Innovation, teamwork, and relationships are at the heart of what we do.

As the state’s independent auditor, we are vital to Queensland’s integrity system, giving parliament and the public trusted assurance.

Each year, we provide insights to hundreds of state and local government clients on how to deliver better public services for Queenslanders.

We use some of the most contemporary practices and tools in today’s professional services industry to:

• deliver high-quality audit services
• give the public sector insights on its performance, risks, and financial management
• report to parliament on the results of our work
• investigate financial waste and mismanagement
• share best practice across our client base and industry.

For more information about QAO's role visit www.qao.qld.gov.au/about-us and see our annual report.

We aim to represent the community we serve and greatly value the experiences our people bring to our workplace.

Four core values underpin our culture: engage, respect, inspire and deliver.

We deliver our services as a team and empower our staff to be the best in their field.

Find out more about QAO’s values: www.qao.qld.gov.au/about-us/our-values

The foundation you build with us can take you anywhere you want to go.

Our graduate program runs for 12 months. You’ll join QAO as a permanent staff member from day one, providing you with certainty and stability to support your development.

• After successfully completing the graduate program, graduate auditors progress directly to auditor level.
• After successfully completing their degree, undergraduate auditors have the opportunity to move into the full-time graduate program.

As you gain knowledge and skills, there will be plenty of opportunities to further grow your career and apply for varied roles and levels at QAO.

Many of our past graduates have gone on to be QAO auditors-general and assistant auditors-general, chief executive officers, chief financial officers, board members, directors, business owners, partners, and more, in both Australia and overseas.

Our graduate program allows you to put your knowledge into practice in the challenging and unique world of public sector auditing and engagement. We’ll provide you with:

• hands-on experience, comprehensive training, and a dedicated mentor to help you settle in and work towards your goals
• financial assistance, time, and support to achieve your professional designation, such as CA ANZ, CPA, or IPA
• further study assistance and professional development programs.

At QAO, you’ll:

• learn about how the state government and the public sector operates
• work on a range of portfolios, government sectors, and clients
• have opportunities to help deliver financial, assurance, and information systems services
• contribute to supporting better public services for Queenslanders.

QAO staff are professionals and our people are highly skilled and enthusiastic.

Many of our current staff started their careers in our graduate program. They’ve been in your shoes and are eager to help the next generation of auditors kickstart their careers.

We also have an active social club that organises events throughout the year. You’ll get to know your peers at events such as trivia nights, happy hours, lunches, participation in corporate sporting events, and an annual formal dinner.

Work–life balance is integral to our high-performing, values-driven team.

We allocate work based on a 36.25 hour week. While some periods are naturally busier (such as the end of the audit year), we help staff balance this with quieter times and leave. We also set aside time to connect in person, build team relationships, have development conversations, and socialise as a wider team.

There are also flexible arrangements for undergraduates to balance their university study with the graduate program.

QAO works across Queensland’s public sector and local government entities.

The diversity of our work and clients helps us see and share insights on how to improve performance unlike in any other organisation.

We are uniquely positioned to operate across the entire Queensland public sector for the public good.

We continually strive to improve the way we deliver our services and engage with our clients through innovation and teamwork.

Our work is important and impacts the lives of all Queenslanders. What you do every day can help improve the public services you, your family and friends, and community rely on – from hospital services, to drinking water, universities, and more.

• Annual salary of $77,461 for graduates and $66,228 (pro-rata) for undergraduates, plus 12.75 per cent superannuation and 17.5 per cent annual leave loading benefits
• Brisbane-based role, with flexible work arrangements including a hybrid working environment
• Travel throughout Queensland with your colleagues when performing client visits
• Support and assistance for graduates relocating interstate to start the program
• Tools and technology to enable you to work remotely, and an attractive and comfortable head office environment
• Networking opportunities for both graduates and undergraduates to create connections and develop professional relationships.

Our people are key to achieving our vision of better public services.

• Your time at QAO will be stimulating and rewarding, and the tasks you work on will be diverse and thought-provoking.
• You might be working in our head office on Albert Street, Brisbane, at client work locations, or from home.
• You’ll attend meetings in person and via Microsoft Teams and collaborate with your peers. The team-based nature of the work, passionate colleagues, and the importance of the task at hand makes the work rewarding and often exciting.
• You’ll be a valued member of our team from day one, and we’ll invest in your professional development to help you achieve your goals.

We:

• embrace innovation
• continuously seek to improve how we do our work
• use the latest advancements in analytics, audit software, and technology
• recognise and reward those who challenge the status quo and share new ideas.

We also have an active social calendar offering trivia nights, happy hours, lunches, participation in corporate sporting events, and an annual formal dinner.

The 2026 Graduate program will commence early 2026. Please see our key dates above.

