Role Snapshot

ANZSCO Code: 224711 — Risk Manager (GRC Manager roles use this ANZSCO code)
Role Variants: GRC Manager, Information Security Risk Manager, Enterprise Risk Manager, Compliance Manager, Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Operational Risk Analyst, Third-Party Risk Manager, Privacy Officer, CISO-adjacent Governance Role
Parent Category: AU ICT & Technology Roles
Skill Level: 1
Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL): Yes — eligible for TSS 482 visa with an employer sponsor
Skills Assessment Body: VETASSESS

🇳🇿Also available for New ZealandGRC Manager Roles in New ZealandNZQA · Skill Shortage→

Australia’s regulatory environment for corporate governance, information security, and operational risk is increasingly demanding — and has been for the better part of a decade. The banking royal commission of 2018–2019, APRA’s CPS 230 (operational risk management) and CPS 234 (information security) prudential standards, the Privacy Act reforms (the most significant revision since 1988), and the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act 2022 have together created sustained, well-paid demand for GRC professionals who understand the Australian regulatory landscape. Financial services (the Big Four banks, insurance, superannuation), federal and state government agencies, and critical infrastructure operators are the primary employers. Overseas GRC practitioners with strong international frameworks (GDPR, ISO 27001, NIST) will find their experience valued — but demonstrating AU-specific regulatory knowledge is the key differentiator that determines how quickly they engage seriously with you.

• Developing, maintaining, and testing enterprise risk management (ERM) frameworks aligned to ISO 31000 and organisational risk appetite statements
• Managing information security governance programmes aligned to APRA CPS 234, ISO 27001, and the Essential Eight mitigation strategies (ASD)
• Conducting risk assessments and control effectiveness reviews across technology, operational, and third-party risk domains
• Preparing board-level risk reporting, APRA regulatory submissions, and internal audit responses
• Designing and implementing compliance frameworks for the Privacy Act (Australian Privacy Principles), SOCI Act obligations, and sector-specific regulatory requirements
• Managing third-party and vendor risk programmes including due diligence, contract risk review, and ongoing monitoring
• Leading incident response governance, breach notification processes, and regulatory reporting under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme

Typical employers: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ANZ, NAB, Westpac (Big Four banks — large in-house GRC teams), IAG, Suncorp (insurance sector), AustralianSuper, QSuper (superannuation sector), KPMG Australia / PwC Australia / Deloitte Australia / EY Australia (risk advisory practices), APRA (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority — regulator), ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission), ATO (Australian Taxation Office), Department of Home Affairs, major utilities (AGL, Origin Energy, Ausgrid, ActewAGL), Telstra, NBN Co, defence industry (security risk roles under AGSVA clearance)

Salary Benchmark

Typical Range: $110,000 – $220,000+ AUD per year. GRC is one of the better-compensated professional disciplines in Australia, reflecting the regulatory complexity and board-level visibility of the function, particularly in financial services and critical infrastructure sectors.

• GRC Analyst / Manager (3–6 years of experience): $110,000–$145,000
• Senior GRC Manager: $148,000–$185,000
• Head of Risk / CRO equivalent: $185,000–$220,000+

Source: SEEK AU — Risk Manager Salary | Hays Salary Guide AU 2026 | Data reviewed May 2026

Financial services premium: In-house GRC roles at the Big Four banks and major insurance groups typically pay at or above the upper end of the salary ranges above, and include superannuation (11.5%), performance bonuses, and strong benefits packages. Big Four consulting GRC roles are similarly remunerated but with a billing target structure that rewards high performers. Government GRC roles (APRA, ASIC, ATO, Home Affairs) are compensated under APS and state government pay scales, which are typically below private sector but offer stability, meaningful work, and strong leave entitlements.

Cost of living: For an independent comparison, see Numbeo — Australia. TEFI provides clients with a detailed financial planning workbook to model living costs by city and lifestyle — ask Tate for a copy.

