AustGovt_stacked

Auditor-General for Australia

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

 

Career Defining, National Leadership Opportunity

The Auditor-General for Australia has assisted the Parliament and played a critical role in the improvement of Commonwealth administration since 1901. On behalf of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, we are seeking applications from interested parties for this career defining Appointment, to continue the legacy of inspirational leadership, integrity, performance standards and rigor.

Will you set the standards, promote accountability & lead with independence?

The Position

The Auditor-General is a full-time office, created by section 7(1) of the Auditor-General Act 1997 (AG Act), and is an independent officer of the Parliament. The Auditor-General is supported by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO).

The role of the Auditor-General is to audit Commonwealth entities and report to the Australian Parliament.

Under the AG Act, the Auditor-General’s functions include:

  1. auditing the financial statements of Commonwealth entities, Commonwealth companies and their subsidiaries;
  2. auditing annual performance statements of Commonwealth entities;
  3. conducting performance audits, assurance reviews, and audits of the performance measures, of Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies and their subsidiaries;
  4. conducting a performance audit of a Commonwealth partner as described in section 18B of the AG Act;
  5. providing other audit services as required by other legislation or allowed under section 20 of the AG Act; and
  6. reporting directly to the Parliament on any matter or to a minister on any important matter.

In performing or exercising their functions or powers, the Auditor‑General must have regard to:

The statutory appointment to the office of Auditor-General is made by the Governor-General on recommendation by the Prime Minister for a period of 10 years. Under the AG Act, the Prime Minister must not make a recommendation to the Governor-General unless the JCPAA has approved the proposed recommendation.

Eligibility and Other Standards

A person cannot be appointed as Auditor‑General if the person has previously been appointed as Auditor‑General under the AG Act or under the Audit Act 1901.

The successful applicant would be subject to duties and obligations under the AG Act, applicable sections of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, and other relevant Commonwealth legislation.

It is expected that the successful applicant will be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the appropriate level in order to conduct their duties and functions.

The Australian Government values a workforce that reflects the diversity of the Australian community, and encourages applications from all individuals, including those living with disabilities, First Nations peoples, LGBTQIQ+ individuals, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Reasonable adjustments may be requested through the contact officer at any stage of the recruitment process.

Audit Standards and Annual Report

Under the AG Act, the Auditor-General is required to set auditing standards that must be complied with by persons performing annual financial statements, annual performance statements, performance audits, assurance reviews, audits of the Australian National Audit Office, and audits of the annual consolidated financial statements of the Australian Government. The current standards that commenced on 12 January 2024 can be accessed at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L00057.

The 2022-23 ANAO Annual Report can be viewed at: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/annual-report/anao-annual-report-2022-23.

Appointment Term

The successful applicant would hold the office on a full-time basis from the time of appointment for a term of 10 years. It is anticipated that the successful applicant will be notified in July 2024.

Terms and Conditions of Appointment

The terms and conditions of appointment will be as specified in a Letter of Appointment to be issued following appointment by the Governor-General.

Schedule 1 of the Auditor-General Act 1997 also sets out conditions of appointment and other matters that have effect in relation to the office of Auditor‑General.

Conflict of Interest

If at any time prior to the appointment, an actual or potential conflict of interest concerning itself or a related entity arises or may arise for any applicant, they should immediately notify the contact officer.

This includes any professional, commercial or personal relationships with a member of the panel or if the applicant has a relationship with, and/or obligations to, an organisation or issue which would affect, or be perceived to affect, the performance of the role and/or could bring disrepute to the office of the Auditor-General.

If a conflict of interest is identified PM&C may:

  • exclude the application from further consideration;
  • enter into discussions to seek to resolve such conflict of interest; or

take any other action as it considers appropriate.

Applications

All applications should include the following components:

  1. Current CV (maximum 4 pages)
  2. Statement of claims about how their skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications make them the best person for the role. This statement of claims will be assessed against the evaluation criteria below.
  3. (if required) A disclosure of any perceived, real or potential conflicts of interest, and proposed mitigating actions.
Untitled design (3)

Evaluation Criteria

To be successful in this position, you will need to operate with the highest levels of integrity and undertake your functions with impartiality. You should be rigorous in your application of accountability and transparency to scrutinise and improve Commonwealth administration.

Applicants’ statement of claims will be assessed against the following criteria:

  1. Demonstrated capability and resilience to operate independently in determining audit priorities and reporting audit conclusions to parliament.
  2. Demonstrated communication skills, including public reporting, engaging with senior stakeholders and building and sustaining relationships at the most senior levels of parliament and government
  3. Demonstrated commitment to leadership that sets the standard for integrity and performance, and inspires, empowers and develops people
  4. Comprehensive contemporary working knowledge of public administration and the machinery of government in a Westminster system.
  5. Knowledge of the use of contemporary audit methodologies and techniques in the public sector, including the standards issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Remuneration

Schedule 1 of the Auditor-General Act 1997 sets out the conditions of appointment and other matters that have effect in relation to the office of Auditor-General.

The remuneration of the Auditor-General is determined by the independent Remuneration Tribunal. The Remuneration Tribunal has determined that the current total remuneration for the Auditor-General is $799,550 per year, effective from 1 July 2023 (see Remuneration Tribunal (Specified Statutory Offices—Remuneration and Allowances) Determination (No. 2) 2023).

Additional Documents

Additional Documents

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted through the Hudson Job Portal www.au.hudson.com quoting reference #BBBH236194 or via the link https://au.hudson.com/jobview/auditor-general-for-australia-job/3591094/  by 11:30pm AEST on Sunday, 17 March 2024.

Applications will consist of a current CV (max. four pages) and a statement of claims about how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications make you the best person for the role. The statement of claims will be assessed against the Evaluation Criteria.

Rebecca Bauer, Principal Consultant, Hudson is available for confidential discussions on Rebecca.bauer@hudson.com or 0413 180 331.