Why YOU are important to us and what impact will you have on the Finance & Investment Division and the departments’ goal.

Our division ensures the department remains financially sustainable, compliant, and well-equipped to meet its goals. We provide expert financial advice, tools and support to help teams manage budgets, make informed decisions and use public resources responsibly. By partnering across the department we help align financial processes with strategic priorities. We also support ministers and stakeholders with clear, accurate financial insights that drive effective policy and program delivery.

The Funding and Revenue Branch is the 'policy' arm of Finance and Investment Division. The branch is responsible for leading and delivering cost recovery services and advice, external budgets and costing support, portfolio agency engagement on financial matters, levies policy and administration, levies compliance functions and overseeing the delivery of the finance improvement strategy. Our work requires public service professionals in administrative, policy and financial roles that come together under the leadership of our directors. We are the perfect place to come if you are a policy, operational or administrative officer who is looking to add some corporate experience to your resume. Our work is often high profile, and we get to engage directly with the department's external stakeholders including industry, representative groups and our Minister.

The key duties of the position include:

This is where you play an important role.





The Assistant Director – External Budgets will support the Director in coordinating and navigating the Commonwealth Budget process by working collaboratively with stakeholders across the department and central agencies. This includes contributing to effective budget management and providing advice on all external budget and finance related matters to both the department and the Minister.

The duties of the role include, but are not limited to:

• undertaking and guiding the external budget process and budget documentation including maintenance of external budgets in the Central Budget Management System (CBMS) and the department’s Government Estimates Update System (GEUS)

• leading the preparation/consolidation of the Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) and Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements (PAES)

• preparing coordinated responses to Estimates Memoranda from the Department of Finance and preparing briefings for departmental representatives

• supporting the development of costings for Current Policy Proposals (NPPs)

• liaising and negotiating with internal and central agencies on external budget matters

• engaging with line areas to provide advice on queries regarding estimates and adjustments

• working closely with the other finance functions to align on accounting policies, treatments and explaining variances within actuals reporting





• managing and leading a small team by supervising and motivating staff and driving business practice improvement opportunities

• supporting and providing advice to the Director of the External Budgets and Branch Manager as needed in preparing briefings and assisting with broader branch deliverables

• developing, coaching and mentoring junior staff members and identify training needs where relevant to sustain and uplift staff capability.

Please note that the merit pool established through this selection process, which is valid for a period of eighteen months from the date the vacancy was advertised in the Public Service Gazette, may also be used to fill future ongoing vacancies in the branch where the duties are of a similar nature.

Eligibility

Who we are looking for

Knowledge and experience

• Demonstrated experience effectively leading people and driving high performance.

• In-depth knowledge of, and experience with, the external budget process in an Australian Government entity or a demonstrated ability to quickly acquire the required level of knowledge.

• An understanding of the Australian Government’s financial framework and accounting practices in a public sector environment.

• Australian Government financial management experience.

• Experience with the Commonwealth Government budget process (highly desirable but not mandatory).

Mandatory qualifications

A CA or CPA qualification.

Eligibility and other requirements

The successful applicants must note that they may be required to perform occasional out-of-hours and weekend work.

📌 Assistant Director – External Budgets (Canberra)
🏢 Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
📍 Canberra