As an Application Development Specialist at the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF), Giridhar (Giri) is one of the innovative minds ensuring the state’s digital systems are not only operational, but future-ready. Whether he’s automating daily admin tasks or pioneering the department’s first AI team, Giri has found a place where he can have a meaningful impact and truly belong.

A passion for problem-solving

If you ask Giri where his career began, he won’t point to a job interview or a university degree. Instead, he’ll take you back to a computer science classroom in India and a simple coding function.

On the surface, it was a basic calculation. Yet, to a teenage Giri, it was the moment coding stopped being a school subject and became a universal language - one that opened up his world to the possibilities of technology.

“I immediately fell in love with coding. It was so new and interesting, and it’s rewarding that you’re able to instantly see the results of your work.

“I remember the first time I wrote a function to add two numbers together. The common print statement a developer uses to test the new language you're learning is ‘hello world’. That sum was my ‘hello world’. Even though it was simple, it blew my mind the first time it worked.”

That spark of curiosity eventually led Giri through a successful seven-year career as a lead software engineer. After five years of working completely remotely, Giri realised he was missing a critical part of the employee experience: human connection. So, in early 2025, when he came across an opportunity at DTF, applying was a “no-brainer”.

“The prospect of coming into the office and interacting with a team in person really got me excited. It’s been the perfect balance; I get that face-to-face connection I was craving, while still having the flexibility to work from home two days a week.”

Innovating for impact

In his role as an Application Development Specialist, Giri often feels like he has a “dual personality” at work. Much of his day is spent maintaining and upgrading legacy systems to be used more effectively across DTF’s varied branches. While some might see it as simply “putting out fires”, Giri sees the bigger impact - how each ticket ensures the wheels of government keep turning.

“It’s very rewarding to solve a problem that is holding someone else up. DTF is so big - what we do affects a lot of people. I have a passion for what’s coming next; I want to see how we can use the latest technology to make our work even more efficient.”

Like many tech whizzes, Giri is fascinated by the rise of AI. When he joined DTF, he was thrilled to get the opportunity to help develop “DTF AI” - a localised AI model designed to help staff navigate complex internal data.

“Instead of someone spending hours manually checking data, we can now use AI to do it in seconds,” Giri says.

A culture of curiosity

Giri finds his work incredibly rewarding, but the true highlight of joining DTF has been the opportunity to work within a multi-disciplinary team.

“It’s a very collaborative environment,” Giri says. “If you’re working on a ticket, you aren’t just sitting alone at your desk. You’re connecting with the infrastructure team, cyber team and experts across the department. Everyone is incredibly welcoming. Even if you don't know something, there are always people who will help you through it.”

Giri believes that for anyone starting a career in tech, the most important tool in their kit isn't a specific coding language - it’s a willingness to ask questions.

“The biggest thing you can hope for in an organisation is being comfortable enough to share that you need help. No one knows everything, but at DTF, everyone is trying to help each other get the job done. I tell new starters: be curious, ask questions and develop the skill of figuring it out. Using that curiosity to solve a problem with limited information is what makes a great developer.”

For Giri, the true value of DTF lies in the permission to be a student, as well as a specialist. It’s a culture that doesn’t just welcome his questions; it relies on them to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

“It’s a world-class environment where you’re backed by good people who genuinely want to see you succeed,” Giri says. “I’m not just a coder here; I’m part of a team that is building the future of South Australia.”