Assistant Auditor-General, Governance & Quality

State Government of Victoria, Australia; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Inclusive culture and diversity

Job summary

The Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO) seeks an Assistant Auditor-General, Governance & Quality to lead enterprise governance, risk, compliance and audit‑quality functions. This role drives transformation of audit delivery with emphasis on AI integration and sustainability reporting readiness.

Reporting to the Auditor‑General, you will guide strategy, build strategic stakeholder relationships and protect VAGO’s independence and public trust within Victoria’s public sector.

Qualifications

• Senior executive with governance, risk, compliance or financial reporting experience.
• Proven ability to set and execute strategy in complex public sector organisations.
• Understanding of public sector governance and accountability obligations.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance, risk, compliance and audit quality frameworks across the office.
• Modernise audit quality systems, methodologies and professional standards.
• Enable innovation in audit delivery, including data analytics and AI.
• Shape responses to emerging integrity, regulatory and sustainability risks.
• Provide high‑impact independent advice to the Auditor‑General and senior stakeholders.

Skills

Governance

Audit quality

Risk management

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Postgraduate qualifications in a relevant discipline

Job description

Occupation: Governance and risk management

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: 1428

Who is VAGO?

The Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO) provides independent assurance to Victoria's Parliament and community about the performance and accountability of the state's public sector. As part of Victoria’s integrity system, we audit and review the finances and performance of state and local government entities and report our findings to Parliament. The Auditor-Generaloperatesindependently and is not controlled or directed by Parliament or government.

About the OAG

The Office of theAuditor‑General(OAG) leads VAGO’s strategic planning, governance,riskand compliance frameworks, and provides the central business and administrative services that enable VAGO to deliver independent assurance to Parliament and the public sector. Through teams such as Strategy, Governance & Risk and Audit Quality, the OAGprovidesexpert governance, risk and compliance advice, supportsday‑to‑dayorganisational operations, serves as a key interface with external stakeholders, and ensures audits meet the highest professional standards through strong quality oversight and technical expertise.

What you’ll do

The AssistantAuditor‑General, Governance & Quality(A-AG) is a newly created role andprovides executive leadership andwhole‑of‑officestewardship over governance, risk,compliance and audit qualityfunctions, ensuring these frameworks are integrated, contemporary and consistently applied. The role drives audit delivery transformation, with a strong emphasis on the integration of artificial intelligence into the auditmethodologyand enabling its use in financial and performance engagements. It will also prepare VAGO for emergingsustainability‑relatedassurance and reporting requirements, supporting theAuditor‑Generalto deliverhigh‑quality, independent audits that meet legislative,professionaland public interest expectations.

Reporting to the Auditor-General, you will:

• Continue to build and embed VAGO’s enterprise governance, risk,complianceand internal assurance agenda, including oversight of business continuity and major assurance initiatives.
• Lead and modernise VAGO’s audit quality system -methodology, quality control,reviewsand remediation - to meet evolving professional standards, audittoolsand public expectations.
• Enable innovation in audit delivery (including data,analyticsand AI) to strengthen professional judgement, consistency,qualityand public trust.
• Anticipate and shape VAGO’s response to emerging integrity, regulatory and sector risks, including sustainability-related assurance and reporting expectations.
• Provide independent, high-impact advice to the Auditor-General and represent VAGO in senior forums, building strategic relationships across integrity bodies, the Victorian public sector and relevant professional bodies.

This role is both strategic and influential, with a strong focus on protecting VAGO’s independence, credibility and public trust.

Who we're looking for

You are a senior executive withsignificant experienceoperatinginhigh‑scrutinyand external auditenvironments,and will bring:

• Proven leadership in governance, audit quality, risk,complianceand/or financial reporting within complex organisations.
• A strongtrack recordin setting and executing strategy, leadingreformand driving continuous improvement.
• Deep understanding of public sector governance, audit quality frameworks, professionalstandardsand accountability obligations.
• Extensive experienceprovidingauthoritative advice on complex, sensitive andhigh‑impactissues.
• Highly developed influencing and stakeholder engagement skills at executive andsector‑widelevels.
• Professional courage, sound judgement and a strong commitment to integrity,independenceand the public interest.
• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline (post‑graduate qualifications highly regarded).

Don’t tick all the boxes? You don't need to tick all the boxes to be amazing.We’d still love to hear from you or someone in your network who may be well suited.

For further information about the role, please review the position description here: AAG GandQ PD - Aug 26.pdf

Life at VAGO

We are a diverse bunch at VAGO, andyou'llbe part of an organisation wheredifferentbackgrounds, perspectives and life experiences are respected,valuedand celebrated.We are committed to building a workplace that welcomes people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, cultural backgrounds, abilities and neurotypes. We also recognise the unique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First Nations peoples and are committed to strengthening their representation,inclusionand participation at VAGO.

Our inclusive culture is shaped by our values of Respect, Collaboration, Innovation and Accountability, which guide how we work together, make decisions and grow as an organisation. We strive to create an environment where people feel trusted, supported and comfortable being themselves, sharing their perspectives and contributing their best work. That's why we've adopted our ‘Better Normal’ approach to work, which provides flexibility in how and where work is done while recognising the importance of spending time together to learn, collaborate and build strong relationships. We encourage curiosity, continuous improvement and diverse thinking, creating an environment where people can grow their careers and make a meaningful impact for Victoria.

Ask us more about life at VAGO when you meet us!

Interested? Here's what else you need to know

We welcome applications fromeveryone.If you have a disability, access requirement or need any adjustments throughout the recruitment process or in the role itself,we'recommitted to providing the support you need. Please let us know how we can make the recruitment experience accessible and inclusive for you.

We're committed to providing a positive and transparent candidate experience and will keep you informed throughout the recruitment process with updates on timelines, progress, outcomes and next steps.

If you have any questions or would like further information about the recruitment process, please contact us [e-mail] .

Applications close at 11:59pm on20 September 2026.

Applications close Sunday 20 September 2026 at 11.59pm