Senior Director

About Queensland Audit Office

At OnTalent, we are proud to represent the Queensland Audit Office (QAO), the independent auditor of the public sector whose vision is to deliver better public services for all Queenslanders. QAO plays a central role in strengthening the performance and integrity of state and local government, providing Parliament and the community with clear insight into whether services are operating as intended and resources are being used effectively. Through its financial and performance audit programs, QAO examines significant issues across the state - including major infrastructure and procurement, frontline service delivery, digital transformation, governance, and large-scale reform—requiring teams to navigate complex systems with clarity and rigour.

QAO's employer value proposition is exceptional - offering an employment experience that balances impact with flexibility, fostering a focused, collaborative and intellectually engaging culture. Employees work closely with senior government leaders, contribute to recommendations that shape future service delivery, and benefit from strong career development pathways. With structured onboarding, clear frameworks, extensive coaching and exceptional support, a career with QAO expands your professional network in ways few employers can match—offering a meaningful opportunity to influence outcomes that matter to Queensland communities.

About the Role

QAO is seeking an exceptional senior leader to join QAO as Senior Director, Performance Audit—a role that offers rare influence, intellectual stretch and statewide impact. As Senior Director, you have responsibility for leading and contributing to QAO's performance audit portfolio and guide Directors and teams through complex, sensitive and high-profile audits. Your work will examine how major public programs are designed, governed and delivered, ensuring insights provided to parliament and the public sector are evidence-based, balanced and forward-looking.

Central to the role is building and sustaining a dynamic, high-performing team. You will create an environment where people are supported to do their best work, while working closely with leaders across the organisation to build capability, strengthen culture, and enable consistently high-quality audit outcomes. This leadership focus allows you to bring structure and clarity to complex or ambiguous audit environments, fostering collaboration, sound professional judgement and continuous improvement across the portfolio.

You will work closely with the Auditor-General and Assistant Auditor-General Performance Audit, brief them on emerging risks and outcomes, and contribute to multi-year planning that influences the direction of public sector performance for years to come.

Why This Role Is Great

From our discussions with QAO's leaders, it is clear this is a role that offers unique career value. It sits at the intersection of curiosity, influence and purpose—ideal for a senior professional who thrives on understanding complex systems, solving ambiguous problems and shaping outcomes that matter.

You will gain exposure to the most senior decision-makers in Queensland's public sector, including Directors-General and Deputy Directors-General. This level of access and network expansion is exceptional.

QAO's leaders speak passionately about the impact of the work, the opportunity to influence public value at scale, and the strong work–life balance enabled by a supportive, collaborative culture. Add to this the chance to contribute directly to some of Queensland's most significant issues and this role becomes a powerful platform for personal and professional growth.

About You

You are a seasoned executive with strong judgement, intellectual curiosity and the ability to quickly understand new subject matter. You will have strategic and commercial acumen and have proven experience in leading teams and portfolios of work. Your background may span performance audit, program evaluation, consulting, major program delivery, internal audit (with an effectiveness focus), governance, risk or public sector strategy. Regardless of your pathway, you excel at synthesising complexity, identifying risks and forming clear, evidence-based conclusions.

You communicate with clarity and influence, engage confidently with senior stakeholders, and demonstrate tact and diplomacy when navigating differing perspectives. You are motivated by meaningful impact and thrive in environments where critical thinking, structured analysis and continuous learning are valued.

Just as importantly, you bring a collaborative leadership style grounded in integrity, empathy and a commitment to building capability in others. You are skilled at mentoring senior professionals, guiding teams through complex analytical work and setting clear standards for performance and quality.

Relevant tertiary qualifications and senior leadership experience are essential.

To find out more, click on microsite-link or to schedule a briefing discussion, please email or phone to speak with Donna Bliss, Ash McMillan or Jay Baxter.

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