Financial Sustainability Lead

LGA South Australia; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel across SA

Autonomy

Collaborative workplace

Modern Adelaide CBD office

Job summary

The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGA) seeks a senior practitioner to lead a new Financial Sustainability Program aimed at strengthening councils’ capability, resilience and long-term sustainability. You will work with CEOs, executives, elected members and staff to tackle governance, planning and investment challenges.

Based in a modern Adelaide CBD office with travel across South Australia, the role focuses on mentoring, capability development and delivering practical actions

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading sector-wide financial programs.
• Strong stakeholder engagement with councils and senior leaders.
• Ability to translate complex financial concepts into practical actions for councils.
• Autonomy and strategic advisory capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of a sector-wide Financial Sustainability Program.
• Work with council CEOs, executives, elected members and staff.
• Provide strategic advice to senior leaders, boards and steering committees.
• Mentor and build capability across local government.
• Capture sector intelligence to inform policy and reform.
• Deliver practical actions for councils to uplift capability.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Mentoring

Education

Senior finance leadership

Job description

Help Shape the Future of Local Government in South Australia

The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGA) is seeking an exceptional senior practitioner to lead the delivery of a new, sector-wide Financial Sustainability Program designed to strengthen the capability, resilience and long-term sustainability of South Australian councils. You will work directly with council CEOs, executives, elected members and staff to tackle some of the most important challenges facing local government, including financial sustainability, long-term financial planning, asset management, governance capability and strategic decision-making. As the program's lead practitioner, you will help councils take practical action, uplift capability and implement sustainable change. Along the way, you'll generate valuable intelligence that informs policy, advocacy and reform across the entire local government sector.

Why This Role Matters

The Financial Sustainability Program is a flagship initiative jointly funded by the LGA and the Local Government Finance Authority (LGFA). It has been established to provide practical support to councils facing financial sustainability challenges and to identifying broader systemic issues that require sector-wide responses.

The role offers a unique opportunity to:

• Work directly with councils to improve financial sustainability outcomes.
• Influence sector-wide policy, advocacy and reform initiatives
• Review financial sustainability risks and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Build capability across local government.
• Engage with senior leaders, governing bodies and key stakeholders.
• Provide strategic advice to senior leaders, boards and steering committees.
• Capture critical sector intelligence and emerging issues to inform future interventions and investment decisions.
• Support councils to implement ESCOSA recommendations.
• Deliver mentoring, coaching and capability development.

About you

We're looking for an experienced professional who combines technical expertise with strong stakeholder engagement and leadership skills.

You may currently be a:

• Director or Manager of Finance
• Director of Corporate Services
• CFO
• Senior Local Government Advisor
• Financial Sustainability Specialist
• Local Government Consultant

You are someone who:

• Builds trusted relationships and influences outcomes.
• Can challenge thinking while maintaining credibility.
• Thrives in complex stakeholder environments.
• Translates technical concepts into practical solutions.
• Enjoys mentoring, coaching and building capability.
• Sees the bigger picture and understands the broader drivers of financial sustainability, and can use these to inform and develop practical, manageable actions for councils to take.

• The opportunity to have a lasting impact on South Australia's local government sector
• Exposure to senior decision-makers across government and local government
• Meaningful and challenging work with a high degree of autonomy
• A collaborative and values-driven workplace
• A modern Adelaide CBD-based office, with travel across South Australia as required to deliver direct support to councils
• The chance to help design and deliver one of the most significant financial sustainability initiatives undertaken in the sector

Enquiries directly to Wade Reynolds, Executive Director

Applications close at COB Friday, 16 Oct 2026.

For a copy of the position description, please visit www.lga.sa.gov.au/employment

LGA embraces diversity and strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.