More than 50 senior managers have departed the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) following a voluntary redundancy round aimed at rebalancing a workforce that has grown to have more managers than operational staff.
Latest Australian Public Service Employment Database (APSED) headcount data showed the agency employed 739 Executive Level managers compared to 721 standard Australian Public Service (APS) workers at the end of 2025.
Executive Level (EL) managers accounted for nearly 48 per cent of the agency's 1546 workforce.
The NIAA confirmed 109 EL staff applied for voluntary redundancy, with 56 accepting offers to leave, reducing the senior management rank by more than 7.5 per cent.
It said the "process was implemented in accordance with established requirements" and that it "remains focused on its delivery for First Nations communities".
Regarding further changes to its workforce, the NIAA said it "does not have restructuring targets" and that "no further voluntary redundancies or reclassifications are planned."
The agency's top-heavy staff profile was a major outlier across the public service.
Departments averaged 2.1 operational staff (APS 1 - 6) for every EL manager, roughly 47 managers per 100 staff.
At NIAA, the ratio stood at more than one manager per staff member.
Its senior executive ranks were similarly inflated as it employed 58 Senior Executive Services (SES) staff based on the latest headcount, representing about four per cent of its workforce which was nearly double the wider APS average of about two per cent.
The structural shake-up came as the agency prepared for a sustained period of fiscal tightening.
2026-27 federal budget papers showed the NIAA's Average Staffing Level (ASL) target was revised downward by 96 ASL, dropping from an initial projection of 1520 to 1424.
ASL calculates the average workforce capacity over a specific period by converting all employee hours into full-time equivalents and differs from headcount. The metric is used to determine resourcing.
On the revised figures, the NIAA said the variance reflected "actual staffing outcomes over the year rather than a change to its workforce target in 2025-26".
The agency's expenses were also expected to shrink over the next four financial years. The budget showed its expenses are expected to drop by about $17 million in 2026-27 compared with 2025-26, before continuing to drop to $316 million by 2028-29, a total drop of $39 million.
The NIAA said it was "actively workforce planning, prioritising work, and monitoring workloads" amid the change to its staffing levels.
"The agency remains committed to supporting employee wellbeing and will continue to engage with staff, managers and staff representatives to identify and proactively address any concerns."
However, Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) national president Beth Vincent-Pietsch expressed deep concern over the projected budget cuts and the loss of experienced personnel.
"The NIAA has already lost trained and trusted public sector workers, leaving remaining staff to do the same amount of work with fewer people," Ms Vincent-Pietsch said.
"This is especially concerning given there were already ongoing concerns about excessive workloads in parts of the agency."
Ms Vincent-Pietsch urged the government to invest in the agency rather than reduce funding if it was genuine about improving conditions for First Nations communities.
"Work is now under way on a significant agency-wide restructure, and the CPSU will fight to ensure workers' voices are heard in every aspect of the decision-making process", Ms Vincent-Pietsch said.
The union has worked with the NIAA and the government to secure important changes including a commitment to stop further job losses, establish preference processes for role placements, transition support and clearer organisational structures.
The NIAA has joined a number of federal departments including Social Services and Education to have offered voluntary redundancies as agencies prepared to operate under tighter budget constraints.
First published in The Canberra Times on 21 September 2026 as "This federal agency had more managers than workers - until its redundancy round" By Ray Athwal
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