Chief Financial Officer

Job no: 493839
Work type: Full Time
Location: Head Office Canberra
Classification: Senior Executive Service Band 1

The Role

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) role involves leading accrualbased AASBcompliant financial reporting; stewarding a commercial balance sheet and capital program; managing debt and liquidity within government settings; and delivering shareholder value while meeting heightened public sector governance transparency and accountability requirements.

The CFO is responsible for leading DHAs financial management and advisory functions to support the achievement of organisational objectives. The CFO provides strategic oversight of financial planning budgeting forecasting and reporting ensuring strong financial governance compliance and sustainability. The role delivers expert financial advice to senior executives manages financial risk oversees investment and resource allocation and supports informed decision-making aligned with DHAs strategic priorities and government requirements.

The CFO Branch as part of the Enabling Services Group is responsible for ensuring the financial sustainability of DHA by supporting effective decision making resource allocation and policy compliance for both internal and external stakeholders. They provide enterprise financial stewardship commercial management and assurance to support DHAs sustainability value for money and compliance with government and Defence requirements. There are five teams within the Branch including:

• Corporate Support - Provides corporate shared services accounts payable and receivable commercial accommodation and facilities management and financial systems support to enable efficient operations and informed decision-making.
• Procurement & Contract Management - Leads procurement operations and contract management to ensure value for money probity compliance and effective supplier performance.
• Corporate Accounting - Delivers statutory financial accounting taxation asset accounting and development accounting to ensure financial integrity compliance and accurate reporting.
• Forecasting & Business Analysis - Provides enterprise forecasting commercial modelling and treasury management to support strategic decision-making financial sustainability and investment planning.
• Partnering & Performance - Delivers management accounting finance business partnering and performance reporting to support operational decision-making accountability and continuous improvement.

All SES roles represent the Australian Public Service (APS) and government externally to stakeholders and are characterised by a high level of accountability for outcomes. How outcomes are delivered is equally as important as the outcome. The Secretaries Charter of Leadership Behaviours sets out the behaviours Secretaries expect of themselves and SES and want to see in leaders at all levels of the APS. The Charter focuses on behaviours that support modern systems leadership within the construct of theAPS Values and Code of Conduct. These behaviours build on theIntegrated Leadership SystemandAPS Leadership Capability Framework.

Everyday Activities

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and operating as a key member of DHAs senior executive cohort the Chief Financial Officer provides strategic leadership and stewardship of DHAs financial and corporate support alignment with DHAs strategic objectives the role is responsible for driving enterprise performance sound financial governance and sustainable long-term outcomes.

Key activities include:

• Provide strategic leadership as a senior member of the DHA Executive Leadership Team contributing to enterprise direction governance and delivery of Government and shareholder priorities.
• Act as a principal source of authoritative evidencebased financial and commercial advice to the Managing Director Executive and Board to support sound decisionmaking and longterm sustainability.
• Support the Board and Board Audit and Risk Committee through highquality financial risk and governance advice ensuring strong assurance transparency and accountability.
• Lead the development and stewardship of DHAs financial funding and capital strategies ensuring alignment with Government policy settings and future capability requirements.
• Establish and maintain robust financial management reporting and control frameworks that comply with legislative policy and bestpractice governance requirements including the PGPA Act.
• Ensure the integrity transparency and reliability of budgeting forecasting and financial reporting to enable effective performance monitoring and disciplined financial stewardship.
• Lead finance and corporate support functions to deliver efficient clientfocused services while building a highperforming valuesbased workforce with the capability to meet future challenges.
• Represent DHA in parliamentary crossagency and wholeofgovernment forums including Senate Estimates demonstrating accountable stewardship and effective engagement in complex environments.

Qualifications and Experience Requirements

The Chief Financial Officer will bring extensive senior executive experience in financial leadership within complex commercially oriented public sector environments with a demonstrated capacity to operate as a trusted strategic adviser at Executive and Board level. You will have:

• Tertiary qualifications in finance accounting commerce or related fields with CA/CPA or equivalent professional status and/or significant senior executive experience in Commonwealth financial management.
• Senior executive background providing strategic financial leadership in large or commercially focused organisations preferably with Government Business Enterprise experience overseeing enterprise-wide performance and governance.
• Experience advising Boards and senior leadership on corporate governance financial strategy risk and performance.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills to anticipate issues assess risks and opportunities and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Ability to shape strategy influence results and drive change through financial leadership.
• Skilled at navigating uncertainty and competing priorities offering clear and practical advice for decision-making.
• Excellent communication skills able to explain complex financial concepts to Ministers Boards executives and stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation representation and influencing skills with a demonstrated ability to resolve complex issues and guide negotiations to successful outcomes.
• Extensive experience building and sustaining productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders across government industry and the non-government sector including in politically sensitive environments.
• Demonstrated success in leading high-performing geographically dispersed and multidisciplinary teams fostering a culture of accountability innovation continuous improvement and professional excellence.
• Proven track record in leading significant programs initiatives or reforms in complex sensitive and operationally diverse environments while managing organisational risk and delivering measurable outcomes.
• Strong personal integrity resilience and leadership credibility with a clear commitment to the APS Values Code of Conduct and ethical stewardship of public resources.

Essential Capabilities
Shapes strategic thinking:

• Focusses strategically.
• Inspires a sense of purpose and strategic direction.
• Harnesses information and opportunities.
• Shows judgement intelligence and common sense.

Achieves results:

• Builds organisational capability and responsiveness.
• Marshals professional expertise.
• Steers and implements change and deals with uncertainty.
• Ensures closure and delivers on intended results.
• Manages information and records.
• Engages with technology.

Cultivates productive working relationships:

• Nurtures internal and external relationships.
• Facilitates cooperation and partnerships.
• Values individual differences and diversity.
• Guides mentors and develops people.

Displays personal drive and integrity:

• Demonstrates public service professionalism and probity.
• Exemplifies the DRIVE Secretaries Charter of Leadership Behaviours.
• Promotes manages and upholds the APS Values Code of Conduct and Employment Principles including Stewardship.
• Engages with risk and shows personal courage.
• Commits to action.
• Displays resilience.
• Demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to personal development.

Communicates with influence:

• Communicates clearly and with influence.
• Listens understands and adapts to the audience.
• Negotiates persuasively.

Technical Proficiency:

• Demonstrated capacity to focus on business improvement and organisational sustainability.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead and drive transformational change to achieve strategic objectives.
• Demonstrated strategic leadership in the delivery of property services.

Eligibility Requirements
Employment with DHA is subject to the following conditions:

• Australian Citizenship.
• Security Clearance: The occupant of this position must obtain and retain an AGSVA security clearance to the specified level.
• Probation: A probation period will apply to any new ongoing engagement to the Australian Public Service.

How to apply
Applications must be submitted through Beaumont & Beaumonts online recruitment system: application should include:

• A written pitch of up to 1000 words which outlines your skills and experience and how they align to the advertised role
• An up-to-date CV

Before applying please review the Candidate Information Pack and selection criteria. If you have further questions after reviewing the materials or if you need assistance with the application process please contact Beaumont & Beaumont on (02)or via

All enquiries will be kept in strict confidence.

Please note applications close 11:30 PM AEDT Sunday 1 March 2026.

View Candidate Pack