Senior Risk & Compliance Specialist

Telstra; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-related pay

Learning programs access

Global presence across 22 countries

Purchased annual leave

Additional Telstra day off

Discount Telstra products

Provided toolkit (laptop + phone)

Job summary

Telstra is seeking a Senior Risk & Compliance Specialist to lead the assurance function within Telstra’s COE, shaping strategy and planning across risk and compliance. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to define the assurance agenda and improve control maturity, while embracing automation and data-driven decision making.

The role emphasizes end-to-end assurance, proactive improvement, and the integration of technology-enabled solutions to reduce manual effort and enhance

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent business experience in risk, compliance, assurance, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of audit, operational risk, compliance, and assurance frameworks.
• Understanding of technology risk in a large enterprise environment and translating complex issues into actionable business impacts.
• Ability to use assurance data to identify exceptions, trends and indicators to inform risk-based decisions.
• Experience with automation, analytics and AI to improve assurance quality and reduce manual effort.

Responsibilities

• Assurance strategy and agenda: Define how assurance should operate across Telstra, including the assurance agenda, framework review, methodology, standards, guidance and reusable artefacts.
• Annual assurance planning: Contribute to the annual assurance plan by assessing risk, compliance priorities, control maturity, historical findings and assurance coverage.
• Execution guidance: Guide business functions on how to execute assurance consistently and proportionately, including planning, scoping, evidence expectations, testing approach, reporting and management action tracking.
• Targeted assurance support: Deliver or support targeted assurance activity where specialist input or independent challenge is required.
• Operational excellence uplift: Review end-to-end assurance and compliance workflows to simplify processes and lift outputs.
• Manual to automated: Identify opportunities to reduce manual testing and automate repeatable checks.
• Reactive to predictive: Use data and indicators to move assurance from retrospective to earlier detection.
• Stakeholder influence: Partner with other teams to translate outcomes into practical uplift actions.
• AI and technology enablement: Engage with automation, analytics and AI tools to accelerate assurance.

Skills

Risk management

Compliance

Assurance

Audit

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Automation

Education

Tertiary qualifications

Risk/Compliance experience

Related field knowledge

Job description

Who We Are Connect with Telstra. We're all about helping our customers connect faster, better and smarter. And that's where you come in, to help us realise our purpose to build a connected future so everyone can thrive.

Who We Are Connect with Telstra. We're all about helping our customers connect faster, better and smarter. And that's where you come in, to help us realise our purpose to build a connected future so everyone can thrive.

About The Role

• This Senior Risk & Compliance Specialist role supports a future-focused assurance capability that is risk-based, practical, consistent, and aligned to Telstra's compliance and risk objectives. The role challenges traditional and manual ways of working, helping shift assurance from reactive activity toward more streamlined, automated, and predictive approaches.
• This role helps shape, mature and continuously improve how Telstra plans, delivers and learns from Assurance, across Risk and Compliance. It supports Telstra's Compliance and Assurance Centre of Expertise (COE) which is part of the 2nd Line of Defence to set the assurance agenda, maintain the company's assurance framework, guide business functions on execution and contribute to the annual assurance plan.
• It brings an end-to-end view of obligations, controls, assurance activity, issues, reporting, and improvement actions so assurance is connected to broader compliance outcomes, not managed as a silo.

What We Offer

• Performance-related pay
• Access to thousands of learning programs so you can level-up
• Global presence across 22 countries
• Purchased annual leave scheme
• Additional Telstra day off
• Additional 30% off Telstra products and services
• Toolkit provided (laptop + mobile phone + plan paid for)

What You'll Do

• Assurance strategy and agenda: Support the Compliance and Assurance COE to define how assurance should operate across Telstra, including the assurance agenda, framework review, methodology, standards, guidance and reusable artefacts.
• Annual assurance planning: Contribute to the annual assurance plan by assessing risk, compliance priorities, control maturity, historical findings and assurance coverage to recommend where effort should be focused across Telstra.
• Execution guidance: Guide business functions on how to execute assurance consistently and proportionately, including planning, scoping, evidence expectations, testing approach, reporting and management action tracking.
• Targeted assurance support: Deliver or support targeted assurance activity where specialist input, independent challenge or deeper review is required, while avoiding unnecessary duplication with Line 1 or other assurance providers.
• Operational excellence uplift: Review end-to-end assurance and compliance workflows to simplify processes, reduce waste, improve handoffs, shorten cycle times, improve data quality and lift the usefulness of outputs.
• Manual to automated: Identify practical opportunities to reduce manual testing, automate repeatable checks, streamline evidence capture and make assurance easier for control owners to complete and respond to.
• Reactive to predictive: Use assurance data, control information, trends, exceptions and emerging indicators to help move assurance from retrospective review toward earlier detection and more targeted intervention.
• Stakeholder influence: Partner with Line 1, other 2nd Line of Defence Business Function Risk and Compliance teams, framework owners and accountable executives to translate assurance outcomes into practical, measurable uplift actions.
• AI and technology enablement: Engage with automation, analytics and AI tools to accelerate assurance and improve consistency, while ensuring technology supports sound judgement, methodology and business outcomes.

About You

To be successful in the role, you'll have:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent business experience in risk, compliance, assurance, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of audit, operational risk, compliance, and assurance frameworks, including control design, operating effectiveness, evidence-based review, and risk-based planning.
• Understanding of technology risk in a large enterprise environment, with the ability to translate complex technical issues into clear business impacts, mitigation strategies, and practical actions.
• Ability to use assurance and compliance data to identify exceptions, trends, recurring issues, and leading indicators that inform risk-based decisions.
• Practical understanding of how automation, analytics and AI can simplify assurance, improve quality, and reduce manual effort.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate, advise, constructively challenge, and deliver clear, executive-ready insights.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritise and sequence work, engage stakeholders, and deliver quality outcomes within tight timelines in a complex and changing environment.
• A growth mindset and commitment to continuous improvement through simplification, standardisation, and measurable operational uplift.

As part of your application with Telstra, you may receive communications from us on [phone] (for job applications in Australia) and [phone] (for job applications in the Philippines and India).

When you join our team, you become part of a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone is respected, valued and celebrated. We actively seek individuals from various backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and disabilities because we know that diversity not only strengthens our team but also enriches our work. We have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind, and we prioritise creating a workplace culture where everyone is safe and can thrive.

As part of the hiring process, all identified candidates will undergo a background check, and the results will play a role in the final decision regarding your application.

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