Executive Assistant

Department of Finance; Canberra; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Finance in Canberra seeks an Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative support to senior executives and SES members. You will manage calendars, coordinate communications, arrange travel, and assist with group priorities, ensuring efficient office operations.

Located in Canberra, the role supports multiple branches and requires careful attention to detail, professionalism, and discretion. The position is full-time and on-site at the department.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting executives or SES-level leaders.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative support to SES and Executive Officers.
• Manage calendars, emails and meetings across multiple stakeholders.
• Coordinate travel bookings and event logistics; ensure timely task delivery.

Skills

Stakeholder liaison

Calendar management

Travel arrangements

Records management

Job description

A role in Financial Analysis, Reporting and Management (FARM) presents an exciting opportunity to be part of a team at the forefront of shaping financial management and accounting policy advice to the Australian Government including on its multibillion-dollar superannuation and investment funds and the management of the Commonwealth’s Official Public Account (the Commonwealth’s central bank account). This is a unique opportunity to apply and develop a set of skills which are highly valued and sought after in the government as well as in the private sector.

FARM is a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about what we do. We are a diverse and supportive team that works collaboratively, are willing to go the extra mile to help others, celebrate our differences and value each other’s contributions. Our work is performed across the following three branches:

Accounting and Frameworks Branch

The Accounting and Frameworks Branch is responsible for supporting Commonwealth entities to meet their statutory budgetary and financial reporting obligations, including responsibility for updating legislative instruments and providing guidance materials and accounting related technical advice to support Commonwealth reporting entities to prepare their annual financial statements. We also drive the accounting and finance profession across the APS, focussing on recruitment, attraction, talent and professional development for accounting and finance professionals.

Estimates and Reporting Branch

The Estimates and Reporting Branch is responsible for the preparation of and advice to the Finance Minister and Government on whole-of-government financial statements and other financial information for all annual estimates and actuals updates, including for budget publications. The Branch also produces the annual Consolidated Financial Statements and the Australian Government’s General Government Sector Monthly Financial Statements and provides advice on the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Government Finance Statistics.

Financial Management Branch

The Financial Management Branch is responsible for appropriation management including arranging annual and special appropriations and maintaining of their records, Commonwealth Cash Management, provision of advice and oversight on appropriations and retainable receipts, foreign exchange risk management, coordination of the development of Budget Paper No. 4, and provision of advice and support for Machinery of Government Changes.

ABOUT THE BRANCHES

A role in Financial Analysis, Reporting and Management (FARM) presents an exciting opportunity to be part of a team at the forefront of shaping financial management and accounting policy advice to the Australian Government including on its multibillion-dollar superannuation and investment funds and the management of the Commonwealth’s Official Public Account (the Commonwealth’s central bank account). This is a unique opportunity to apply and develop a set of skills which are highly valued and sought after in the government as well as in the private sector.

FARM is a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about what we do. We are a diverse and supportive team that works collaboratively, are willing to go the extra mile to help others, celebrate our differences and value each other’s contributions. Our work is performed across the following three branches:

Accounting and Frameworks Branch

The Accounting and Frameworks Branch is responsible for supporting Commonwealth entities to meet their statutory budgetary and financial reporting obligations, including responsibility for updating legislative instruments and providing guidance materials and accounting related technical advice to support Commonwealth reporting entities to prepare their annual financial statements. We also drive the accounting and finance profession across the APS, focussing on recruitment, attraction, talent and professional development for accounting and finance professionals.

Estimates and Reporting Branch

The Estimates and Reporting Branch is responsible for the preparation of and advice to the Finance Minister and Government on whole-of-government financial statements and other financial information for all annual estimates and actuals updates, including for budget publications. The Branch also produces the annual Consolidated Financial Statements and the Australian Government’s General Government Sector Monthly Financial Statements and provides advice on the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Government Finance Statistics.

Financial Management Branch

The Financial Management Branch is responsible for appropriation management including arranging annual and special appropriations and maintaining of their records, Commonwealth Cash Management, provision of advice and oversight on appropriations and retainable receipts, foreign exchange risk management, coordination of the development of Budget Paper No. 4, and provision of advice and support for Machinery of Government Changes.

The key duties of the position include:

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Executive Assistants provide high-level administrative support to, and work closely with divisional SES, the Divisional Executive Officer and other Executive Assistants to ensure the Branch/es and Division are managed effectively and in a coordinated way.

The Executive Assistant acts as the first point of contact for SES and the Branch/es, and their duties include:

• Liaising with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Monitoring and managing email inboxes and calendar
• Tracking and coordinating incoming and outgoing Branch tasks
• Screening telephone calls and referring matters to relevant business areas
• Arranging travel bookings and approvals as required
• Conducting quality assurance checks of documents that require clearance
• Financial management activities (e.g. credit card reconciliation and stationery orders)
• Records management
• Committee, training and events management and logistics
• Assisting with the group/divisional executive office and group/divisional tasks as required (e.g. urgent administrative tasks to support group/divisional priorities)
• Ad-hoc administrative tasks

Eligibility

• Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS) unless the Agency Head has agreed otherwise, in writing.
• Successful applicants will be required to undergo the process to obtain and maintain, or continue to hold the required security clearance level for the role as indicated. All Finance staff are required to have a minimum baseline security clearance prior to commencement.
• RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme, you will be invited to participate in further assessment activities for the vacancy if you choose to opt-in to the scheme, declare you have a disability and meet the minimum requirements for the vacancy. All requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered and managed in consultation with you. Further information can be found at https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability.

Getting to know the Department of Finance

As a central agency of the Australian Government, the Department of Finance (Finance) plays an important role in assisting government across a wide range of policy areas to ensure its outcomes are met.Finance supports the government's ongoing priorities through the Budget process and fosters leading practice through the public sector resource management, governance and accountability frameworks. Finance plays a leading role in advising the government on many of its strategic priorities. We do this through our professional and considered approach to providing advice, developing policy, delivering services and engaging with our clients and stakeholders.Finance's key areas of focus are:- Budget- Business Enabling Services- Commercial- Governance and Resource Management