Company Secretary

A Company Secretary manages the governance, compliance, and administrative functions of a company to ensure it meets legal and regulatory obligations under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Listing Rules where applicable. They act as the custodian of corporate records, coordinate board and shareholder meetings, and provide advice to the board and management on corporate law, risk management, and statutory duties. In Australian organisations, the role bridges legal compliance, board administration, and corporate governance.

Prepare board papers, agendas, and minutes for board and committee meetings in accordance with corporate governance best practice. Lodge constitutional and structural documents with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) including changes to company constitution and director appointments. Maintain the company register of members, directors, company charges, and interests disclosures as required under the Corporations Act. Ensure compliance with ASX Listing Rules and continuous disclosure obligations, including lodgement of ASX announcements and quarterly reports. Coordinate annual general meetings (AGMs) and extraordinary general meetings (EGMs), including drafting notices of meeting and managing shareholder communications. Advise the board on director duties, statutory obligations, and conflicts of interest in accordance with section 180-184 of the Corporations Act. Manage director and officer insurance (D&O) policies and monitor directors and officers liability exposure. Prepare and lodge annual financial reports, audit reports, and director declarations with ASIC by statutory deadlines.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The role is heavily compliance-focused, meaning much of your day is routine administrative work rather than strategic decision-making. One mistake lodging an ASIC document or missing an ASX deadline can create serious legal liability for the company and damage your professional reputation. The learning curve on Corporations Act detail is steep for career changers.

Regional opportunities are limited. Remote work is less common because board coordination and secure document handling often need in-person presence.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2212, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Correspondence Draftingcore
• Electronic Document Managementcore
• Legal Document Preparationcore
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Docusign Electronic Signature Platform
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Legal Terminology
• Microsoft SharePoint Administration
• Negotiation
• Policy Interpretation
• Process Documentation
• Research and Analysis
• Verbal Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Company Secretary workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026