Head of Audit, Australia

Profusion PAC Pty Ltd; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 166,000 - 240,000; Part time

Job summary

Profusion PAC Pty Ltd seeks a Head of Audit for a Melbourne-based, part-time contract role spanning February/March 2027 to January 2028. You will lead a team through significant audits, deliver the 2027 plans, and shape the 2028 priorities.

This role reports to a UK-based senior audit leader with administrative reporting to the Australian CFO. The appointment requires a strong track record in internal audit within regulated financial services, with experience in governance, third-party services,

Qualifications

• Risk-based planning and prioritisation for audits.
• Maintaining high-quality audit review standards.
• Clear and concise communication with audit committees.
• Demonstrated independent judgement in complex audit scenarios.

Responsibilities

• Establish priorities at handover and confirm live audits and commitments.
• Deliver the 2027 plans and manage third-party services and resilience assurance.
• Provide independent findings and management responses at each reporting cycle.
• Shape 2028 plans through senior stakeholder discussions and capacity planning.
• Lead and develop the team, ensuring handover clarity and ongoing priorities.

Skills

Risk-based planning

Audit-quality review

Committee communication

Independent judgement

Job description

Head of Audit

Melbourne | Contract | Part-time 3 days per week

Anticipated February/March 2027 to January 2028

Lead independent assurance across the Australian operations of a leading global investment management and superannuation organisation. You will guide an established team through significant audits, provide clear conclusions to the relevant audit committees and develop the 2028 audit plans. The assignment calls for someone who can take ownership following a handover, make sound decisions about evidence and coverage, and help experienced team leaders exercise their responsibilities. Functional reporting is to a UK-based senior audit leader, with administrative reporting to the Australian CFO.

What you will get to do

• Establish priorities at handover |By the end of the agreed overlap, confirm live audits, committee commitments, high-priority issues and delegated responsibilities. Success means the team knows what must happen next, who owns it and where to escape.
• Deliver the 2027 plans |From March, lead the approved plans, including third-party services and operational-resilience assurance. Resolve evidence, access and resource issues, and take significant changes through the agreed governance process. Success will be demonstrated through timely, defensible reports and transparent decisions on coverage.
• Give committees an independent view |At each reporting cycle, explain material findings, management responses and outstanding actions by agreed deadlines. Work constructively with executives and Chairs while maintaining a clear audit judgement. Apply the established methodology to action closure, extensions and risk acceptance.
• Shape the 2028 plans |Begin senior-stakeholder discussions by May and have the plans well developed by the end of July for global collaboration. Present clear priorities, coverage, sequencing and capacity requirements across the Australian operations.
• Lead through an experienced team |In your first month, agree responsibilities with the two senior people leaders. Maintain weekly conversations, delegate meaningful work and support the second-in-command’s development. At handback, leave a clear account of completed work, open issues, the next plans and team priorities.

What you will bring

You will have personally led internal audit in a regulated financial-services business, developed annual plans and presented conclusions to a board or audit committee. We will discuss the decisions you owned, the evidence behind them and the results your team delivered. We are seeking evidence of the below competencies.

• Skills - Risk-based planning, audit-quality review, concise committee communication and the ability to resolve competing demands on specialist resources.
• Knowledge - Financial-services governance and controls, independent assurance and the practical challenges of third-party services. Superannuation experience is strongly preferred, including fund risk or controls experience combined with substantive internal audit leadership.
• Experience - Responsibility for a complex audit portfolio, annual planning, senior stakeholders and leadership through experienced managers. Operational-resilience assurance and global audit coordination are valuable.
• Behaviours - Independent judgement, composure and clear decisions. You will be comfortable challenging evidence, escalating early and giving others the authority and support to lead their work.

Why this role and why now

This appointment brings together immediate audit delivery and a meaningful planning horizon. You will lead a team of approximately 11, work with senior Australian stakeholders and committee Chairs, and shape the assurance priorities carried into 2028.

This is a contract opportunity anticipated to commence between mid-February and early March 2027, extending to mid or late January 2028. A part-time arrangement of three days per week is preferred, with flexibility to consider arrangements depending on the candidate and business requirements. The role is Melbourne-based, with working days and attendance arrangements to be discussed.

We welcome a confidential conversation about the mandate, your relevant experience and how the arrangement would work for you.