• Executive stewardship of governance and audit quality leadership
• Independent integrity body, assurance to Victorian Parliament and community
• Integration of emerging technologies and practices

About the organisation

The Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO) is an independent integrity body that provides assurance to Victoria's Parliament and community on the performance and accountability of the State's public sector. VAGO conducts financial and performance audits and assurance reviews of State and local government entities, reporting results directly to Parliament. As part of Victoria's broader integrity system, the Office operates independently of both Parliament and government. VAGO is a small but influential office – led by values of respect, innovation, collaboration and accountability – in which independence and professional integrity are non-negotiable.

About the role

In this newly created senior executive position, the Assistant Auditor-General, Governance and Quality will report directly to the Auditor-General, sitting within the Strategic Management Group alongside the Deputy Auditor-General and two peer Assistant Auditors-Generals. The role is responsible for translating the Auditor-General's strategic vision into an integrated governance and quality agenda, leading the evolution of audit quality frameworks and methodologies, including the integration of emerging technologies such as AI. The appointee will oversee enterprise-wide governance, risk management and business continuity frameworks, and prepare the organisation for evolving sustainability-related assurance requirements. A central function is to act as the critical bridge between VAGO's support and enablement functions and its audit delivery divisions, translating emerging technology capability into embedded, usable methodology. The Assistant Auditor-General, Governance and Quality will also build capability and succession pipelines across the governance and quality division, and represent the organisation at senior external forums with integrity bodies, professional organisations and public sector stakeholders.

About you

You are a senior audit professional with deep, demonstrable technical expertise in external audit – financial, performance, or both – and direct experience leading or owning audit quality systems, methodology or systems of quality management at an organisational level. With experience at partner or technical leadership level in a Big Four or major second-tier firm, or in an equivalent Assistant Auditor-General -level role at a major Australian or international audit jurisdiction, you are role-ready to operate at the requisite level from day one without a developmental runway or close management. Beyond technical credentials, you are genuinely curious about artificial intelligence and its application to audit, personally use AI tools effectively, can hold a credible conversation about the AI transformation and sequencing, and have a considered view on where audit methodology needs to go ahead of regulatory standards reform. An enterprise thinker and comfortable with ambiguity, you employ your sophisticated influencing skills in building trust and shifting the culture across a senior leadership group without relying on formal authority. Motivated by public interest outcomes, you relish the opportunity to take on executive stewardship of governance and audit quality leadership at this critical independent integrity body.

How to apply

Click ‘Apply’ to submit your CV along with a covering letter. For more information prior to application, please contact Andrew Richards at SHK on 0422 279 039 via email on andrew.richards@shk.com.au, quoting reference 3604458. Direct and third-party applications will be forwarded to SHK.