Authority Instructions, financial delegations, internal policies and procedural requirements to provide practical and consistent advice.
• Sound judgement and risk awareness, including the ability to manage ambiguity, identify sensitive or high-risk matters, escalate issues appropriately and seek guidance when required.
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities, shared mailbox enquiries, assurance activities and follow-up actions in a timely and professional manner.
• High attention to detail and a disciplined approach to records management, data quality, reporting and compliance-related activities.
• Confidence using systems and data to support workflow administration, assurance activities and reporting.
• Ability to engage, influence and build effective working relationships with stakeholders.
• Willingness to contribute to a positive team culture, better ways of working and First Nations cultural capability.

Desirable requirements

Formal qualifications are not required. Experience working in governance, assurance, compliance, risk, policy, corporate services or a similar environment would be well regarded.

Cultural capability requirement

The department believes every role contributes to cultural safety and that building staff cultural capability helps us deliver better policies, programs and services for First Nations people and the broader Australian community. Candidates will be required to demonstrate their willingness to develop their cultural capability as part of the assessment process. In making it a requirement across all roles in our department, we are taking a practical step in delivering our commitments under the Our Stories on Country Agreement and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025–28.

As an APS6 you will be expected to:

• Consider the cultural context and implications of work area outcomes.
• Engage respectfully with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, building trusted relationships.
• Communicate respectfully and seeks appropriate cultural input to inform decisions.

This is an Affirmative measure vacancy – This vacancy is open only to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

This is an Affirmative Measures – First Nations applicants only position. The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an Affirmative Measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. To be eligible to apply under the Affirmative Measures initiative, applicants must:

• be an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person
• identify as an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person, and
• be accepted by their community as being an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person

For more information please visit - Affirmative measure for recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. 

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

• Citizenship: candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of submitting your application. 
• Health Assessment: The preferred candidate may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
• Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline level. You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information. You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances. More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website.
• Police check: The successful candidate must complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.
• Integrity and Performance check: The successful candidate must satisfy the requirements in an Integrity and Performance check which is completed by your most recent employer.

For more information about this role, including the type of person we are looking for and how to apply, please refer to the position description available by clicking the 'Apply Now' button.

Our work connects and enriches every Australian community, underpins our economy and society, and empowers our regions. We provide policy advice and deliver programs, projects and services in the infrastructure, transport, communications, sport and arts sectors, supporting our regions, cities and territories. Our staff have the opportunity to work on high profile and diverse national projects that have a meaningful impact on the lives of all Australians. We seek people with a wide range of skills and competencies. Whether you write policy, deliver programs, projects or corporate services, or have experience in research, data or technology, we look for employees who are innovative, respectful and professional. We are an inclusive employer and promote, value and support diversity among our employees with the aim of ensuring our workforce reflects, respects and benefits from diverse communities including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with cultural and linguistic diversity, people with disability and LGBTQI+ people. We are committed to achieving gender equality and, in particular, supporting women’s progression into senior leadership.