Purchasing Operations Lead

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangements

Inclusive workplace culture

Support for emergency management work

Job summary

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in Melbourne is seeking a seasoned Purchasing Operations Lead to oversee purchasing and accounts payable for the Commercial, Logistics and Resources Branch. You will drive timely, compliant processes, manage a four-person team, and provide practical guidance to operational teams while ensuring data quality and audit readiness.

This ongoing hybrid role is based at Kyle Road, Altona North with flexible work arrangements and opportunities

Qualifications

• Senior experience in purchasing and accounts payable, including invoicing, PO, supplier queries and reporting.
• Ability to lead a team and coach staff toward service-focused performance.
• Experience using Oracle finance systems and advanced Excel for data insights.
• Strong knowledge of Victorian Government procurement and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead purchasing and accounts payable workflow, including invoice triage, coding, approvals, payment readiness and issue resolution.
• Manage a team of four staff, fostering a positive, collaborative, service-focused culture.
• Advise operational teams on purchasing, receipting, invoices, supplier queries and compliance.
• Investigate and resolve complex payment, invoice and inventory issues.
• Use data to identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities.
• Support month-end processes, reporting, accruals and forecasting inputs.
• Strengthen internal controls, record keeping, audit readiness and compliance with delegations.
• Contribute to system/process improvements and guidance.
• Support urgent financial processing during emergency management activity and peak fire season.

Skills

Purchasing leadership

Accounts payable management

Data analysis

Stakeholder collaboration

Oracle proficiency

Excel proficiency

Tools

Oracle

Microsoft Excel

Job description

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Lead reliable purchasing and payment services that keep essential operations moving. Are you an experienced purchasing and accounts payable leader who enjoys solving problems, supporting people and keeping important services moving?
This is a great opportunity to lead a small, service-focused team that plays a practical and important role in supporting Forest Fire Management Victoria and broader emergency management operations across Victoria.

As the Purchasing Operations Lead, you will oversee reliable, timely and compliant purchasing and accounts payable services for the Commercial, Logistics and Resources Branch within Bushfire and Forest Services. You will ensure data is of the highest quality, reliable and readily available. You will manage workflow, support accurate financial processing, resolve supplier and invoice issues, strengthen controls and help improve the way services are delivered.
You will work in a collaborative environment where procurement, logistics, fleet, inventory and finance teams come together to support operational readiness, day-to-day service delivery and peak fire season requirements.

About the role

• lead purchasing and accounts payable workflow, including invoice triage, coding, approvals, payment readiness and issue resolution
• manage and support a team of four staff, building a positive, collaborative and service-focused culture
• provide practical advice to operational teams on purchasing, receipting, invoices, supplier queries and compliance requirements
• investigate and resolve complex payment, invoice and inventory ordering issues
• use financial and operational data to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement
• support month-end processes, reporting, accruals and forecasting inputs
• strengthen internal controls, record keeping, audit readiness and compliance with financial delegations
• contribute to continuous improvement in systems, processes, templates and guidance
• support urgent financial processing and operational requirements during emergency management activity and peak fire season.
  

About you

You will bring strong purchasing and accounts payable experience, sound judgement and a practical approach to improving how work gets done. You are comfortable working with detail, managing competing priorities and helping others understand what is needed to get things moving.

You will also bring

• experience in purchasing, accounts payable, invoice management, supplier queries, financial coding and reporting
• leadership experience, including managing workflow, coaching staff and supporting team performance
• confidence using finance systems, particularly Oracle, and Microsoft Excel
• an understanding of Victorian Government procurement, financial processing and compliance requirements
• strong analytical skills and the ability to turn data into practical insights
• a collaborative style and the ability to build trusted relationships across teams.
  

A forklift licence, or willingness to obtain one, and a valid driver’s licence with willingness to travel within Victoria may be required.

Why join us

You will be part of a branch that works across procurement, logistics, fleet, inventory and emergency management support, helping ensure the right resources are available when and where they are needed.

We offer

• meaningful work that supports Victoria’s emergency management readiness
• a collaborative and practical workplace culture
• opportunities to lead and improve service delivery
• hybrid work arrangements, where operational requirements allow
• the chance to support teams working on important public land, fire and emergency management outcomes.

Specialist/Technical Expertise/Qualifications

• Demonstrated senior experience in purchasing and accounts payable functions, including invoice management, purchase orders, supplier queries, financial coding, reporting and compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• Proven people leadership capability, including managing workflow, supporting team performance, coaching staff and building a positive, service-focused team culture.
• Proven experience using Oracle finance systems and Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables and basic data analysis techniques to monitor workflow, identify issues and support reporting.
• Proven experience working within the Victorian Government procurement framework, with a strong understanding of purchasing, compliance and financial processing requirements.
• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to interpret financial and operational data, identify trends or anomalies, and provide practical insights to support decision-making.
• A forklift licence, or willingness to obtain one, and a valid driver’s licence with willingness to travel within Victoria may be required to support operational and inventory activities.

This is an ongoing position. The work location for this position is Kyle Road, Altona North with hybrid work arrangements available.

Please refer to the Key Selection Criteria provided in the Position Description,including the mandatory requirements.

Other relevant information

Preferred candidates will be required to undertake pre-employment screening, including a Declaration and Consent form and a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.

To be eligible for appointment to this role, applicants will possess corresponding work rights for the advertised employment period. Appointment to an ongoing position is only available to an Australian/New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.

An inclusive, culturally safe and flexible workplace

DEECA fosters an inclusive workplace culture and is committed to a fair, accessible, and equitable recruitment process.

We strongly encourage Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander people to apply. We recognise the strengths, knowledge and perspectives First Nations people bring and DEECA is committed to a culturally safe and respectful workplace. If you need support to participate, please contact [e-mail].