At just 44, the politician entrusted with Labor's first budget in almost a decade has already had an industrious career in politics.
Australia's 41st treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has written two books, led several different shadow portfolios and produced a doctoral thesis on former Prime Minister Paul Keating's leadership style.
The married father-of-three hails from working-class Logan City in Brisbane's south.
He was elected to parliament in 2013 as the Member for Rankin, a safe Labor seat.
Before entering politics, he studied public policy at Griffith University and then did his PhD on the former Labor PM at the Australian National University.
Before parliament, Dr Chalmers held senior roles within Labor ranks, including as executive director of the Chifley Research Centre - the party's official think tank - and as chief of staff to treasurer Wayne Swan.
He was elected to parliament in 2013 - the year the incumbent Labor government was defeated by the Liberal-Nationals opposition under Tony Abbott's leadership.
During nine years of coalition government, Dr Chalmers worked his way up to senior opposition positions, including shadow minister for finance and shadow treasurer.
He replaced Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg when Labor won the federal election in May.
Dr Chalmers, a member of the Labor Party's right faction, believes market economics and social justice can work hand-in-hand.
"I reconcile them in a very simple way, by believing that inclusion and growth are complementary and not at odds," he said during his maiden speech.
His experience in former treasurer Wayne Swan's office will also be invaluable as he hopes to rise to a similar challenge and guide the nation through a global economic storm relatively unscathed.
In fact, he even wrote a book on Australia's political landscape during the global financial crisis, titled Glory Daze: How a world-beating nation got so down on itself.
However, in recent times he's made it clear that the inflation crisis facing the global economy needs to be treated differently to the global financial crisis that Australia dodged more than a decade ago.
A responsible budget, he says, will be central to staving off recession during the latest inflation-fuelled global downturn.
"Our best defence against uncertainty around the world is a responsible budget at home, and that's what I'll be handing down next week," he says.
Dr Chalmers will hand down the Albanese government's first budget on Tuesday.
