Australian Financial Complaints Authority (formerly Financial Ombudsman Service)
Field of Law
Consumer Rights; External Dispute Resolution
Stage of Career
Contact details
Address: GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001
Phone: 1800 931 678
Contact person: People and Culture Team
Email: peopleandculture@afca.org.au
Description of Organisation
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) provides specialised services in dispute resolution, systemic issues management and code monitoring.
FOS is a not-for-profit external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme that provides free, fair and accessible services to consumers (including some small businesses) who are unable to resolve disputes with Financial Services Providers that are members of FOS.
Number of legal positions within organisation
15 approx, although many staff come from a legal background, however are in other areas of the business.
Does your organisation have a human rights officer?
No - we have HR though
Information for university students/graduates
Do you have a Graduate Program? (please provide details and the number taken per year)
Yes, AFCA partners with Leo Cussen students for their placement (PTL).
What are you looking for in a graduate?
Passion for External Dispute Resolution, community focus and a desire to provide fair and independent outcomes for Financial Firms and Complainants.
Qualifications/skills required
Relevant legal degree and industry experience where applicable
How many law graduates do you employ outside a graduate program, and what sort of roles do they fill?
We do not have a formal Graduate Program – yet! There isn’t a specific number of graduates we take on each year.
How does one apply:
Via Seek, LinkedIn or the AFCA website
Do you require applicants to be recent law graduates? If so, how recent?
Anyone with a relevant degree and or experience is encouraged to apply!
Interview process:
A typical scenario would be an initial phone interview with a Recruitment Partner. From there, shortlisted candidates would be invited for a 1-hour face to face interview. This is a blend of technical, soft skill and behavioural based questions. We also reference check and appropriately background check all candidates. In some instances, we may require a case study and second interview as part of the recruitment process.
How many law graduates do you employ outside your graduate program, and what sort of roles do they fill?
This is hard to say, we would invite any graduate with the appropriate education and any relevant experience, to participate in a recruitment process they were suited to. We encourage all graduates to express interest on a per role basis and are only too happy to have a conversation around suitability or alternative pathways.
Do you have a minimum Grade Point Average standard for an applicant's academic record?
No
If there are any fails on a candidate’s academic record how will they affect the recruitment process?
No
What sort of volunteer/internship opportunities are available?
The Leo Cussen program placement.
Information for practising lawyers
What are you looking for in a permanent employee?
People and Culture team
E: peopleandculture@afca.org.au
What prior work is viewed favourably?
Industry knowledge/practice (Financial Services) and/or experience in External Dispute Resolution and/or Legal practice
Where do you advertise your positions?
SEEK; LinkedIn, AFCA Website
Do you use a recruitment agency?
Usually no, however where required for specialist areas, yes
Advice for applicants
Consider both traditional e.g. graduate/entry level legal roles and non-traditional pathways to gain experience. For example, sometimes a more entry level role can be a great ‘in’ to get into a large business, giving you great exposure at an operational/frontline level which you can then leverage to apply for internal opportunities. Always think creatively and network, network, network to leverage relationships and known contacts. Above all, always be yourself and be sure to demonstrate your technical ability and cultural fit in an interview.
Additional comments:
We welcome all enquiries and encourage you to contact us, to discuss your profile and any suitable opportunities. The best way is via email at: careers@afca.org.au