- Ongoing role
- Senior Executive Service (SES) Band 1

The role
The Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman (OFWO) is seeking to appoint a key member of the executive team with responsibility to lead the day-to-day operations of the newly created Finance Branch, which is geographically dispersed across Australia. The executive team is responsible for leading the achievement of the agency’s purpose and priorities.

The Finance Branch sits within the Corporate and Engagement Group and is responsible for overseeing the financial strategy, planning and performance of the agency. This includes management of internal budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, financial compliance and external budgeting, as well as the closely aligned procurement and property functions.

The CFO provides strategic advice to the Corporate Board and collaborates with teams across the agency to deliver reliable, high-quality and trusted corporate services that enable the achievement of the agency’s strategic priorities. With a focus on delivering insightful analysis and strategic advice, the CFO will operate constructively in partnership with key stakeholders.

As CFO, you will lead the financial strategy of the agency to ensure long-term sustainability, agility and alignment with strategic priorities. You will:

- Provide authoritative financial advice to the Corporate Board, supporting evidence-based decision-making and strategic resource allocation
- Oversee budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting and the financial compliance framework
- Drive financial reform and capability uplift across the agency, embedding best practice and fostering a culture of accountability and innovation
- Build the financial capability of senior leaders, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to invest in priority activities, develop activity-based budgets and manage spending within budget in a dynamic environment.
- Partner with senior leaders to align financial planning with agency outcomes, enabling responsive and resilient service delivery
- Lead the Finance Branch with integrity and vision, cultivating high-performing teams and strengthening stakeholder relationships across the agency and government
- Champion ethical financial stewardship and continuous improvement, ensuring systems, processes and insights support strategic agility and operational excellence.

Due to the nature of this role, some interstate travel and out of hours contact is required.

About the OFWO
The OFWO is an independent statutory office established by the Fair Work Act 2009 (Fair Work Act). Our functions outline the responsibilities we have as set by the Fair Work Act and other legislation to achieve our purpose:

- provide education, assistance, advice and guidance to employers, employees, regulated workers,



regulated businesses, persons in a road transport contractual chain, outworkers, outworker entities and organisations

- promote and monitor compliance with workplace laws
- inquire into and investigate breaches of the Fair Work Act
- take appropriate enforcement action
- perform our statutory functions efficiently, effectively, economically and ethically.

What we are looking for
We are seeking an experienced, influential, and strategic leader to fulfil the role of the OFWO’s CFO. Our ideal candidate is someone who:

- Communicates effectively, builds trust and has solid stakeholder management skills to guide negotiations and influence outcomes.
- Demonstrates experience using financial information to identify organisational impacts and risks.
- Draws on financial management expertise to influence operational decision-making in a transparent and measured way.
- Has an understanding of government decision making processes, relevant legislative frameworks and governance arrangements including the provision of shared services.
- Leads and manages the staff, budget and all aspects of the Finance Branch to ensure high performance.
- Exercises strong judgement, initiative and professionalism to manage complex issues.
- Is proactive and remains outcomes focused, consultative and collaborative.
- Can effectively manage key data assets within the Finance branch, managing data quality, privacy, safe access, ethical sharing and use, and proactively managing data risks.
- Contributes to broader corporate leadership as part of the agency’s collective leadership team, supporting whole-of-agency priorities and representing the agency in cross-government and external settings as required.

Personal and professional qualities we are looking for
To be successful in this role you require:

- Expertise in financial management, governance, property, procurement and financial frameworks, and qualifications as a Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) or equivalent
- Demonstrated record of achievement leading Commonwealth / State financial management and services, accountabilities and obligations.
- - Experience successfully leading finance teams to deliver high-quality outcomes and capability uplift in a complex and changing environment.

- Proven ability to drive business change and continuous improvement.




- Exceptional communication skills that lead to successful working relationships and outcomes.
- Proven ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to prioritise and continuously adapt to deliver results in a dynamic, high-pressure and challenging environment.
- Demonstrated ability to uplift capability in your team and across an organisation to achieve outcomes.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver within budget and drive cost efficiencies across the business.

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

Eligibility

- To be eligible for employment with the OFWO you must be an Australian citizen.
- The successful candidate must hold a current Australian Government Security Clearance (AGSVA) or be willing to undergo and obtain a Baseline security clearance.

How to Apply
If you are excited about this opportunity, please tell us in no more than 1000 words:

- Why you want to apply for this role?
- How your skills and experience address the requirements of this role.

When framing your application, you should be mindful of the APS Leadership Capability Framework and Secretaries’ Charter of Leadership Behaviours which set out the capabilities and behaviours expected of all Senior Executive Service employees across the APS.

All applications must be submitted via our online application system through the OFWO website.

If you have any questions about this recruitment exercise, please email [email protected].

*Please ensure you check your junk mail throughout the recruitment process, as sometimes our emails sent from our online system end up in junk mail folders.*

RecruitAbility Scheme applies to this vacancy
Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be progressed to further assessment if you declare you have a disability (according to definition below), opt into the scheme, and meet the minimum requirements for the position.

The RecruitAbility scheme disability definition is 'a limitation, restriction or impairment, which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least 6 months and restricts everyday activities'. This also includes episodic conditions. For more information visit: https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability.

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📌 Chief Financial Officer (CFO) / Executive Director, Finance (Australia)
🏢 Fair Work Ombudsman
📍 Australia