On behalf of the Auditor-General, we provide insights to hundreds of state and local government clients on how to deliver better public services for Queenslanders. 

As the state’s independent auditor, we are vital to Queensland’s integrity system, giving parliament and the public trusted assurance. QAO's authorised auditors assist the Auditor-General in achieving the mandate set out in the Auditor-General Act 2009. 

You can find a wealth of information on what we do and who we are in our annual report.

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

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

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, but you’ll join QAO as a permanent staff member from day one. We ensure our graduates and undergraduates have surety and stability to grow their careers. 

After your first year: 

• graduate auditors have opportunities to progress into different roles and levels
• undergraduate auditors move into the full-time graduate program after finishing university.

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 the knowledge you learned at university into practice in the challenging and unique world of public sector auditing and engagement. 

• 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 or CPA
• Further study assistance and professional development programs.

You will:

• learn about how the state government and the public sector operates
• work on a range of portfolios, government sectors, and clients
• deliver financial, assurance, and information systems audits
• help to provide 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 and have progressed to different roles and levels. 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, lunches, and an annual formal dinner.

We know work-life balance is integral to functioning as a high-performing, values-driven team.

Work is allocated based on a 36.25 hour week. While some periods are naturally busier, we ensure all 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.

We provide flexible arrangements for undergraduates to balance their university study with work. 

QAO works across the breadth of the Queensland public sector and local governments. 

The diverse work, experiences, and clients you’ll work with means you can see and share insights on how to improve performance unlike in any other organisation.

• Annual salary of $75,205 for graduates and $64,300 (pro-rata) for undergraduates, plus 12.75 per cent superannuation and 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 fit-out
• networking opportunities for both graduates and undergraduates to create connections and develop professional relationships.

QAO’s workforce is critical to us achieving our vision of better public services. We invest in our people to be the best in their field and provide professional development paths. 

We are a uniquely positioned organisation that operates across the entire Queensland public sector for the public good. We continually strive to improve how we do business and create innovative solutions – namely how we deliver our services and how we engage with our clients. 

• 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, how passionate everyone is, and the importance of the task at hand mean the work is rewarding and often exciting. 

As a professional services organisation, there are naturally busy periods during the year, such as at the end of the financial year. But we make sure all staff have quieter periods to offset this, where they can take leave. 

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 and warm 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 very 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 being part of smaller teams means your help on delivering our audits will be greatly valued 
• non-technical training – such as inter-personal communication skills and how to write well.

You’ll 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 (given we are not a government entity and are employed under our own legislation), so you won’t work in other organisations. However, you will rotate throughout various service areas and teams in QAO. 

Our graduates are very welcome and encouraged 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: 

• Work on different tasks and clients from big to small all across Queensland and meet QAO’s lovely people
• Help complete an audit of a large entity or small council, or work on a performance audit on the efficiency or effectiveness of public services, or examine information systems and controls
• 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. Just to name a few.

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 to 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 the great fit-out and facilities of our office on our Prosple page.

Depending on what you’re working on, you could be assigned to clients located around Queensland where travelling with your team at times is required. You will see beautiful parts of the state and meet some wonderful and diverse people throughout. 

After your first year in the graduate program, there will be opportunities to progress. 

• For undergraduate auditors, this will be moving into the full-time graduate program as a graduate auditor after completing university. 
• For graduate auditors, this means applying for a higher-level role at QAO.

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

At QAO 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. 

• To apply for a graduate position in our 2026 program, you must be graduating from university in 2025, or 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. 

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. 
• If you intend to graduate after January 2026, apply for a undergraduate position. 

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:

• 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.
• Be studying, or have studied, at an Australian university in an appropriate tertiary qualification (for example, Bachelor of Business in Accounting, or a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting). 
• We would also like to hear from graduates who have transferable degrees and skills, are eager to work in the exciting world of audit and assurance, and are passionate about pursuing better public services. This includes applicants with qualifications in data science, information technology, information systems, mathematics/statistics, business, or management.
• 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 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.

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

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 the CA or CPA subjects.

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

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

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

Your CV should include:

• 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 it is related to your area of study or the role you are applying for
• any volunteer or community activity you 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 17115466
• 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 selected.

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

We target selecting our graduates within 2 months of the application close date.

• Clearly state 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 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 whose values align with ours, have a genuine interest in helping our clients deliver better public services, and 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 you have 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 insight into who we are and what we do
• our LinkedIn for up-to-date information on QAO’s activities. 

Additionally, dress professionally, for example, 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 and general goings-on:

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