Benefits Management Specialist

Pinaka Technology Solutions; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 152,000; Full time

Job summary

Pinaka Technology Solutions is assisting the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to procure a Benefits Management Specialist for the FAD Reform Program. The role focuses on establishing and uplifting frameworks for benefits, risks, issues and dependencies and aligning them with scaled agile delivery.

You will lead governance reporting, facilitate workshops with owners and delivery teams, and provide strategic advisory to senior leaders while ensuring compliance with governance requirements and

Qualifications

• Experience managing the interrelationships between benefits, risks, issues and dependencies in large programs.
• Ability to prepare executive reporting and governance artefacts.
• Strong understanding of program and project management principles and their integration with delivery and assurance.
• Experience facilitating workshops with accountable owners and delivery teams.
• Ability to analyse complex information and provide evidence-based advice to senior leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with stakeholder engagement capability.

Responsibilities

• Developing and maintaining benefits, risks, issues and dependencies frameworks and artefacts.
• Leading program-level benefits management, measurement and reporting.
• Reviewing risks and supporting assessment, treatment and escalation.
• Managing issues recording, escalation and closure processes.
• Monitoring dependencies and coordinating with cross-branch and external stakeholders.
• Facilitating workshops with owners and delivery teams and uplifting reporting capability.

Skills

Benefits management

Risk management

Dependencies management

Governance reporting

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Tertiary qualifications in program or project management

Job description

(Digital Marketplace)

DMP2 - ICT Labour Hire RFQ LH-08247–

1 Benefits Management Specialist

Due 10:00 am: 03/11/2026

Buyer - Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) via a Prime

Pricing – Best offer to be provided in the attached Labour Hire Candidate template

• Estimated start date Tuesday, 01 December 2026
• Initial contract duration ASAP to 30 June 2027
• Extension term Other

• Extension term details Up to 2 extension options not to exceed 12 months

• Number of extensions Buyer has not provided these details
• Maximum candidates 2 (maximum 1 CV per member)
• Experience level EL1 equivalent
• Location of work ACT or (QLD, WA, VIC, NSW, NT, SA, TAS)
• Working arrangements Hybrid
• A preference for candidates to perform the role in Canberra, although other AEC office locations will be considered. Flexible working arrangements (i.e. a combination of onsite attendance at an AEC office and remote working) will be considered.
• Maximum hours 40 hours per week
• Security clearance Minimum Baseline

Job details

The Benefits Management and Risk Specialist will support the effective management of benefits, risks, issues and dependencies across the Funding and Disclosure (FAD) Reform Program. The role will establish and maintain fit-for-purpose frameworks, plans, registers, profiles and reporting arrangements that support informed decision-making, effective governance and the achievement of program outcomes.

Working closely with FAD leadership, delivery branches, governance forums and key stakeholders, the specialist will provide strategic advice, assurance and practical support to strengthen program management capability. The role will facilitate workshops and reviews, monitor actions and treatments, identify emerging concerns and interdependencies, and support timely escalation and resolution. It will also help align benefits, risks, issues and dependencies with program objectives, delivery priorities and scaled agile ways of working.

Key duties and responsibilities

The Benefits Management and Risk Specialist will be responsible for, but not limited to:

• Developing, reviewing and maintaining the FAD Reform Program's benefits, risk, issues and dependencies frameworks, plans, registers, profiles and supporting artefacts.
• Leading program-level benefits management, including benefits identification, profiling, ownership, measurement, reporting and realisation tracking.
• Reviewing program risks and supporting the identification, assessment, treatment, monitoring and escalation of risks in accordance with established governance requirements.
• Establishing and maintaining effective processes for identifying, recording, managing, escalating and closing program issues.
• Monitoring, analysing and reporting on risks, issues and dependencies that may impact Program delivery or benefits realisation, escalating emerging concerns and supporting the development of mitigation and management strategies.
• Identifying and monitoring internal and external dependencies, including cross-branch, delivery, policy, regulatory, technology and organisational dependencies that may affect program outcomes.
• Facilitating benefits, risk, issues and dependencies workshops with accountable owners, delivery teams and key stakeholders.
• Uplifting benefits reporting capability to meet internal and external requirements, including reporting on benefit realisation, associated risks, issues and dependencies that may impact the achievement of Program outcomes.
• Supporting the integration of benefits, risks, issues and dependencies into program planning, business cases, delivery roadmaps, assurance activities and change control processes.
• Supporting the Program to develop an approach to benefits management that aligns with scaled agile methodologies and supports the identification and management of risks, issues and dependencies that may affect benefits realisation.
• Providing assurance over the quality, completeness, consistency and currency of program registers, profiles, reports and related governance artefacts.

• Building strong and effective relationships with stakeholders across the Program and Agency, supporting effective management of benefits, risks, issues and interdependencies and building commitment to benefits realisation.

• Coaching and mentoring FAD Program Management Office staff and delivery teams to strengthen capability and consistent application of program management practices.
• Following up agreed actions, treatments and decisions to support their completion within required timeframes.
• Contributing to team planning, coordination, workflow management and the development of the team's work program in alignment with Program objectives.
• Providing strategic advice and undertaking additional program, governance or assurance activities as directed.

About the team

The Funding and Disclosure Reform Program was established to enable the AEC to implement and administer legislative amendments to the Commonwealth Funding and Disclosure Scheme (the Scheme) as set out in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act) to increase transparency and accountability in Australia's electoral system. The Program is made up of three branches – the Program Management Office Branch, the Regulatory Enablement Branch, and the Technology Delivery Branch – that will work together to uplift the AEC's regulatory capability by designing, building and implementing new processes, resourcing, tools, systems and technology. A key technology outcome is delivery of an enterprise Identity and Access Management System that provides the enterprise authentication and authorisation capability needed to securely administer the Scheme and support broader AEC digital services.

