Join a collaborative team as an authoritative subject matter expert in procurement, budgeting and payroll. Oversight controls and risk management.

Job details

We are looking for
Someone who will bring a passion for excellence, attention to detail, and desire to add value to your team and the organisation. The role of Principal Finance Officer reports to the Finance Manager, you will mentor a small team. As the Principal Finance Officer, you will provide senior specialist leadership and authoritative advice across QAO's procurement, budgeting and core finance functions. The role exercises a high degree of independent professional judgement and is responsible for leading complex financial activities, ensuring strong governance, compliance and financial risk management outcomes, and providing trusted advice to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).  You will have experience in developing and monitoring budgets which will allow you to efficiently and effectively deliver QAO's budget process and budget updates to Queensland Treasury, provide written briefs to QAO's Audit Risk Management Committee, the ELT and CFO. Your written and verbal communication skills will be strong, and you will use these to engage senior leaders across the business to understand budget drivers and deliver finance services. You may need to engage with external stakeholders, such as Queensland Treasury, to discuss budget process and outcomes. You have excellent attention to detail which will allow you to excel in playing a significant leadership role in designing procurement processes and delivering procurement services for audit services and general supplies and services. A significant portion of QAO's expenditure is contracted out audit services. Your knowledge and understanding of risk management in finance services is extensive. Your skills will help you implement and enforce financial controls, undertake risk management activities, and your critical thinking skills will arm you to provide authoritative analysis and advice to the CFO and ELT on your subject matter areas.

About us
As the independent auditor of the public sector and local governments, we are vital to Queensland's integrity system. We provide independent, professional audit and assurance services, giving parliament and the public trusted assurance and insights. We have hundreds of audit clients from a wide range of industries across the beautiful state of Queensland. We help them improve their financial management and performance, so they can deliver better public services for the community. We support the Queensland Parliament in holding entities to account for the effective, efficient, and economical use of public resources. We also engage with many other stakeholders, such as integrity bodies, accounting standards boards, and Australian and international audit offices. Innovation, teamwork, and client relationships are at the heart of what we do. We offer:

• A Brisbane based role with hybrid work arrangements – work from the office and from home.
• Salary commensurate with experience $152,658 to $163,539 (includes 12.75% superannuation and 17.5% annual leave loading)
• Continuous learning opportunities, including formal learning and personalised career development.

Next Steps
Please submit via SEEK: Principal Finance Officer (AO7) Job in Brisbane QLD - SEEK

• Your CV, a cover letter (no more than 2 pages) as why you would like to join our team and if applicable, a copy of your university degree, CA, CPA, or other qualification.

More information on the role is provided in the role description available from our Career Opportunities website. The role description provides important information on qualifications, pre-employment checks, and probation. For consideration of permanent appointment at QAO you must have valid working rights. For a discussion about the role please contact Charles Strickland on (07) 3149 6000 or email recruitment@qao.qld.gov.au. Applications to remain current for 12 months.

Our values of Engage, Respect, Deliver and Inspire underpin all that we do and define how we work with our clients and each other. They help us be the best we can and make QAO an enjoyable place to work. Our culture also reflects the independence and objectivity of our role, which is embedded in the ethical and professional codes we apply to our staff. As part of our commitment to an inclusive and supportive recruitment process, we want to ensure all candidates have the opportunity to participate fully. If you require any adjustments or additional support to help you demonstrate your ability to meet the inherent requirements of the role, please contact Kiriana Giffin, acting Director Human Resources, at kiriana.giffin@qao.qld.gov.au.

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• AO7 Principal Finance Officer Role Description February 2026 (PDF, 281KB)
  Role Description