Where Demand Is Strongest

• Sydney, NSW — Australia’s financial services capital and the dominant market for GRC roles. The Big Four banks, major insurance groups, and all large financial services entities have their primary GRC operations in Sydney. ASIC and APRA offices are in Sydney. Big Four consulting GRC practices are largest here. The highest concentration of senior and specialist GRC roles in Australia is in the Sydney CBD.
• Melbourne, VIC — The second major financial hub and home to large Big Four consulting GRC practices. AustralianSuper and major superannuation entities are headquartered in Melbourne. VIC state government and critical infrastructure GRC roles. Strong demand across financial services and professional services sectors.
• Canberra, ACT — Federal government GRC and information security risk. Department of Home Affairs, ATO, ACSC (Australian Cyber Security Centre), Defence Industry Security Programme (DISP) roles. AGSVA security clearance is an advantage for federal government GRC roles in Canberra — having an existing Baseline or NV1 clearance from any Five Eyes country is a strong differentiator.
• Brisbane, QLD — State government risk and compliance (Queensland Government, QSuper / Australian Retirement Trust), and the Queensland resources sector operational risk function. Growing ICT and fintech GRC demand in the SE QLD corridor.
• Perth, WA — Resources sector operational risk (BHP, Rio Tinto, Woodside, Fortescue). Significant demand for operational risk managers with mining and energy sector experience. WA state government information security risk roles.

Licensing & Professional Registration

No mandatory government licence. GRC Managers in Australia do not require a statutory registration or government licence to practise. VETASSESS assessment is required for immigration (visa) purposes.

Key professional certifications — effectively operational requirements in AU financial services and government GRC:

• CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control — ISACA) — The benchmark credential for information risk management. Widely required or strongly preferred by Big Four banks and consulting GRC practices.
• CISM (Certified Information Security Manager — ISACA) — The information security management credential. Closely paired with CRISC for senior GRC and CISO-adjacent roles.
• CGEIT (Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT — ISACA) — Enterprise IT governance. Valued for CRO and board-level GRC roles.
• ISO 31000 Lead Risk Manager (Pecb or equivalent) — Enterprise risk management framework certification. Widely referenced in AU risk frameworks.
• FRM (Financial Risk Manager — GARP) — For financial services quantitative risk roles (market, credit, liquidity risk). Less common in GRC generalist roles but valued in bank treasury and risk analytics functions.

APRA prudential standards — CPS 230 and CPS 234: For any GRC role targeting Australian financial services, knowledge of APRA’s prudential standards is an operational requirement, not optional background. CPS 230 (Operational Risk Management, effective 1 July 2025) and CPS 234 (Information Security) define the compliance obligations that most large AU financial services GRC teams are structured around. Demonstrating you have read and understand these standards before interviewing is a baseline expectation at senior level.

Privacy Act / Australian Privacy Principles (APPs): The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and its 13 Australian Privacy Principles govern how personal information is handled by Australian government agencies and private sector organisations above the threshold size. GRC practitioners targeting privacy officer and data governance roles must be familiar with the APPs and the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme. The Privacy Act reforms currently progressing through Parliament will expand these obligations further.

SOCI Act 2022 (Security of Critical Infrastructure): The Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 was substantially expanded in 2022, creating new positive security obligations for 11 critical infrastructure sectors. GRC practitioners targeting utilities, telecommunications, healthcare, and logistics operators need working knowledge of SOCI Act obligations, sector-specific risk management programmes (SRMPs), and the regulatory interface with the ACSC.

Immigration Pathway

Skills assessment required: Yes — VETASSESS for ANZSCO 224711.

