Financial Operations Manager – Transformation

The CFO and Commercial Portfolio provides strategic advice to Council and senior management and partners with teams across the National Gallery to provide efficient, ethical and professional financial services that support the Gallery’s strategic outcomes.

The Financial Operations Manager is a non-ongoing two-year role within Financial Operations. The role has two core purposes: to provide hands-on support across day-to-day financial operations and to lead the Accounts Payable automation project as the first stage of a broader program of practical process improvement.

The position will support selected Financial Controller and financial operations activities while leading improvements to reduce manual processing, strengthen controls, improve data quality and increase automation across finance processes. The immediate focus will be Accounts Payable, including better use of TechnologyOne CiA and controlled adoption of AI-enabled functionality where it is practical, safe and supports the Gallery’s financial control environment.

The role is not intended to replace financial judgement or approval controls. AI outputs and system-generated information are to assist staff, not replace financial accountability. Human review, approval, auditability and existing financial controls must remain built into all material processes.

This position reports to the Head of Financial Accounting and Operations and will work closely with Financial Operations, Financial Planning and Analysis, ICT, Procurement, Governance, Legal, TechnologyOne, NAB and relevant business users to deliver operational support and practical finance process improvement.

This is a full-time, non-ongoing employment opportunity.

The key duties of the position include:

In accordance with the APS Executive Level 1 work level standards, you will:

• Provide operational support to Financial Operations, including Accounts Payable, payment, receipting, reconciliation, travel, credit card and accounting processes as required.
• Support selected Financial Controller responsibilities during peak workload periods, leave coverage and project transition periods.
• Map and review end-to-end Accounts Payable and related financial operations processes, including invoice receipt, coding, contract matching, approvals, payment preparation, supplier maintenance and exception handling.
• Identify manual handling, duplicate processing, rework, bottlenecks, data quality issues and control gaps that limit efficiency or increase operational risk.
• Lead practical process improvements across Accounts Payable, banking, reconciliation and selected financial operations processes.
• Work with TechnologyOne, internal teams and specialist advisers to optimise TechnologyOne CiA workflows, invoice capture, supplier maintenance, reporting, business rules and system configuration.
• Assess and support controlled trials of relevant TechnologyOne 2026B AI capabilities, including Intelligent Invoice Capture and InvoiceIQ, where there is a clear business case and appropriate controls.
• Ensure automation and AI-enabled outputs remain subject to human review, approval, audit trails, segregation of duties and financial accountability.
• Coordinate vendor questions on functionality, availability, licensing, usage limits, system constraints, inbox monitoring, volume handling and transition from current scanning arrangements.
• Lead supplier data quality and control improvements to support automation, including duplicate supplier review, coding consistency, bank detail controls and data quality reporting.
• Develop operational guidance, process maps, user instructions, training material and change communication to support adoption.
• Establish baseline measures and track benefits, including reduced manual effort, processing cycle time, exception rates, data quality, user corrections, auditability and service quality.
• Prepare progress updates for the Chief Finance Officer, Head of Financial Accounting and Operations and relevant governance forums.

Project Focus

The first project focus is the Financial Operations AI Transformation Program, commencing with Accounts Payable. The role will support a staged delivery approach: diagnostic review, controlled capability assessment, pilot and validation, implementation and benefits realisation.

Accounts Payable is the first workstream because it is high-volume, process-heavy and measurable. It provides a practical way to test the value, controls and risks of AI-enabled process improvement before considering broader use across Financial Operations.

• Initial focus areas include invoice capture, invoice intake, workflow approvals, coding consistency, supplier maintenance, exception reporting, payment visibility and reconciliation processes.
• The role will help confirm whether TechnologyOne capabilities such as Intelligent Invoice Capture and InvoiceIQ provide practical benefit in the Gallery’s environment.
• Other TechnologyOne AI capabilities, such as AI Ledger Note Summary, natural language analytics, Smart Contract Extraction and TechnologyOne Plus, may be considered later only where there is a clear business case, defined process ownership and suitable controls.
• The role will support a controlled rollout so that automation improves efficiency without weakening the Gallery’s financial control environment.

Eligibility

Citizenship – To be eligible for employment with the Gallery, you must be an Australian citizen.

Police Check – to be eligible for this role you must complete a police check.

Security Assessment: The successful applicant will be required to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance. Loss of a security clearance at any time will lead to termination of employment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Qualifications, Certifications and Registrations

Role specific mandatory qualifications /certification and/or registrations include:

• professional certification and/or membership of a relevant professional association such as Certified Practising Accountant or Chartered Accountant is preferred.

Notes

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this role please go to the National Gallery's Careers portal.

You should provide a tailored CV (maximum of three pages) along with a statement of no more than two pages that outlines your skills, capabilities and experience, against the information above.

In your statement response you should keep in mind the capabilities and behaviours required to be successful for this role, as identified in the information above. Try not to duplicate information that can be found in your CV but do highlight any specific examples or achievements that demonstrate your ability to perform the role.

An order of merit or merit pool, may be established from this selection process and may be used to fill future identical vacancies over the next 18 months. Selection may be based on application and referee reports only. If you do not wish to be added to an order of merit, please notify us in your application.

Getting to know the National Gallery of Australia

The National Gallery is one of Australia’s leading visual arts institutions. The National Gallery is based in Canberra and is a vital part of the Australian cultural landscape. Our Purpose is to collect, preserve, promote and share the national collection of art. The Vision of the National Gallery is to be the international reference point for art in Australia, inspiring all people to explore, experience and learn. Our Values include Boldness, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence.