Team Leader - Financial Operations

The Role

Are you an experienced finance manager who thrives in a complex, dynamic and evolving financial environment? A career with the Department of Defence Credit Card team could be the opportunity you are seeking.

As an APS 6 Team Leader, you will play a pivotal role in overseeing the day-to-day operation of Defence credit card systems and services within a geographically dispersed Financial Operations team located across Canberra, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, you will lead a small team to ensure business operations are delivered efficiently, systems and processes remain effective, and customer service standards are consistently achieved.

As a business owner for Defence card systems you will be responsible for ensuring operational activities comply with legislative requirements and internal and external policy frameworks. You will provide support for banking interfaces, manage complex customer enquiries through incident management systems, and identify opportunities to enhance business processes and system functionality.

Financial Systems & Operations provides support across the Defence organisation and delivers shared services to a number of external entities. As a result, variable start and finish times may be required to meet operational demands and business priorities within the Defence bandwidth.

About our Team

The Defence Credit Card Team is part of the Financial Operations directorate, which operates within the Financial Systems & Operations Branch of Defence Finance Group. The team is responsible for the administration of Defence corporate credit cards and expense management systems. The team manages associated business processes and provides advice, support and issue resolution services to Australian Public Service (APS) employees and Australian Defence Force (ADF) members on all credit card-related matters.

The credit card team is an enabling function for Defence, and plays a vital role in ensuring card payment capability is maintained, while ensuring adherence to government policies, contract terms and helping maintain strong stakeholder relationships. 

Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate will be an experienced and motivated leader who can effectively manage the day-to-day operations of the Defence Credit Card function while maintaining a strong focus on customer service, compliance and continuous improvement.

You will demonstrate the ability to lead and coordinate operational activities, ensuring work is prioritised effectively and service delivery standards are consistently achieved. You will take ownership of business processes and systems, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, enhance service outcomes and support organisational objectives.

You will be committed to delivering high-quality customer service, providing practical solutions to complex enquiries within a fast-paced and evolving environment. A willingness to develop and apply technical expertise across financial systems and operational processes is essential.

Strong leadership skills are essential to this role. You will supervise, mentor and develop team members, fostering a collaborative, high-performing and adaptable workforce. You will also be confident in managing workloads, supporting staff performance and promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

You will require highly developed stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills. You will build and maintain positive working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. You will communicate effectively with a diverse range of customers and stakeholders, and exercise sound judgement when managing risks, resolving issues and escalating matters where appropriate. 

You will provide strategic direction and operational leadership, ensuring the team delivers efficient, compliant and customer-focused financial services that meet the needs and priorities of Defence.

Security Clearance

Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance at “Negative Vetting Level 1”.

The Department of Defence employs around 18,000 Australian Public Service (APS) employees. Defence APS employees work in a wide variety of critical roles, Australia wide, enabling our three services Navy, Army and Air Force, to do their job. Defence has a range of Australian Public Service (APS) career opportunities that offer interesting, challenging, and unique work. Our workforce includes administrative support, accountants, intelligence analysts, engineers, policy advisors, graphic designers, lawyers, social workers, IT specialists and contract managers to name a few. We offer a rewarding career that includes professional development, work-life balance, recognition, a flexible and supportive work environment and a diverse workforce. To find out more about a career with Defence please visit https://www.defence.gov.au/jobs-careers