Senior Executive Service Band 1 – Assistant Secretary Financial Compliance
Your Role
The Department of Defence is seeking a high performing leader to fill the position of Assistant Secretary Financial Compliance (AS FC). Reporting directly into the First Assistant Secretary Budgets and Financial Services in the Defence Finance Group (DFG), the primary accountabilities of the role is the leadership of the Defence financial statements, monthly financial reporting, financial compliance, travel policy, financial policy and taxation.
The Financial Compliance Branch is geographically dispersed (primarily across Melbourne and Canberra) consisting of approximately 100 APS employees plus contractors. The AS FC is a central role with high visibility and tempo. Having recently implemented a new Enterprise Resource Planning system, the coming years will focus on ensuring it is effectively embedded into processes and supports Defence's financial reporting obligations.
As a member of the DFG senior leadership team you will play a key role in managing Defence's financial reporting obligations and helping all Defence personnel to understand and meet their financial obligations. This will require you to have strong interpersonal skills, working across Defence, with the Department of Finance and the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO).
Defence has over $158 billion in assets and incurs expenditure in excess of $55 billion across the year. The AS FC role has responsibility for:
• the management of a control framework to support the complete and accurate reporting of all financial transactions;
• the establishment of financial and asset accounting policies;
• meeting monthly and annual reporting obligations;
• managing the relationship with the ANAO, Defence Audit and Risk Committee, and coordinating activity to support the annual financial statement audit;
• management of the tax compliance and lodgment obligations;
• financial and travel policy designed to ensure that Australian Defence Force members and APS personnel understand and meet their financial obligations;
• establishment of compliance and assurance frameworks designed to detect and correct non-compliance; and
• development and provision of learning solutions to improve understanding and compliance and to enhance financial literacy across managers and decision makers within Defence.
Our ideal candidate will be a self-starter that exemplifies the One Defence Leadership behaviours and be innovative, consultative, resilient and personally accountable for the quality of advice and the delivery of results. They will have a continuous improvement mindset, be able to multi task across a broad remit, objectively identify risks or opportunities and implement controls and processes to address.
Given the technical nature of the role, you will possess technical accounting credentials required to manage the team, including experience engaging with external and internal audit functions (mandatory). You will be self-aware, positive in considering and respecting a diversity of ideas and perspectives, bring a "we can if" mindset, and have the courage to challenge the status quo.
Duty Statement
Within a framework of workplace diversity and a safe working environment, perform the following duties:
1. Provide exemplary leadership and management across both the Financial Compliance Branch within DFG;
2. Provide timely, accurate and considered advice on complex financial management matters drawing upon expertise and knowledge of financial legislation and Defence policies;
3. Manage Defence's Financial Statements activities including financial performance monitoring and reporting, establishing effective financial management controls and managing the financial statement audit process;
4. Manage the activities of the following Directorates within DFG:
a. Financial Reporting
b. Asset Accounting – Canberra
c. Asset Accounting – Melbourne
d. Financial Policy
e. Financial Compliance Assurance
f. Financial Learning
g. Travel Policy, and;
h. Tax Management
1. Establishing and embedding contemporary best practice and consistency within the finance function to ensure that Defence is operating in accordance with its relevant legislative requirements including the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013; and
2. Liaise with and provide advice to Senior Defence Committees, including the Defence Audit and Risk Committee.
Mandatory Qualifications
Mandatory tertiary qualifications (CA or CPA) and extensive experience in financial accounting, with proven dynamic leadership ability of a high order are required.
Candidates who are experienced, capable and qualified financial accountants with extensive experience undertaking financial activities and functions in large organisations will have a distinct advantage.
Application Closing Date:
11:30PM AEDT, Monday 16 February 2026
For further information please review the job information pack, reference
DFG/00539/26
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