When you start, we’ll provide you with:

• a comprehensive induction on what QAO does and what your graduate program entails
• the equipment you need, such as a laptop and work phone
• a mentor to support you along the way
• monthly graduate forums to answer your questions, discuss your current tasks, and give you additional, specialised training.

QAO is a friendly organisation that does not over-rely on a hierarchical structure or bureaucratic processes. You’ll find everyone is happy to help and keen to get to know you.

Professional development is a key component of your first year and includes:

• technical training – covering the skills and knowledge you need to do your job via online, individual, and classroom-based formats
• on-the-job learning – where you’ll make valued contributions as part of smaller teams delivering audits
• non-technical training – such as inter-personal communication skills and how to write well.

You’ll have opportunities to work across various areas of the business, giving you broad exposure to our clients and services throughout Queensland and helping you explore areas of interest. You will learn and apply a broad range of audit and engagement skills every day.

QAO is not part of the wider Queensland Government Graduate Program as we are not a government entity and are employed under our own legislation. This means you won’t work in other organisations but you will rotate throughout various service areas and teams in QAO.

We encourage our graduates to join the Queensland Government Graduate Network for additional graduate events and to meet their counterparts across government agencies.

Joining QAO as a graduate or undergraduate means you’ll:

• have opportunities to work across our business, just as our whole team does
• gain insights into QAO, our clients, and Queensland’s public sector and local governments
• build your skills, knowledge, and relationships.

Depending on your degree of study and interests, you might work on financial, performance, or information systems audits. There are plenty of opportunities to learn different skills and explore areas of interest.

Rarely will 2 days look the same. You could:

• work on different tasks with big and small clients from across Queensland alongside members of our inclusive team
• help complete an audit of a large entity or small council, and everything in between
• contribute to a performance audit looking at the efficiency or effectiveness of public services
• examine information systems and controls to help advise our clients on how they can manage information technology security risks and protect their data.

Audit topics our teams work on range from social housing matters, to what’s happening financially in the energy or health sectors, to cyber security or the quality of water throughout Queensland.

You can find out more about what we do and our upcoming audit program on our website.

We follow a Brisbane-based, hybrid model of working, depending on what you’re working on.

We prioritise seeing our clients in-person, so you may be required to visit client sites during different steps in the audit process. This will help you understand the unique context they operate in and build long-lasting relationships.

You’ll also work from home, when appropriate, and from our office, located in the Brisbane CBD, Queensland. Our office is a short walk to many of our clients, and close to public transport, great cafes, and the botanic gardens. See our photos of our great office fit-out and facilities on our Prosple page.

Depending on what you’re working on, you could be assigned to clients located around Queensland where you’ll need to travel with your team. This is a great opportunity to experience different parts of the state and meet new people.

After successfully completing the 12-month graduate program, graduate auditors progress directly to auditor level.

For undergraduate auditors, you will have the opportunity to move into the full-time graduate program after successfully completing your degree.

Many of our staff started as graduates and have built their careers at QAO – including former and current managers, directors, assistant auditors-general, and auditors-general.

As you develop your skills and knowledge, there will be further, and regular, opportunities to progress your career.

Absolutely. We know what it takes to be successful, capable, and engaged.

• We invest in the professional and personal development of our people to ensure they are the best they can be.
• Many of our financial auditors have achieved, or are working towards, post graduate qualifications such as CA ANZ, CPA, or IPA.
• We will provide financial assistance and study leave to support your professional qualification and help you meet your career aspirations.

As a graduate auditor, you’ll work full-time at QAO. You must have completed an undergraduate degree (or higher) at university before you start.

This means to apply for a 2026 graduate position you should be in your final year of university now or you have graduated within the 2 years prior to starting with us.

• If you intend to graduate in or before December 2025, apply for a graduate position for 2026. You’ll work full time at QAO.
• If you graduate in December 2025, you’ll start as a graduate auditor in February 2026.
• If you graduate before December, you can choose to start with QAO in November 2025 or February 2026 (for example, if you graduate mid-2025).

As an undergraduate auditor, you’ll work part-time at QAO while completing your final year at university. We’ll help you balance part-time work with your studies, so you can put the skills and knowledge you learn at university into practice.

• To apply for an undergraduate position in our 2026 program, you should be graduating from university in 2026. This means you’re currently in your second year at university.

Please note the month and year you intend to graduate in your application, as well as your degree/program name and level.

To apply, you need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

Residency

You must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or Australian or New Zealand permanent resident.

If you are not an Australian citizen you will need to provide evidence of your residency status or visa, with your right to work (including any conditions/restrictions) prior to engagement.

Qualifications

You must be studying, or have studied, at an Australian university in an appropriate tertiary qualification. For example, a Bachelor of Business in Accounting, or a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting.

