Finance Business Partner

Beyond Recruitment; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Genuine business partnering exposure

Broad and varied responsibilities

Direct access to senior decision‑mak­e

Leadership opportunities

Supportive and collaborative culture

Meaningful community impact

Outstanding lifestyle location

Job summary

Beyond Recruitment – Christchurch, South Island is partnering with Kaikōura District Council to appoint a Finance Business Partner who will drive strategic decision-making and long-term planning for the council. This role is pivotal in balancing operational priorities with financial sustainability and community outcomes.

You will partner with leaders, provide financial modelling, budgeting and forecasting, and support capital expenditure and reporting processes, while guiding an Assistant

Qualifications

• CA qualification or equivalent professional accounting background.
• Strong management accounting and business partnering experience.
• Financial modelling, budgeting and forecasting capability.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Experience translating financial information into clear, practical advice.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge and reporting capability.
• A proactive mindset and a passion for continuous improvement.
• Experience within local government, infrastructure, public sector or large, complex organisations will be highly regarded, but is certainly not essential.

Responsibilities

• Partnering with leaders to support planning, budgeting and decision-making
• Providing financial modelling, forecasting and performance insights
• Supporting Long Term Plan, Annual Plan and Annual Report processes
• Capital expenditure and operating budget management
• Management reporting, insights and performance analysis
• Supporting business cases and investment decision-making
• Managing audit processes and stakeholder relationships
• Leading and developing an Assistant Accountant
• Identifying opportunities to improve systems, reporting and ways of working

Skills

CA qualification

Management accounting

Financial modelling

Budgeting and forecasting

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

CA qualification or equivalent professional accounting background

Job description

Beyond Recruitment – Christchurch, South Island

Beyond Recruitment is proud to be partnering exclusively with Kaikōura District Council to appoint a Finance Business Partner who will play a key role in supporting strategic decision-making, long-term planning, major infrastructure investment, and the financial sustainability of a very special part of Aotearoa. Set between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Kaikōura offers an enviable lifestyle where your commute can include ocean views, wildlife encounters, and one of New Zealand's most iconic landscapes. This opportunity is about more than location, it's a chance to have genuine visibility, influence, and impact within an organisation helping to shape the future of an entire community.

The Opportunity

This is a true business partnering role. You will work closely with managers and senior leaders across Council, helping them understand performance, evaluate opportunities, make informed investment decisions and balance operational priorities with long-term financial sustainability.

You'll be involved in:

• Partnering with leaders to support planning, budgeting and decision-making
• Providing financial modelling, forecasting and performance insights
• Supporting Long Term Plan, Annual Plan and Annual Report processes
• Capital expenditure and operating budget management
• Management reporting, insights and performance analysis
• Supporting business cases and investment decision-making
• Managing audit processes and stakeholder relationships
• Leading and developing an Assistant Accountant
• Identifying opportunities to improve systems, reporting and ways of working

This is the type of role where you'll be equally comfortable discussing strategy with senior leaders, reviewing financial results, building financial models and helping shape decisions that directly impact the community.

What We're Looking For

We're interested in commercially minded finance professionals who enjoy building relationships and influencing outcomes, not just producing reports.

You'll likely bring:

• CA qualification or equivalent professional accounting background
• Strong management accounting and business partnering experience
• Financial modelling, budgeting and forecasting capability
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Experience translating financial information into clear, practical advice
• Strong technical accounting knowledge and reporting capability
• A proactive mindset and a passion for continuous improvement
• The confidence to ask questions, challenge assumptions and influence decision-making constructively
• Experience within local government, infrastructure, public sector or large, complex organisations will be highly regarded, but is certainly not essential.

This is an organisation where your contribution is visible. You'll work closely with senior leaders, gain exposure to significant strategic projects, and have the opportunity to influence decisions that directly impact the future of the district and its communities.

• Genuine business partnering exposure
• Broad and varied responsibilities
• Direct access to senior decision-makers
• Leadership opportunities
• A supportive and collaborative culture
• The chance to make a meaningful community impact
• An outstanding lifestyle location that offers a balance few places can match

Whether you're already based in the South Island, looking for a lifestyle change, or seeking a role where you can see the real-world impact of your work, we would love to have a chat with you.