Lead with impact. Shape fair outcomes. Influence industry standards.
Why This Role Matters
Every decision you make, individually or as part of a panel, is grounded in AFCA’s rules and fairness principles. These decisions don’t just resolve disputes; they shape industry behaviour. When accepted by complainants, your determinations become binding on financial firms, meaning your influence is both real and lasting.
AFCA’s Banking & Finance team is looking for a Senior Ombudsman. The successful candidate will join our busy and collegiate decision-making team to help resolve standard and complex banking and finance disputes. This role reports into our Lead Ombudsman, Banking & Finance Natalie Cameron. The Senior Ombudsman will lead and inspire a team of Ombudsman and Adjudicators, provide technical advice and professional coaching to ensure independent, fair and consistent decision for complaints between financial firms and consumers and contribute to the running of the team.
The role will suit senior legally qualified professionals with a strong track record of significant achievement and particularly with experience relating to the the banking and finance sector. You are likely to be at a stage of your career where you have an interest in using your well-developed skills and experience in a role which contributes to good community outcomes in the banking and finance sector.
You will also have the opportunity to provide professional and technical leadership across AFCA and to coach and mentor Adjudicators, case workers and others. There may also be opportunities to develop AFCA approaches, contribute to government and regulatory policy consultations, and to present at external conferences as a subject matter expert. The role also involves supporting AFCA’s relationships with small business and consumer groups, government bodies, regulators, AFCA members, member organisations and other Ombudsman networks.
Key accountabilities include:
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Manage:
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personal monthly decision allocations
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an effective and sustainable pipeline and overflow to decision makers in your team
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Actively coach, guide and develop direct reports to:
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deliver performance and personal growth including conducting QA
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provide support with difficult or contentious escalated cases
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Support: with the
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the work and initiatives of the Lead Ombudsman (Banking & Finance), acting as delegate as directed
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collaborative working approaches with other Senior Ombudsmen and their teams
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management of the team budget, workforce planning and resource management to achieve functional business plan and goals
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engaging and influencing members, industry associations and consumer groups to improve industry standards
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Contribute to:
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shaping the team’s business plan to enable the overall AFCA strategy
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shaping and implementing new ways of working that promote accountability, performance, engagement and collaboration to deliver fair and consistent decisions and sustain business performance
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continual improvement of policy, procedural documentation, investigation and decision support resources
This is a permanent, Board appointed role.
