Chief Financial Officer

Hawkes Bay Regional Council; Hawke's Bay; On-site; NZD 155,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

5 weeks annual leave after 3 years

4% superannuation after 3 years

Life insurance and income protection

Subsidised eye tests and lenses

Well-being initiatives

Staff development and upskilling

Job summary

Hawke's Bay Regional Council is seeking an experienced Chief Financial Officer to lead Finance, Payroll, Rates and Treasury, partnering with the Executive Leadership Team to deliver strategic and long-term financial objectives. The role requires CA qualification, 10+ years of accounting experience and strong governance, stakeholder engagement, and adaptability.

The successful candidate will oversee planning, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, reporting and risk management, while driving

Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification and CA membership.
• Minimum of 10 years’ accounting experience.
• Senior financial leadership experience in a complex organisation.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Resilience, adaptability and flexibility to changing environment.
• Experience working in local government environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial leadership across Hawke's Bay Regional Council including long-term planning, budgeting, forecasting and treasury management.
• Oversee financial reporting and risk management and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with Executive Leadership Team and elected members to deliver strategic objectives.
• Champion continuous improvement across financial processes and governance.

Skills

Strategic financial leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory compliance

Financial governance

Education

Professional accounting qualification

Chartered accountant membership

Job description

Our vision is a healthy environment and a resilient and prosperous community.

About The opportunity | Ko te āheinga:

We are looking for an experienced and strategic Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join our Corporate Services leadership team. The CFO is responsible for providing financial leadership across Hawke's Bay Regional Council, ensuring sound financial stewardship, organisational sustainability, and delivery of high-quality financial advice to support decision-making across the organisation.

This role leads the Finance, Payroll, Rates, and Treasury functions while partnering closely with the Executive Leadership Team and elected members to deliver Council's strategic and long-term objectives.

You will provide strategic oversight of Council's financial management, including long‑term planning, budgeting, forecasting, treasury management, financial reporting, and risk management. You will champion continuous improvement and ensure compliance with all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements.

About you | E pā ana ki a koe:

You will be a collaborative and influential leader with a proven track record of delivering financial strategy and organisational performance in a complex environment. You will be equally comfortable operating strategically while maintaining oversight of operational excellence and governance requirements.

Ideally you will also have:

• Professional accounting qualification, along with chartered accountant membership.
• Minimum of 10 years’ accounting experience.
• Senior financial leadership experience in a complex organisation.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Resilience, adaptability, and flexibility to keep up with the ever‑changing nature of HBRC.
• Experience working in local government environment.

We're looking for someone who can anticipate change, remain flexible, and bring innovative solutions to the table. Your sound judgment, initiative, and ability to manage multiple priorities will be key to success in this role.

The salary range for this role is between $155,125 to $182,500 and will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

Other benefits of working for our team include:

• Flexible working options to support work/life balance
• 5 weeks annual leave after 3 years
• 4% superannuation after 3 years
• Life insurance and income protection
• Subsidised eye tests and lenses, flu vaccinations, and other well‑being initiatives
• Strong commitment to developing and upskilling people within a supportive working environment.

See a full list of our staff benefits here

As an equal opportunity employer, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. We recognise that collaborative and innovative organisations depend on having a workforce made up from a diverse range of perspectives and experiences. We're all about excellence, and we encourage open communication – if you need any specific support, just let us know! Our main goal is to empower each person to share their unique talents to contribute to the outcomes for our community. This commitment ensures that our workplace is a dynamic and progressive space where everyone can flourish.

HBRC is responsible for Civil Defence emergencies and as such, all staff may be called upon to support the response.

Applications close Thursday, 22 October 2026.

Applicants must have existing rights to work in New Zealand.

At Hawke’s Bay Regional Council our purpose is to work with our community to protect and manage the region’s precious taonga of rivers, lakes, soils, air, coast and biodiversity for health, wellbeing and connectivity. Our organisation is diverse and our work is varied. Our structure comprises of six key business units; Corporate Services, Integrated Catchment Management, Asset Management, Māori Partnerships, Policy & Regulation, and the Executive Advisory Group which also consists of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

We focus on prioritising:

Kia koi, kia toitū hoki te whakamahinga o te whenua|Climate-smart and sustainable land use.