Visa options:

• Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa — Subclass 482 (Medium-Term Stream) — Employer sponsor required. Duration: up to 4 years. Risk Manager (GRC Manager) is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).
  Home Affairs — TSS Visa 482
• Skilled Independent Visa — Subclass 189 — Points-based, no sponsor required. Permanent residence directly. Risk Managers have been included on the MLTSSL reflecting sustained demand.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Independent 189
• Skilled Nominated Visa — Subclass 190 — State nomination, points-based, permanent residence. NSW and VIC both list risk management occupations given the financial services concentration.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated 190
• Skilled Work Regional Visa — Subclass 491 — Regional Australia, 5-year temporary visa with PR pathway. Less commonly used for GRC roles, but resources sector operational risk roles in regional WA and QLD may support a regional pathway.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Work Regional 491

Important: TEFI does not provide immigration advice. We recommend working with a registered Australian migration agent. We refer clients to New Zealand Shores — contact Fabien Maisonneuve at Fabien@newzealandshores.com and mention Tate sent you.

Migrant Readiness Signals

• VETASSESS assessment started: The visa gateway — ensure your CV clearly articulates GRC management responsibilities (not just analyst tasks) and that your referees can confirm seniority; VETASSESS assesses at the manager level for ANZSCO 224711
• APRA prudential standards studied (CPS 230 and CPS 234): Non-negotiable reading for anyone targeting AU financial services GRC; download the standards from the APRA website and be prepared to discuss how they map to your existing risk management experience in any interview with a bank, insurer, or superannuation fund
• Privacy Act / Australian Privacy Principles reviewed alongside GDPR background: GDPR experience is transferable but the APPs have differences; GRC practitioners with GDPR background who can articulate the key differences (particularly around consent, cross-border transfers, and the NDB scheme) position themselves as ready to operate, not ready to learn
• SOCI Act awareness demonstrated for critical infrastructure sector targets: If your target employers include utilities, telcos, healthcare, or logistics operators, demonstrate working knowledge of SOCI Act obligations and the SRMP framework; this is a distinct AU requirement with no direct international equivalent
• AU-specific certifications mapped and exam status clearly stated: CRISC and CISM holders are immediately credible in AU financial services and consulting; if you hold these certifications, document exam pass date and certification number; if you are working towards them, state your expected completion date — ambiguity reads as weakness

Where to Find Roles

• SEEK AU — search: “GRC manager”, “risk manager”, “information security risk”, “compliance manager”, “enterprise risk”, “operational risk”, “APRA CPS 234”. SEEK is the primary channel for both in-house financial services roles and Big Four consulting GRC positions.
• LinkedIn — Follow KPMG Australia, PwC Australia, Deloitte Australia, and EY Australia risk advisory practices for consulting GRC roles. Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB, and Westpac post directly on LinkedIn. Networking is particularly important at the senior GRC level — many Head of Risk roles move through professional networks before being publicly advertised.
• APS Jobs Board — Australian Public Service Commission jobs portal. Federal government GRC and information security risk roles (Home Affairs, ATO, ACSC, APRA, ASIC) are listed here. Search by agency and classification level.
• ISACA Australia Chapter — ISACA’s Australian chapter maintains a professional network and resources for CRISC and CISM holders. Chapter events are a useful source of informal leads and industry connections for the AU GRC community.

Direct to employer: Big Four consulting firms (KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, EY) all have dedicated risk advisory practices with Australian careers portals. Applications from CRISC or CISM-certified practitioners with financial services GRC experience are reviewed quickly given consistent demand. For in-house bank roles, the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB, and Westpac all have structured GRC recruitment processes — apply via their careers portals and follow up via LinkedIn connections within the relevant risk function.

A note on cold applications: The AU financial services GRC market is competitive at the senior level and relationship-driven. The practitioners who move fastest are those who can demonstrate — in the first conversation — that they have already engaged with CPS 230, CPS 234, and the Privacy Act, and can map their international experience to those specific frameworks. Generic risk management CVs get screened quickly; AU regulatory framework knowledge gets callbacks. Upload your CV for no-cost, practical feedback — Tate typically responds within one business day.