Deputy Director, Assurance & Risk

Reporting to the Director, Assurance & Risk, you will provide leadership across the division's key functions, spanning audit management, process and governance reviews, enterprise risk management, and quality management. You will serve as a trusted advisor and thought leader to senior management and key governance bodies, translating complex risk and compliance insights into clear, actionable recommendations that support sound organisational decision-making. You will take ownership of ensuring that VITAL's internal control environment remains robust, relevant, and fit for purpose, and that risk management and compliance practices are aligned with whole-of-government requirements and evolving organisational needs. You will lead the development of risk culture across the organisation, encouraging staff and leaders to understand how different parts of the organisation connect, anticipate the broader impact of risks and decisions, and address root causes rather than symptoms. You will also represent VITAL in engagements with external regulators, auditors, and whole-of-government counterparts, bringing credibility and confidence to these interactions. 1. Audit Management & Oversight • Provide direction over internal and external audit activities, ensuring the audit workplan reflects the organisation's risk priorities and provides meaningful coverage across key risk areas • Serve as the principal interface between internal auditors, external regulatory bodies, and senior management, driving effective audit coordination, timely resolution of findings, and organisational learning from audit outcomes • Synthesise audit insights across engagements to identify systemic trends, emerging risks, and opportunities for strengthening the organisation's control environment 2. Process & Governance Reviews • Lead independent reviews of operational processes and governance frameworks, providing objective assessment of control effectiveness and driving meaningful enhancements where gaps are identified • Provide well-considered and independent advisory to business functions and senior leadership on policy implementation, internal controls, and compliance requirements • Provide governance leadership to the Assurance Committee, ensuring robust oversight, effective decision-making, and disciplined follow-through on committee commitments • Extend assurance coverage to IT systems from a controls and governance perspective, including independent reviews of system access controls, user permission matrices, and system workflows, to ensure these remain adequate and aligned with organisational risk and compliance requirements 3. Advisory & Assurance • Serve as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert to senior management and business functions on risk, audit, and compliance matters • Provide oversight of control remediation efforts, ensuring that audit findings and operational lapses are addressed effectively, sustainably, and with due regard for underlying root causes • Champion the use of data analytics to enhance the depth, timeliness, and value of assurance insights 4. Enterprise Risk Management • Provide leadership of VITAL's enterprise risk management framework, driving organisation-wide risk identification and assessment, risk register development, and the design of robust control and mitigation measures • Oversee the Risk and Control Self-Assessment framework, ensuring assessments are rigorous, consistent, and reflective of the organisation's evolving risk landscape • Maintain and continuously enhance the Risk Incident Escalation Framework, ensuring systematic incident reporting and effective management response • Provide governance leadership to the Risk Management Committee, supporting informed decision-making and effective risk oversight at the senior leadership level 5. Quality Management & Continuous Improvement • Provide leadership of VITAL's ISO 9001 Quality Management System, driving a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and oper…