Introduction
The Manager, Management Accounting at NSW Police Force supports the financial performance of projects and programs through the Project Management Office. Based in Parramatta, the position leads budgeting, forecasting, reporting and analysis across an assigned portfolio. The practical challenge is to help program leaders understand their financial position and make sound decisions about resources, risks and delivery.
The two target questions are the starting point for how to apply for Manager, Management Accounting. One asks about a costing model used for activity-based funding or program evaluation; the other asks about budget management, forecasting and variance advice. Each response has a maximum of 500 words, alongside a two-page cover letter and a current resume.
Choose examples in which you can explain the assumptions behind the numbers and the recommendations that followed. A technically sound model needs to be understandable to the people using it. Your application should show the judgement, stakeholder conversations and financial controls that made your advice dependable.
View the official Manager, Management Accounting job ad.
Role snapshot
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Role | Manager, Management Accounting |
| Agency | NSW Police Force |
| Location | Parramatta |
| Salary and classification | $154,231–$178,369; Clerk Grade 11/12 |
| Employment | Temporary full-time, up to 12 months |
| Closing date | 18 October 2026; confirm the closing time in the application form |
| Official job ad | View the official Manager, Management Accounting job ad |
| Role description | Read the role description |
Application requirements
Prepare the letter, resume and both written answers. Submit the answers through the online text boxes or as a separate document, following the options in the application.
- Cover letter, maximum 2 pages
- Current resume detailing relevant skills and experience
- Responses to 2 target questions, maximum 500 words per question
Targeted questions
| Exact question | Response limit or format |
|---|---|
| Can you describe a time when you developed or applied a costing model to support activity-based funding or program evaluation? What techniques did you use to ensure the model was both accurate and aligned with organisational objectives? | Maximum 500 words |
| Describe a time when you were responsible for budget management, forecasting and financial performance reporting for a project, program or business unit. How did you identify and investigate budget variances, what advice or recommendations did you provide to stakeholders, and what was the outcome? | Maximum 500 words |
Attach only the documents requested. Qualification certificates and other supporting documentation should be retained for interview if requested, rather than added to this application.
Essential role requirements
Applicants must be Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or New Zealand citizens. The successful candidate must undergo a rigorous National Police criminal history check and obtain and maintain the security clearance determined by NSW Police Force. Read the role description for any additional essential conditions. This vacancy is temporary full-time for up to 12 months.
Candidate evidence to highlight
The two questions give clear direction for your financial examples. The following table provides practical evidence areas grounded in the advertised work and does not replace the role description’s formal capability requirements.
| Requirement or evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Costing and program evaluation | Show the model’s purpose, data quality, cost allocation method and validation, with a clear link to organisational decisions. |
| Budgets, forecasts and performance | Explain how you identified variances, tested their causes and revised forecasts or recommendations. |
| Advice and business partnering | Demonstrate how you translated financial analysis for project leaders and senior stakeholders. |
| Financial governance and value for money | Show how your work strengthened accountability, resource allocation and financially sustainable program delivery. |
Example application structure for Manager, Management Accounting
Use the cover letter to establish your overall management accounting fit and the target answers to demonstrate detailed analysis. The letter has a maximum of two pages, with a maximum of 500 words for each question. This outline helps keep your broader leadership evidence distinct from the two technical examples.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening | Connect your management accounting background to project and program financial oversight. |
| Business partnering | Explain your work with program leaders and executives, including how you made complex analysis usable. |
| Governance and leadership | Show how you strengthened financial controls, reporting quality, accountability or resource decisions. |
| Eligibility and close | Confirm the stated eligibility conditions accurately and explain your interest in supporting NSW Police programs. |
| Target answers | Prepare two clearly labelled responses; give each question its own complete example and stay within 500 words. |
Responses to targeted questions
Use separate examples where possible so the panel can assess both costing expertise and ongoing financial management. If one program supplies both examples, make the purpose and evidence of each answer distinct.
| Targeted question | What a strong response would include |
|---|---|
| Can you describe a time when you developed or applied a costing model to support activity-based funding or program evaluation? What techniques did you use to ensure the model was both accurate and aligned with organisational objectives? | Explain the decision the model supported, the cost drivers and data used, and how you tested assumptions and accuracy. Show how the method aligned with the organisation’s objectives and what decision or evaluation it enabled. |
| Describe a time when you were responsible for budget management, forecasting and financial performance reporting for a project, program or business unit. How did you identify and investigate budget variances, what advice or recommendations did you provide to stakeholders, and what was the outcome? | State your responsibility and the financial context, then explain variance analysis, forecast updates and stakeholder advice. Connect your recommendations to the resulting action and financial or delivery outcome. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- The scale and purpose of the financial work.
- Your analysis of assumptions, data and cost drivers.
- The advice you gave and the action stakeholders took.
- A verifiable outcome linked to governance or resource decisions.
For the costing question, you could describe an activity-based model that allocated shared costs to several services. Explain how you selected allocation drivers, checked the data with operational teams and tested whether the model remained reliable when volumes changed. Finish with how leaders used the analysis. Keep confidential budgets or operational details appropriately anonymised while retaining enough scale to make the example meaningful.
Before you submit
Check that both questions are answered in full and each response is within 500 words. Confirm the letter is no longer than two pages and remove unrequested attachments. The closing date is 18 October 2026; confirm the submission time in the official application and submit early. Keep a copy of any answer entered directly into a text box.
View the official Manager, Management Accounting job ad.
Help with your Manager, Management Accounting application
Team 3Thirty can help you explain financial decisions clearly and organise the two examples without losing their technical substance. The NSW cover letter template can support your outline, or you can request application support for this vacancy.