We would also like to hear from graduates who:

• have transferable university degrees and skills, such as in business, management, engineering, data science, information technology, information systems, mathematics/statistics, policy, or social science
• have a curious and analytical mind, and like solving problems
• are eager to work in the exciting world of audit and assurance
• are passionate about supporting better public services.

To apply for a graduate position, you must have completed a minimum of undergraduate level study within the last 2 years, or will complete a minimum of undergraduate level study prior to the program starting. Please note your graduation month and year in your application.

To apply for an undergraduate position, you should be completing your final year of university at the same time as the graduate program.

If you have any questions about eligibility or applying, please contact us via email.

If you have an accounting degree, that’s great – please apply! But it’s not the only thing we consider.

We also look for graduates with transferable university degrees and skills who:

• have a curious mind
• like analysing things and solving problems
• are eager to work in the exciting world of audit and assurance
• are passionate about contributing to better public services for Queenslanders.

If you have a degree in data science, information technology, information systems, mathematics/statistics, business, management, policy, social science, or similar, we would love to hear from you.

We’ll invest in your development and training, to make sure you can hit the ground running.

We’ll also help you gain your professional accreditation through either CA ANZ or CPA Australia. This may include bridging courses, where appropriate, before beginning further CA or CPA subjects.

You can apply online when applications open from our Career opportunities page.

To apply, you will need your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and academic transcript.

Your CV should include:

• your qualification and graduation date – your application may be unable to proceed if this is unclear
• any casual or part-time roles you have had over the course of your studies, regardless of whether they are related to your area of study or the role you are applying for
• any volunteer or community activity you have participated in
• references relevant to your most recent work experience or voluntary work.

Please review the eligibility requirements, position description, and application tips below before you apply. For example, you must be eligible to work in Australia.

As part of the final stages of the selection process, you must also provide 2 professional referees. You should start thinking about who you would like to ask to complete a referee report as the panel will want to hear from your recent supervisors/managers and your most recent employer.

The selection process begins with your online application via Gradsift by the closing date.

The key steps are:

• apply online via GradSift and create your profile. You will be prompted to add our program code, which is available on the job advertisements
• upload your current resume, including contact details of 2 referees who have supervised you within the past 2 years (for example, this might be at work, university, or volunteer work)
• upload your academic transcript and any other tertiary qualifications you hold
• create a 60 to 90 second video to introduce yourself. The video is a short introduction about yourself, what you've studied, one or 2 key achievements, what strengths you bring to the role, and why you'd like a career with us.

We follow a recruitment process that’s designed to be thorough and fair to every candidate. The stages are:

1. initial application screening to assess eligibility
2. cognitive and personality assessments
3. assessment centre
4. interview
5. employment reference checks and background checking.

If you live interstate, we are happy to offer an online assessment centre and interview at those stages. We also provide support and assistance to relocate interstate to begin the program if you are selected.

We’ll update you on your application’s progress, in line with the key dates on our website.

We aim to select our graduates within 2 months of the application close date.

• Include your qualification (full university degree title) and graduation date or expected graduation date in your CV. Your application may be unable to proceed if this information is unclear.
• Include all your work experience in your application, not just the experience you think is relevant to the role.
• Make sure you include any community or voluntary work experience you have done.
• Don't just tell us what you have done – tell us what you have achieved in the roles you have had.
• Make sure your references are relevant to your most recent work experience or voluntary work.
• Remember to review your CV and application and run a spell check before you submit.
• A good CV is succinct and to the point. Target around 2–4 pages maximum.

During the interview, it’s important to highlight your university studies and your experiences. But we also want to understand who you are, what you value, and why QAO would be a good fit for you.

We look for applicants who have:

• values that align with QAO values
• a genuine interest in helping our clients deliver better public services
• a true desire to work in an organisation that has a professional, client-services, and team-oriented culture.

The interview is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions and see how a career with QAO aligns to your goals and values.

Beforehand, make sure you review:

• the graduate program information
• role description
• your application
• our strategic plan and annual reports for insights into who we are and what we do
• our LinkedIn for up-to-date information on QAO’s activities.

Remember to dress professionally, for example in business attire (even for online interviews). and arrive on time.

The interview will be run by a panel, and each member has lived the experience of a graduate at QAO – they’ve been in your shoes! Make sure to:

• take your time when answering questions
• think through what’s being asked
• provide plenty of detail beyond what’s in your application
• ask the panel to elaborate if you’re unsure about any aspect of a question.

Our questions typically aim to get to know you; understand your experiences, values, and goals; and discuss attributes and competencies needed for the role, such as organisational skills, teamwork, and customer relationships.

There are 3 ways you can reach us or stay up-to-date on our news:

• subscribe to QAO via our website
• follow our LinkedIn page
• reach out via email anytime.