What it does: The Audit Office of New South Wales is a statutory authority, established under the Government Sector Audit Act 1983, that conducts audits for the Auditor-General.
Mission: Our insights inform and challenge the government to improve outcomes for citizens
Size and presence: We have 500+ employees in New South Wales.
Best known for: Financial audits provide an independent opinion on NSW government entities', universities', and councils' financial statements. They identify whether their financial statements comply with accounting standards and relevant laws, regulations, and government directions.
The good bits: Great work-life balance, good learning opportunities, clear progression guidelines, opportunity to travel to client sites. Excellent people to work with
The not-so-good bits: Hassles of working in an accounting firm.
For almost 200 years, the Auditor-General for New South Wales has been assisting the Parliament of New South Wales to hold the government accountable for its use of public resources. The Auditor-General does this by reporting directly to Parliament on our audits of government financial reports and performance.
Our people come from many different backgrounds and cultures and we respect the unique point of view each person brings to our business. Diversity makes us a more vibrant, interesting, and ultimately stronger organization and is fundamental to our values and culture.
About 40 per cent of our staff come from a non-English speaking background, and about 50 per cent are women. We are proud of the fact that we proactively support staff with disabilities and follow the principle of inclusion in everything we do.
We hire and promote our people based on their professional ability, knowledge and expertise, and academic achievements. At the Audit Office, we understand that the world and the business environment we operate in are changing rapidly and we welcome and embrace this change.
We welcome people to the Audit Office who share this attitude to change and the increased diversity such change brings.
The Audit Office provides excellent professional development opportunities. Ongoing formal and informal training will complement your on-the-job learning.
For those completing professional accounting qualifications, we will support you in your studies by providing you with a mentor, study and exam leave, and reimbursement of fees. We understand how gruelling work and study can be and we are committed to helping you make the most of your time, delivering on-the-job experience and knowledge that directly supports your pursuit of a professional accounting qualification.
We also support relevant tertiary studies, including a wide array of post-graduate qualifications, with generous study leave and fee reimbursement schemes.
Throughout the year, we work with you to set clear goals and ensure you are continuously building on your knowledge and skills. Discuss your career prospects and preferences with your manager and track your goals and achievements using our online performance management and development system. You can set out your career aspirations and development goals, all based on clearly defined competencies, and discuss with your manager how you are going to achieve them.
There are also numerous opportunities for our people to move to other client areas, or other areas of the business, or to work on major corporate projects. This can provide an opportunity to experience new clients, work with different managers or undertake different types of work. You might also welcome a secondment to another government agency or professional services firm. They’re all excellent ways to grow your professional experience and gain valuable new skills.
We are here to help you become the best that you can be, both now and in the future.
At the Audit Office, we don’t just talk about work-life balance, we do it!
We have a culture of looking after each other. Our deadlines can mean that some months are extremely busy, and it’s all hands on deck to get the job done. Things can get a little crazy when you’re auditing the entire NSW public sector! It’s worth it though – we give you flexibility at less busy times of the year to balance things out.
Staff can also request flexible working arrangements to pursue interests and commitments outside of work. We offer a range of options such as part-time work, a compressed working week, job sharing, career breaks, paid parental leave, study leave, and leave without pay.
We understand that sometimes we need our people to be flexible, and in return, we offer the same consideration.
We know that our people are at their best when they can balance work with a healthy lifestyle and strong social connections. We have a range of initiatives and activities to help keep you fit and happy!
Munch on free fresh fruit each day, get moving with a discounted gym membership and ward off the germs with a free flu shot.
We support your participation in social and competitive sporting events, including the City-to-Surf, the Corporate Cup running competition and regular indoor soccer competitions.
Our employee recreation club is very active and organizes a wide range of sporting and social activities to celebrate our diversity and bring staff together. Past events have included harbour cruises, Christmas parties and officewide formal dinners. Thanks to their efforts, our staff can also enjoy regular benefits such as Friday happy hours or special discounts on movies and dining.
We also love giving back – our people have contributed to the community by participating in events such as the homelessness count by the City of Sydney.
The Audit Office provides many opportunities to let your hair down, have some fun with your colleagues or give back to the community.
The Governance Lighthouse is a strategic early warning system. This guide provides practical advice and resources to implement successful governance in the public sector. It covers eight principles and 17 key governance components. This guide, produced by the Audit Office, has been produced specifically for State and local government entities in New South Wales.
This guide provides practical advice and resources on implementing successful governance in the public sector. It covers eight principles and 17 key governance components.
Terminology and references to legislation and directions relate to NSW Government agencies.
The principles and components are based on the ASX ‘Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations’ and draw from other publications such as the Australian National Audit Office ‘Public Sector Governance – Strengthening Risk Management Policy for the NSW Public Sector.
The guide also takes into account the 3rd edition of the ASX's Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations, and the Australian National Audit Office's Public Sector Governance – Strengthening Performance through Good Governance, Better Practice Guide.