Criteria

The buyer has specified that each candidate must provide a one-page pitch to address all criteria specified. This is equal to 5000 characters.

Essential criteria

• 1. Demonstrated experience managing the interrelationships between benefits, risks, issues and dependencies in a large-scale transformation or Tier 1 program, including preparing executive reporting and governance artefacts to support program decision‑making.

Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining benefits frameworks, benefit profiles, risk and issue registers, dependency registers, management plans and governance reporting.

Strong understanding of program and project management principles, including the integration of benefits, risks, issues and dependencies with planning, delivery, assurance and decision‑making.

Experience facilitating workshops and working with accountable owners and delivery teams to identify, assess, monitor and manage benefits, risks, issues and dependencies.

Demonstrated ability to analyse complex information, identify emerging or systemic concerns and provide clear, evidence‑based advice to senior leaders and governance forums.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information to stakeholders from different backgrounds and levels of seniority.

• 2. Demonstrated ability to communicate, collaborate and negotiate effectively with team members, business areas, senior executives and external stakeholders.

Experience working within established governance processes and undertaking assurance and quality‑control activities.

Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and strategic directions while delivering outcomes aligned with program and agency objectives.

Strong teamwork, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to build commitment, clarify accountabilities and support considered outcomes.

Proven ability to exercise sound professional judgement when dealing with sensitive, complex or high priority matters within legislative, policy and budgetary parameters.

Must have an Active AGSVA Baseline clearance.

• 3. Your submission must include 1 PDF attachment with no more than 5 pages, containing all requested information below. (Only 1 PDF should be uploaded per submission.)

Candidate availability to commence (e.g. 2 weeks' notice)

Confirmation that Australian Citizenship is held - proof may be requested

Current Security Clearance held

Candidate location

Notice of planned leave exceeding one week

Notice of whether the submitted candidate will also be engaged in secondary employment elsewhere (if so, please confirm in what capacity)

Consultant comments - no more than 500 words, speaking to the suitability of the submitted candidate for the position

Cover page responding to the mandatory criteria - please ensure this response does not exceed 1 page in length

Candidate resume - please ensure the candidate's resume is no more than 3 pages, and that you do not include any rate information within this document.

Desirable criteria

• 1. Relevant tertiary or professional qualifications in program or project management, benefits management, risk management, governance, assurance, business, finance or a related discipline.
• Experience working in agile technology delivery environments, including the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
• Experience integrating benefits, risks, issues and dependencies across policy, regulatory, business, technology and organisational change workstreams.
• Experience designing dashboards, governance reports or other reporting products that communicate trends, interdependencies, emerging risks and benefits realisation.
• Experience supporting program assurance activities, business cases, change control, delivery planning or investment governance.
• Knowledge of Commonwealth governance and resource management frameworks.
• Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly develop knowledge of, Australian electoral law and practice.
• Experience coaching or mentoring program personnel and uplifting organisational capability in benefits, risk, issues and dependencies management.

Additional requirements

1. Your submission must include 1 PDF attachment containing all requested information below. (Only 1 PDF should be uploaded per submission. Select Yes/No below to indicate if information has been added)

2. Candidate availability to commence (e.g. 2 weeks' notice)

3. Confirmation that Australian Citizenship is held - proof may be requested

4. Current Security Clearance held

5. Candidate location

6. Notice of planned leave exceeding one week

7. Notice of whether the submitted candidate will also be engaged in secondary employment elsewhere (if so, please confirm in what capacity)

8. Consultant comments - no more than 500 words, speaking to the suitability of the submitted candidate for the position

9. Cover page responding to the mandatory criteria - please ensure this response does not exceed 1 page in length

10. Candidate resume - please ensure the candidate's resume is no more than 3 pages, and that you do not include any rate information within this document

Contract

The buyer has chosen to use the simple contract for this procurement.

Responding to this opportunity

For each Candidate, you must include:

CV (mandatory) – Include any Security Clearances

(Max 3 pages, unless otherwise specified and in Word format)

Attached Y/N

Criteria Responses

Each candidate must provide a one-page pitch to address all criteria specified. This is equal to 5000 characters. Refer to the abovementioned page limits for all other documents in the additional requirements

Attached Y/N

Questions and answers

Questions

Answers

• Does the FAD program already have benefits, risk, issue and dependency frameworks in place that this role will maintain and uplift, or will the specialist be establishing them from scratch?
• Criterion 1 mentions a 'large-scale transformation or Tier 1 program.' Does this mean Commonwealth Tier 1 programs specifically, or will large transformation programs in other sectors be considered?
• Is 1 December a firm start date, or is there flexibility for a candidate on notice? Does the usual December–January contractor stand-down apply to this contract?
• Lastly, is this a new role, or is there an incumbent or a previous contractor in this position? If so, is the intention to replace, extend or expand the capacity?

1. These frameworks currently exist, the specialist selected for this role will be maintaining them and performing uplift activities to ensure compliance with AEC and relevant whole-of-Government guidance.

2. The reference to Tier 1 programs does mean Commonwealth Tier 1 programs with experience in these being preferred but not mandatory. Transformation programs in other sectors of a similar scale and scope to Commonwealth Tier 1 programs will be considered.

3. 1 December is an estimated start date. The business area's preference is for the successful candidate to start as soon as possible. It has not been determined yet whether the usual December–January contractor stand-down will apply to this contract. There is a possibility labour hire employees within the FAD program may be required to work during the shutdown period due to imminent deadlines, however this is to be determined.

4. This is a new role and current vacant position within the Funding and Disclosure Program.