Organisation: APS3 Finance Officer
Job Title: APS3 Finance Officer
Word Limit: 2-page statement, maximum 700 words
Location: Albury
Experience in problem solving, including the ability to research, analyse, reconcile and interpret
financial information, policies and procedures and apply them in the workplace
As Financial Officer within the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), I undertake various types of
financial reconciliations, identifying and resolving any discrepancies in accordance with internal
policies, procedures and compliance obligations. On identification of discrepancies, I immediately
document them and gather relevant information from multiple sources, including relevant
business areas and our internal databases (such as COGNOS, ICP and Siebel systems). I then
analyse and interpret the material, identify the root cause and, in accordance with ATO policies
and procedures, carry out subsequent actions to resolve the issue. Where there are potential
impacts on other reconciliations, I ensure the team is aware of the matter and how it was
resolved.
Ability to work as an effective team member and provide assistance as required
Collaboration and trust within our finance team is a determining factor in our ability to flexibly
respond to shifting priorities while continuing to deliver high-quality work. I actively engage with
my colleagues, sharing knowledge and information which includes the preparation of training and
coaching procedures for new staff.
I provide operative guidance to team members to assist them in their tasks and am often asked to
take on work when others are absent. Demonstrating respect and professionalism in all
communications, I also interface with other operational areas, clients, contractors, suppliers and
other stakeholders to ensure comprehensive and accurate financial information is used by the
team in preparing month-end reports.
Ability to manage own workload, contribute to the development of team work plans; meet
deadlines and a willingness to undertake a broad range of tasks including accounting,
reconciliations, administration and support in relation to finance activities
While the team I work within has set plans for work to be executed on a daily basis, we also
provide suggestions for technical innovations spanning broader financial activities. These are
discussed as a collective team during meetings, as are topics surrounding delegation of tasks and
workloads. I actively participate in team discussions and regularly seek feedback from my
supervisor through the provision of weekly progress reports.
I frequently undertake additional tasks including:
Provision of information and advice to internal and external stakeholders
Manual journal processing into the business system
Administrative fund transfers
Advising my supervisor of instances where the procedure manual can be improved
Lodgement of incident reports with IT whenever a system issue arises
Well-developed communication skills
Communication skills play a key role in my daily activities. Regularly in contact with other
operational areas, such as the Reserve Bank of Australia, or with my immediate team members, I
use active listening skills, and engage in a respectful and professional manner. Often I am asked to
present to large groups of people, on training I have attended via the Learning Express system.
Preparation of reports (including financial and cost benefit analysis), and document management
of all incident and reconciliation errors is also critical in my role, particularly for auditing purposes.
I am able to tailor my communication style and messaging to suit my audience. In Munters Pty Ltd,
I provided monthly reports, which included details on variances, cash flow balances and operating
profits. I would utilise graphs and tables to concisely represent this information in a more
digestible format for management. I also prepared internal financial procedure documents for
staff to assist them in their daily tasks.
Ability to review processes and identify improvements
As a Finance Officer, I have been recognised for exceeding expectations in identifying
opportunities for continual improvement, recently being awarded an APS5 contract. I regularly
assess the accuracy and relevance of our procedures in relation to reconciliations and make
suggestions for innovations in our daily work through the innovative resource folders. Many of my
suggestions have been implemented.
While at Munters, I assessed trends and data in relation to commission payments the business
made. In doing so, I identified an opportunity to maximise business outcomes by altering the
process for commissions. By adding a new metric into the process and ensuring invoices were paid
out prior, the business was able to encourage sales staff to generate more tangible business
outcomes. These suggested changes were implemented by the business resulting in a noticeable
improvement in performance.
Experience in using Microsoft Office applications and/or the ability to quickly acquire knowledge
in financial management systems to capture, analyse and reconcile data.
Highly capable in the use of technology and adept at rapidly learning new systems, I am
experienced in the use of SAP, COGNOS and Siebel – using these systems on a daily basis within
the ATO. I am also proficient in Mainframe, ICP systems and the entire Microsoft Office Suite, with
highly advanced skills in Excel.
