Director, Risk and Assurance,executive Level 2

**Job no**: 511474

**Employment type**: Ongoing

**Location**: Canberra

**Categories**: Executive Level 2, Evaluation, Audit, Regulation

**About the department**:
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is an Australian Government agency established in 2012 to support the global transition to net zero emissions by accelerating the pace of pre-commercial innovation, to the benefit of Australian consumers, businesses and workers.

ARENA complements other funding bodies and provides financial assistance for R&D as well as demonstration and deployment projects that improve the competitiveness of renewable and clean energy technologies.

ARENA is accountable for ensuring the knowledge, insights, and lessons learned from funded projects are widely shared in order to promote growth and progression across the industry.

The department plays a key role in the Australian Government’s agenda to create jobs and build a stronger, more resilient and competitive economy. Our work builds on Australia’s existing strengths, supports businesses to grow, and drives new opportunities for long-term productivity growth and prosperity. The success of the department helps Australia recover from the economic consequences of COVID‑19 and adapt to its ongoing effects. Through our work, we support the government’s economic recovery plan and help to deliver a better future for all Australians.

**About the team**:
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) sits on ARENA’s Senior Leadership Team and oversees ARENA's corporate functions including Information Technology, People and Culture, Legal, Risk and Assurance, and Project Management Office functions. The Office of the COO delivers essential support to the COO and ARENA and is the main interface with the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. The Office supports the Executive Management Team, oversees our corporate planning and reporting, ensures compliance with legislative and government requirements and provides coordination across a broad range of complex areas.

**The opportunity**

The Director, Risk and Assurance will support the COO to manage ARENA’s risk, audit, fraud and assurance frameworks as overseen by the Risk and Audit Committee and ultimately the ARENA Board. You will contribute to the identification, evaluation and establishment of programmes to mitigate the organisations exposure to key risk areas (risk treatments). The role’s deliverables involve collaborative work across the business but are generally prepared and delivered by the incumbent (as there are no additional positions attached to this function).

We are looking for a Director, Risk and Assurance with the following desired skills and experiences:

- Demonstrated experience and a proven record of achievement in a risk or assurance related role, preferably in a public sector environment.
- Strong knowledge and understanding of Commonwealth Government risk frameworks and approaches.
- Strong understanding of risk management standards, methodology, practices, processes and tools.
- Experience in facilitating risk workshops and training.
- Experience in preparing policies, plans, strategies and other key corporate documents relating to risk management.
- Experience in business continuity planning and management, disaster recovery management or crisis management.
- Ability to build strong working relationships including the ability to influence, negotiate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong communication skills including the ability to present to groups in written or verbal formats.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver high quality results by setting clear directions, monitoring progress, responding flexibly to change and creating a shared sense of purpose.
- Ability to prioritise and adapt in the context of the management of multiple competing tasks and deliverables, including an ability to remain flexible.

**What you will do**:
The Director, Risk and Assurance is responsible for the following deliverables but not limited to:

- Risk frameworks and oversight including providing regular reporting to the Risk and Audit Committee and the ARENA Board.
- Providing training to encourage positive engagement with risk and facilitating risk appetite workshops.
- Enhancing business processes to integrate controls and encourage positive engagement with risk.
- Leading Business Continuity and disaster recovery approaches including developing, planning and testing crisis management and disaster recovery frameworks.
- Periodic reviews of fraud risk plans and ongoing reporting, exploring opportunities for integrating fraud risk as part of overall risk management reporting and analysis.
- Ongoing review of internal control frameworks and implementation of ongoing reporting for endorsement by the Risk and Audit Committee including enhancing business processes to integrate controls and provide a proactive approach to design of effective, efficient and economic internal