[1] Riley took on a secretarial role at the local metalworks until she was 19, when she went on a three-year trip around Australia in a troop carrier with her then boyfriend, looking at Indigenous rock and cave paintings.
She helped to launch the career of other Indigenous film professionals, such as Wayne Blair, Beck Cole and Darlene Johnson, and under her leadership, development support was provided for the acclaimed series First Australians (2008), by Rachel Perkins and Darren Dale.
[5] In this role she was determined to develop Indigenous producers and film crews, especially assistant directors and designers, to support the wealth of directing talent".
[5] In 2010 Riley was appointed as the inaugural head of the Indigenous department at ABC Television,[1] during this time acting as executive producer on the film Mabo (2012) and the TV series Redfern Now (2012–).
[8] In May 2016 Riley was appointed to the newly-created role of Head of Scripted Production,[9] This position is responsible for all drama, comedy and Indigenous-related programs on ABC Television.
[10] In this role, ABC productions commissioned by Riley have included the series Stateless, Mystery Road, Total Control, Aftertaste, Rosehaven, Wakefield and The Newsreader.
[2] In 2020 Riley was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the governing body of the Oscars, based on "her outstanding contribution... in particular, in recognition of her drive to champion diverse storytelling in Australia, with an impact across the international landscape".