VITAL (Ministry Of Finance) Hiring! Full Time Assistant Director, Assurance - Risk in - Ricebowl

What The Role Is

As Assistant Director, Assurance & Risk, you will strengthen VITAL's risk, assurance and quality management landscape. You will provide objective oversight of the organisation's risk and control environment, fostering accountability, continuous improvement and organisational resilience. Through a grounded, forward-looking and joined-up approach, you will enhance the division's impact and keep VITAL well-governed and future-ready in an increasingly complex operating environment.

Reporting to the Director, Assurance & Risk, you will lead key functions spanning audit coordination and oversight, enterprise risk management, independent IT systems reviews, quality management and assurance, and capability building and governance support. You will serve as a trusted advisor to senior management and key governance bodies, translating risk and compliance insights into clear, actionable recommendations that support sound organisational decision-making.

You will ensure that VITAL's risk management and quality management practices remain robust, relevant and fit for purpose, and aligned with whole-of-government requirements and evolving organisational needs. You will develop risk culture by helping staff and leaders understand organisational connections, anticipate the wider impact of risks and decisions, and address root causes rather than symptoms. You will also represent VITAL credibly and confidently in engagements with internal stakeholders, governance bodies and whole-of-government counterparts.

What You Will Be Working On

1. Audit Coordination & Oversight

• You will provide oversight of internal and external audit activities, ensuring audit workplans reflect the organisation's risk priorities and provide meaningful coverage across key risk areas.
• You will serve as a key interface between internal auditors, external regulatory bodies, and senior management, driving effective audit coordination, timely resolution of findings, and organisational learning from audit outcomes.
• You will also synthesise audit insights to identify systemic trends, emerging risks, and opportunities for strengthening the organisation's control environment.
• Enterprise Risk Management
• You will lead VITAL's enterprise risk management framework, driving organisation-wide risk identification and assessment, risk register development and review, and the design of robust controls and mitigation measures.
• You will oversee the Risk and Control Self-Assessment framework, designing frameworks, facilitating assessments and validating outcomes for rigour, consistency and relevance to the evolving risk landscape.
• You will maintain and enhance the Risk Incident Escalation Framework to support systematic incident reporting and effective management response, and serve as Secretariat to the Risk Management Committee, supporting informed senior leadership decisions and effective risk oversight.
• Independent IT Systems Reviews
• You will lead independent IT systems reviews from a controls and governance perspective, providing objective assessment of whether IT controls and governance arrangements remain adequate and aligned with organisational risk and compliance requirements.
• This includes validating system access controls and user permission matrices, and reviewing system workflows and approval mechanisms to ensure they operate as intended and support sound governance outcomes.
• Advisory & Assurance
• You will serve as a trusted advisor to senior management and business functions on risk, audit, and compliance matters, providing well-considered and independent guidance on policy implementation, internal controls, and compliance requirements.
• You will provide oversight of control remediation efforts, ensuring that audit findings and operational lapses are addressed effectively, sustainably, and with due regard for underlying root causes.
• You will also champion the use of data analytics to enhance the depth, timeliness, and value of assurance insights.
• Quality Management & Assurance
• You will lead VITAL's ISO 9001 Quality Management System, promoting quality, continuous improvement and operational excellence across the organisation.
• You will support process improvement initiatives, facilitate the implementation of new approaches, and coordinate organisation-wide efforts to attain and uphold the ISO 9001 Quality Management System and strengthen documentation standards.
• You will also serve as Secretariat to the ISO Management Committee, supporting effective oversight and accountability for quality management commitments.
• Capability Building & Governance Support
• You will develop quality and risk management knowledge and competency frameworks to build organisational capability and awareness.
• You will shape and sustain a strong risk culture across VITAL, embedding risk awareness and accountability as organisational norms rather than compliance obligations.
• You will encourage staff and leaders to look beyond immediate issues, understand how their work connects to the broader organisation, and consider the wider impact of their decisions.
  
  

What We Are Looking For

• Preferred courses of study or professional certifications in accounting, audit or risk management, such as CIA or equivalent, are preferred.
• Proven experience in assurance, risk management, or a related field, with a track record of operating effectively at a senior level in a corporate or public sector environment.
• Strong knowledge of corporate governance standards, internal controls, risk assessment methodologies and regulatory frameworks, including familiarity with whole-of-government policies.
• Ability to think at an organisational level, influence stakeholders and drive meaningful outcomes across functions, with a strong ability to see the bigger picture and develop well-rounded solutions to complex challenges.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently and clearly at senior leadership level and represent the organisation credibly in relevant engagements.
• Familiarity with IT governance frameworks is an advantage.
• Familiarity with quality management frameworks such as ISO 9001 and business process improvement methodologies is an advantage.
• Ability to build organisational capability and foster a culture of risk awareness and continuous improvement.
  
  

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.