 From 2004 to 2009, Varghese was Director-General of the Office of National Assessments, an Australian government intelligence agency which reports directly to the Prime Minister.From August 2009 to October 2012, Varghese was the Australian High Commissioner to India, with concurrent accreditation to Bhutan.Varghese was then appointed the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in December 2012, serving until July 2016.