Former corporate affairs chief Josh Murray was appointed to the role of transport secretary in July, but government documents released on Wednesday revealed recruiters were concerned he didn't have the required experience.
Mr Murray, a former chief of staff to Labor premier Morris Iemma, was shortlisted after the head of Transport Minister Jo Haylen's office requested he be interviewed.
A progress report by corporate headhunting firm NGS Global listed Mr Murray as "under review or not recommended to proceed".
It described his experience as somewhat relevant but largely in corporate affairs or as a chief of staff and without the "level of operational complexity required" of a transport secretary.
"He has not had large-scale strategic, operational or people leadership experience, which would likely make his appointment to this role a significant risk," the NGS report said.
Defending his suitability for the role on Thursday, Mr Murray said he followed the proper public process and had only met Ms Haylen "on a couple of occasions" before he was offered the role.
Mr Murray added he had his own concerns about how recruiters managed the hiring process, saying they got his name wrong and appeared to believe he was applying for a different role.
"I was concerned that I was in that process, because I knew that if I was successful down the track we'd be having a conversation like this one," he told Sydney radio 2GB.
He also denied reports he was not on the shortlist for the secretary job and was only added at the request of Ms Haylen's chief of staff.
"I was on the shortlist," Mr Murray said.
"Then, the independent panel interviewed me and recommendations were made to them who would go forward to meet the minister and then be eventually interviewed by the premier's department.
"That all happened as per the process and the selection was made."
However, Mr Murray confirmed he received an update from Ms Haylen's chief of staff to say the job listing was live before he applied online.
When asked about a meeting he had with Ms Haylen on April 4 - before the-then transport secretary was sacked - Mr Murray described the encounter as a brief "getting-to-know-you session" that was then publicly declared.
When pressed on what experience made him suitable for the role, the former Laing O'Rourke director of people said he had spent the past 15 years working in infrastructure delivery in Australia and overseas.
"I've been at the absolute top of one of the world's largest privately owned construction delivery organisation ... as well as operational infrastructure delivery in Hong Kong, the UK and right across this country," he said.
"I've helped bid those projects, I've helped lead those projects."
Ms Haylen, who has weathered criticism of the appointment for weeks, has reiterated the proper recruitment processes were followed.
But the opposition has dismissed the process as a sham, with transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward describing Mr Murray as "dangerously underqualified" for the role.
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