Our Secretary

Ray Griggs commenced as the Secretary Department of Social Services on 22 July 2021. He is responsible for policy and program delivery in the areas of Families and Children, Housing Support, Social Security, Seniors, Communities and Vulnerable People, Ending Gendered Based Violence, and Disability and Carers. 

Ray is chair of the Australian Public Service Disability Champions Network. 

Ray was previously the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the National Indigenous Australians Agency from 1 July 2019 to 21 July 2021, with responsibility for leading policy, program and delivery reform in line with the government’s commitment to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. 

Prior to this Ray was the Associate Secretary of the Indigenous Affairs Group within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from October 2018 to 30 June 2019. Before joining the Australian Public Service, Ray spent four decades in the Royal Australian Navy, including a range of command and operational roles. His last two positions were as Chief of Navy between 2011–14 and the Vice Chief of Defence Force between 2014–18. Ray has been involved at a senior level in leading a number of significant reform programs including large scale cultural change programs, enterprise-wide business reforms and comprehensive reform of Defence’s capital investment program. 

Ray holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland, a Master of Business Administration from the Australian National University and a Master of Science degree from the National Defense University in Washington D.C. He is an Officer in the Order of Australia, has been awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross, a Commendation for Distinguished Service and holds awards from the Governments of France, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Spain and the United States of America.