A degree

This year applications will be open for those with a bachelor degree or higher in the following areas:

• information technology
• computer science
• software engineering
• business informatics
• business systems
• information systems
• computing
• other relevant IT degrees (and double degrees).

The right skills

We are looking for successful IT graduates who have the drive and ability to:

• think strategically
• achieve results
• manage relationships
• act professionally
• communicate effectively
• perform the technical aspects of working in IT.

You will be working as part of the Enterprise Solutions and Technology (EST) business line. This line is responsible for our IT program of work, which enables and supports a number of services and initiatives.

EST supports our organisation to achieve business outcomes by providing efficient and effective enterprise solutions and IT services. This includes IT architecture and design services, applications, infrastructure, and security services.

EST provides leadership enterprise processes and capabilities through the following areas: 

• business solutions
• enterprise applications
• office of the Chief Knowledge Officer
• strategy, planning and assurance
• major programs
• service operations.

EST provides enterprise solutions and technology services that underpin much of our work.

As a graduate you will respond innovatively to the changing needs of the community, helping enhance our already world-leading processes, infrastructure and technology. You will undertake challenging and rewarding work through rotational placements in one or more of the following areas:

• IT strategy
• architecture design processes
• information management
• applications development
• risk management
• project management
• IT and information security.

If you are looking for a head start on a challenging and rewarding career, this is the program for you.

We want to get you involved in the design and implementation of efficient and effective solutions to enhance interactions with the tax and superannuation systems.

We implement:

• the government’s extensive legislative program
• the Cooper review
• superannuation elements of Australia’s Future Tax System
• the new resource taxation arrangements
• the flood levy.

We also contribute to whole-of-government initiatives.

You will contribute to the implementation of new policy proposals through enhanced online services and support people by making it as easy as possible for them to fulfil their responsibilities at minimum cost.

We strive to improve our processes and systems by developing calculators, portals, phone and online services. We challenge you to investigate issues by listening to community feedback and identifying improvements. We want you to help us continue to strengthen our analytical and risk management capabilities to provide greater differentiation of our services and compliance treatments.

You will ensure our processes, infrastructure and technology meet the changing needs of the community, and support the client experience by delivering improvements that:

• ensure the systems that support tax time are stable and secure
• enable us to respond quickly and innovatively to change
• leverage and adapt the use of our integrated systems to re-engineer processes and improve productivity and effectiveness
• upgrade systems to meet our government commitments, including displaying superannuation membership
• promote safeguards against technology-enabled threats, in particular identity theft and risk to the integrity of the tax file number
• develop strategies to lessen the impact of our activities on the environment.

Enhancing the capability of our people to meet future corporate outcomes is a key priority. By investing in our people we become more innovative, agile and responsive, which instils enthusiasm, commitment and pride in the work we do for all Australians.

Becoming an IT graduate will give you the opportunity to experience our excellent work conditions, job diversity and to sketch your future in your industry of choice. You can contribute towards the tax and superannuation systems that underpin the Australian way of life.

Aaron Dickson

I joined the ATO graduate program in February 2011 with a degree in Information Systems from Australian Catholic University. Between finishing university and starting the ATO graduate program, I worked in the private sector for a number of years, craving for an opportunity to develop my career but to no avail. So, I decided to join the graduate program in order to develop my career, learn new things and expand my skill-set. Moving from Melbourne to Canberra to be part of the graduate program was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life.

The first two weeks of the graduate program consisted of induction, corporate and comprehensive tax technical training. With the huge variety of business lines to rotate through, the excellent training plan and the wealth of knowledge I’m exposed to, I feel that I’m quickly transforming from a graduate IT officer to a professional. Taking advantage of opportunities to rotate has enabled me to direct my career path to gain experience in a wide variety of roles.

My first placement was with the revenue management business line where I worked as an application developer. My role with this team involved developing correspondence templates, designing and developing user interface, unit testing and regular peer review.

My second placement was with Integration and Common Services, where I worked as a business analyst. There I worked collaboratively with Business Solutions in gathering business requirements, developing business use cases, functional requirements, data dictionary and error codes, as well as functional testing. While the graduate program provides a great opportunity to develop and learn, it is the encouragement and ability to shape your career which I think is its greatest value.

During the program I’ve found the ATO is a very friendly, caring and professional environment and everyone (graduates included) is treated with respect. I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to be a member of a focus group that reviewed the draft ATO corporate plan 2011–2012.

There are special commitments within the organisation through formal training, mentoring, and organisational rotations to ensure graduates develop into people who could become future leaders.

The ATO graduate program has given me excellent experience as well as helped me to further develop a vision for my career. With a promotion and Certificate IV in Government Project Management guaranteed upon successful completion of the program, why not join an organisation where you can work for all Australians and the only move for you is forward.

Bruce Johnsen

I joined the graduate program in January 2011 after undergoing a rigorous application and vetting process. The ATO likes to choose the best candidates possible from a wide range of backgrounds, skills and educational capabilities.

One of the first things I noticed was the amount of time and effort the ATO invests in its graduates. The corporate training was comprehensive, and provided me with a solid understanding of the different types of work undertaken by the ATO. The learning and development I gained from my previous employers over many years has been seen as a valuable asset to the ATO. The training involved workshops, seminars and conferences as well as formal education. The ATO provides a graduate development program, whereas within private industry the trend is to provide a recruitment program. Their efforts are focused on getting you in the door, while the ATO focuses on developing and enhancing your skills for the long term.

The workplace rotations exposed me to business requirements, IT application maintenance, project management and IT security and risk assessment work. I was amazed by how friendly and helpful the other team members were, and how willing they were to help.

At times, the workload from the graduate program was quite heavy. During these times, our graduate manager was always willing to offer assistance and support. This was a pleasant change compared to what I was used to from private industry employers.

I would thoroughly recommend the graduate program at the ATO to anyone who wants a career working for a leading organisation with a wide range of career paths, while still maintaining a work/life balance.