Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) Graduate Programs & Internships

Government & Public Service

What we do:

We’re a specialist public sector agency that works to hold all Australian Government agencies to account through the completion and publication of financial, performance and performance statement audits.

We play a unique role in keeping the Australian Government sector accountable to the Parliament and the public, and we’re proud of the work we do to boost public transparency and integrity.

What we’re looking for:

As an ANAO grad, you’ll shape public sector accountability as you dive into work that empowers you to ask bold questions and drive real change in the public sector.

Auditing is a learned skillset, and no matter what your background or degree, there’s a place for you at the ANAO. All you need to grow, excel and lead as an ANAO grad is:

curiosity
a positive attitude and an eagerness to learn
teamwork and relationship building skills
strong written and oral communication
creative and critical thinking
flexibility and adaptability
well-developed conceptual and analytical abilities
a strong sense of purpose and the drive to achieve.

Audits are like research projects — so if you like to dig into data, uncover evidence, balance the numbers, and analyse information to draw conclusions, then the ANAO is the place for you to kickstart your career.

Why choose us:

Get a bird’s eye view of how government works, working across the public service — an experience you can’t get anywhere else.
Do engaging, interesting work that means something, helping keep Australian Government agencies accountable for their use of public resources.
Learn from the best, with exposure and access to senior leadership at the agencies you audit and at the ANAO.
We offer extensive learning and development opportunities to support your career goals, throughout your grad year and beyond.
A collaborative, diverse and welcoming office, and a positive culture built on shared values of integrity and independence.

Recruitment Process

Applications for the 2026 graduate program open March 2025.

All you need to apply is:

a copy of your CV
your academic record
a short expression of interest
the details of two referees.

After an initial assessment period, short listed applicants will be invited to participate in a range of assessment activities. For those who progress to the final stage, we’ll fly you to Canberra (unless you’re already here!) to complete your last assessment in person — and say hi to your potential future colleagues.

We’ll send out an initial round of offers in July, with the option of joining graduate intakes in October 2025 or February 2026.

To be eligible for our graduate program, you must:

have completed any undergraduate-level degree in the last seven years, in any area
be an Australian citizen
be willing to undertake a security clearance process
be willing to relocate to Canberra.

Remuneration & Career Growth

You’ll start the ANAO as an APS 3, with a starting salary of $73,305 plus 15.4% super.

The ANAO graduate development program runs for 12 months, and you’ll need to be based in Canberra to participate. We offer extensive support if you need to relocate.

Our graduate program will teach you how to collaborate, communicate and influence — core skills that you’ll tap into time and time again over your career — through face-to-face workshops, self-directed online learning and on-the-job training. You’ll primarily work in your home team, with 8 weeks or so spent on rotation to different service groups — allowing you to better understand how different parts of the office work towards the same goals.

On successful completion of the program, you’ll join your home team as an APS 4. We offer generous studies assistance to all non-graduate staff, including assistance with CA and CPA accreditation and support for maintaining membership with professional bodies and associations.

Graduate Reviews

Overall Score

3.9

Overall score based on 32 reviews

They Score Best in…

7.9

Career Prospects

8.7

Salary

8.1

Training

8.4

Work Hours

What Graduates Say About Them

Work is varied and interesting. I feel like I am making a difference and having a real impact in improving public sector administration. Personally, I have worked in great teams with managers and colleagues who have taught me a lot of important skills. Apart from a number of occasional periods of high workload and stress, work-life balance is generally good.
Good upwards mobility for early career development, good connection with senior people within the office and exposure to wide variety of topics and knowledge areas.
Modern office fit-out, flexible work, emphasis on continual learning.
Interacting with a large range of staff (from APS to SES band 2), and staff from numerous departments. Travel for work. Plenty of learning opportunities.
The office serves an important purpose in promoting transparency and accountability in Australia's political system and public service.

It's very detailed and methodical work and at times can be challenging to stay engaged.
Some elements of the office culture due to a high proportion of introverted individuals.
High staff turnover - I love my job but it is discouraging seeing close work colleagues/friends wanting to look elsewhere.
Depending on which department you are in, work hours can be long.
The experience is very dependent on the immediate team you work with.

All reviews