Finance Analyst

An exciting opportunity exists for an experienced Finance Analyst to be part of the Business Monitoring unit in the Finance and Compliance branch of Financial Services Division in the Department of Education. The Business Monitoring unit is responsible for delivering a second line of defence function for the Department through effective risk management and monitoring of corporate financial data. This is a fixed-term position until 30/06/2026.

About the Department

The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services.

The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.

About the Division

Financial Services Division

Financial Services Division is responsible for designing and implementing financial management principles, processes, and systems to ensure that managers have the necessary support to execute their financial management responsibilities. The Division is responsible for establishing the appropriate financial management and assurance environment within the Departments corporate, schools, groups, regions, and the statutory authorities. The Division has a key role in supporting the second line of defence through its oversight and monitoring functions.

The Division operates on three levels to fulfil its responsibilities including:

• strategic to support decision making.
• control, assurance and governance to ensure compliance with legislation and standards.
• operational to provide functional support and service delivery.

Finance and Compliance Branch

The Finance and Compliance Branch is responsible for ensuring that the financial records of the Department are maintained in an accurate manner that enables the timely extraction of financial data across the Department. In addition, the Branch is responsible for the compilation of the Department's financial and taxation reporting to its various stakeholders; ensuring the Department's compliance with Financial Management and Taxation Compliance Frameworks and Financial Policies; and providing accounting, tax and insurance services for both corporate and schools.

In addition, the branch is responsible for monitoring financial risks and controls and delivering a second line of defence function for the Department through effective risk management and business monitoring of corporate financial data. FSD operates on three levels: strategic to support decision making; control, assurance and governance to ensure compliance with legislation/standards; operational to provide functional support /service delivery.

About the Role

This is a fixed-term position until 30/06/2026.

An exciting opportunity exists for an experienced Finance Analyst to be part of the Business Monitoring unit in the Financial Services Division of the Department of Education.

The Business Monitoring unit is responsible for delivering a second line of defence function for the Department through effective risk management and monitoring of corporate financial data.

The role will report directly to the Business Monitoring Manager and will work closely with a Senior Data Analyst, and Senior Finance Analyst within the Business Monitoring unit.

The purpose of this role is to contribute to the second line of defence activities to provide assurance to management on matters of governance, compliance, control, and risk management. This will require building strong relationships with business areas and will contribute to the development of oversight, monitoring and assurance compliance improvements by applying data analytics over corporate financial data used, managed, analysed and reported by Financial Services Division.

The Finance Analyst will be tasked with:

• Monitoring and the review of the assurance framework to support data integrity and compliance to Departmental policies.
• Managing Continuous Control Monitoring (CCM) assurance work programs over:

1. Vendor Master File data.
2. Corporate Purchasing card transactions
3. Reimbursement paid to corporatee staff versus Corporate Purchasing card transctions.
4. Financial Delegations monitoring to ensure staff have the authority to approve and pay invoices in Oracle Cloud Purchase to Pay system

• Assist in the creation and interpretation of data analytic tests to identify exceptions from various datasets.
• Run scripts (data analytic tests) for the extraction of exceptions via a data warehouse.
• Assist in the design of the creation of dashboards via Power BI and other tools.
• Manage the preparation and presentation of the report of findings for all CCM assurance work programs as mentioned above.
• Maintain process documents and guidelines for all CCM assurance work programs as mentioned above.
• Providing Business areas with support, education and guidance as required to ensure compliance to policies and guidelines are met.
• Assist in the annual Internal Audit (Department) requests.
• Assist in the interim and year end External Audit (Victorina Auditor-General Office) requests.
• Other duties and projects as and when required.

Attributes

The ideal candidate will have the following capabilities and qualities including:

Specialist Expertise in 'Finance'

• Ability to support the continuous monitoring and oversight activities over financial information and be able to identify anomalies, fraud or any areas of risk
• Experience in performing monthly, quarterly and yearly analytical reviews of financial information with the ability to document work completed and findings, explanations and potential financial adjustments to be recommended to be completed
• Experience in interpreting financial policies
• Experience in preparing audit evidence workpaper files and liaising with internal and external auditors

Specialist Expertise for 'Information Technology and Data Literacy'

• Demonstrated ability and knowledge of information management technologies and their application within a business context. In particular with the use of advance Microsoft excel including pivot tables, advance formulas and financial modelling
• Experience running SQL scripts and Business Intelligence tools like Microsoft Power BI or similar data visualization software to produce information which achieves meaningful insights to financial information
• Experience using Oracle financials or similar finance systems
• Ability to work with large volume of data sets, clean, filter and resolve inconsistencies

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• Resolves issues through deep understanding or interpretation of existing guidelines. Where guidelines are not available, analyses ideas available and takes action through self, or in consultation with others to resolve problems. If required, determine additional information needed to make informed decisions.
• Applies critical thinking and problem-solving concepts in the right context.
• Identifies and proposes workable solutions to problems
• Seeks all relevant information for problem-solving

Communicates with Impact

• Prepares and delivers logical sequential and succinct presentations.
• Uses clear and concise language.
• Uses media appropriate to the audience and presents information to develop the understanding of the topic.

Verbal and Written Communication

• Edits written communications to ensure they contain the information necessary to achieve their purpose
• Ensures appropriate style and formats are used
• Prepares complex briefs, letters, emails and reports using clear, concise and grammatically correct language
• Understands the target audience and the objective of the communication

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Essential qualifications required include: a Bachelor's degree in Finance or a Bachelor degree in Accounting or a Bachelor degree in Commerce.

Experience required: either an Audit, Assurance or Financial Analyst background preferrable.

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ , disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Kim Lakatos, Manager, Business Monitoring via *** or ***********

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g. large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close 11:59pm on 13 June 2025