🌟 Northern Territory Treasury & Finance: Your 60-Second Career Cheat-Sheet 🌟
Ready to turn your number-crunching, policy-shaping or project-managing skills into a rewarding public-sector career? The Northern Territory Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) is the central agency that steers the Territory’s budget, revenue, investment and economic strategy. Below is everything you need to know—optimised for mobile, packed with SEO-friendly keywords such as Government jobs Australia and Australian Public Service careers, and written so you can copy-paste straight into Substack. Let’s dive in! 🚀
AT-A-GLANCE:
• Name of Department / Council: Northern Territory Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF)
• Location: Head office in Darwin NT; advisory reach across the entire Northern Territory
• CEO: Tim McManus, Under Treasurer (agency head)
• Total Revenue: $215.6 million in 2023-24
• Total Number of Employees: 120 staff / 116.2 FTE as at 30 June 2024
DID YOU KNOW? 🤔
At just 38 years, DTF’s workforce is one of the youngest across the NT Public Sector, giving early-career recruits faster access to high-impact projects and accelerated promotion pathways.
THE QUALIFICATION, CERTIFICATIONS, TRADES, PROFESSIONS, WORK EXPERIENCES & SKILLS MOST SUITED TO DTF
Top 5 academic qualifications most suited:
• Economics / Econometrics (Bachelors-PhD) – crunch macro trends and forecast Territory revenue.
• Accounting / Finance (Diploma-Masters) – drive budget analysis and manage $6 billion+ cash flows via the Central Holding Authority.
• Public Policy / Administration (Graduate Certificate-Masters) – craft evidence-based fiscal policy for Cabinet.
• Data Science / Statistics (Bachelors-PhD) – turn big data into actionable insights on tax and royalties.
• Law (LLB / JD) – interpret taxation statutes and advise on regulatory reform.
Top 5 certifications most suited:
• CPA or CA – demonstrate rigour in financial reporting.
• CFA – valued for investment-portfolio analysis.
• PRINCE2 / PMP – manage multimillion-dollar infrastructure grants.
• RG146 (Financial Markets) – support NT Treasury Corporation debt programs.
• Six Sigma Green/Black Belt – streamline internal processes and drive efficiencies.
Top 5 trades / professions most suited:
• Auditors – safeguard public funds through internal reviews.
• IT Systems Administrators – maintain secure financial systems.
• Communications Officers – translate complex budgets into plain language for the public.
• Paralegals – assist with legislative drafting and compliance.
• Payroll Officers – ensure accurate employee and superannuation payments.
Top 5 skills most suited:
• Fiscal modelling – predict revenue swings and funding needs.
• Stakeholder negotiation – balance agency, ministerial and Commonwealth priorities.
• Advanced Excel / Power BI – build dashboards that inform budget decisions.
• Strategic risk management – assess impacts of interest-rate and commodity shocks.
• Clear written communication – produce Cabinet submissions and Treasury briefs.
Top 5 work experiences most suited:
• Big-4 or mid-tier audit/assurance – transfer analytical discipline to public accounts.
• Banking or funds-management analyst – map seamlessly onto NT Treasury Corporation investment roles.
• Economic consulting projects – inform Territory tax and royalty policy.
• Government graduate programs – fast-track to AO5-AO6 analyst positions.
• IT transformation projects – support digital finance reforms.
THE KEY FACTS
• Name of Department: Northern Territory Department of Treasury and Finance
• Name of CEO: Tim McManus, Under Treasurer
• Location: Territory-wide central agency headquartered in Darwin
• Year Founded: 1978 (modern form following NT Self-Government)
• Main mission and purpose of the organisation: Promote fiscal sustainability, economic development and improved wellbeing of Territorians by providing expert financial and economic advice to Government. Real-world impact: DTF’s modelling underpins every NT Budget, influencing hospital upgrades, remote housing and cost-of-living relief.
• Main duties of the organisation:
– Draft and deliver the Territory Budget
– Manage revenue collection (payroll tax, stamp duty, royalties)
– Administer the $6.8 billion Central Holding Authority cash flows
– Oversee Territory borrowing and investments
– Provide economic forecasts and statistical reporting
Community impact: These duties ensure schools, police and health services are funded on time, every time.
• Key Projects, Key Strategic Priorities, Future Plans and Initiatives:
– Power & Water Underground Power Grant ($20 m capital outlay)
– National Energy Bill Relief Program delivering cost-of-living support
– Strengthening GST relativities submissions to maximise incoming funds.
THE EMPLOYEES & REVENUE
• Total Number of Employees: 120 headcount / 116.2 FTE
• Total Number of Employees at each pay level:
– Graduate Trainees 11 | AO3 2 | AO4 10 | AO5 19 | AO6 21 | AO7 10 | SAO1 18 | SAO2 6 | ECO1-ECO6 20 (FTE equivalents)
• Salary Bands: Current NTPS Enterprise Agreement ranges roughly from $62 k (AO3 start) to $260 k+ (ECO6)—check latest NTPS schedules for exact figures.
• Average salary in the department / council: ~$138 k (total employee expenses $16.0 m ÷ 116.2 FTE)
• Total Revenue: $215.6 million (agency)
• Average Revenue per Employee: ≈ $1.86 million
GETTING A JOB AT DTF 🏆
Which Academic Subjects are likely to be most sought after?
Certificate / Diploma Level:
• Business, Payroll, Procurement, IT Networking – vital for AO3-AO5 operational roles.
Bachelor / Master Level:
• Economics, Accounting, Finance, Data Science, Public Policy – pipelines into AO6-SAO1 analyst and policy positions.
PhDs:
• Econometrics, Mineral Economics, Behavioural Finance – inform complex royalty models and revenue forecasting.
Which Trades and Professions are likely to be most sought after?
• Licensed Electricians (to advise on underground power projects)
• Cyber-security Professionals (safeguard financial systems)
• Communications & Graphic Designers (visualise budgets for the public)
Which Work Experiences are likely to be most sought after?
• Big-budget project accounting
• Government grant acquittals
• Financial market risk analysis
• Large-scale ERP implementations
• Treasury or central-agency internships
Which Skills are likely to be most sought after?
Soft skills: stakeholder engagement, presentation, problem-solving, resilience under deadlines.
Technical skills: VBA/Python for modelling, IFRS/AASB compliance, SQL, scenario analysis.
General skills: time management, attention to detail, plain-English writing.
Which Hobbies and Interests align with the work of this organisation?
• Budget-tracking apps, investment clubs, economics podcasts, hackathons, volunteering for local budgeting committees.
Want more information on this organisation?
Contact DTF:
• Address: Charles Darwin Centre, 19 The Mall, Darwin NT 0800
• Postal: GPO Box 1974, Darwin NT 0801
• Phone: +61 8 8999 7425
• Email: enquiries.dtf@nt.gov.au
• Careers & Vacancies: jobs.nt.gov.au (search “Treasury and Finance”)
• Territory Revenue Office roles: 1300 305 353 | NTRevenue@nt.gov.au
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