Finance Business Partner

Hawke's Bay Regional Council; Napier; On-site; NZD 97,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

5 weeks annual leave after 3 years

4% superannuation after 3 years

Life insurance and income protection

Well-being initiatives

Job summary

Hawke's Bay Regional Council in Napier seeks a Finance Business Partner to strengthen financial performance and long-term sustainability. This full-time role offers trusted financial advice, budgeting, forecasting and robust reporting to support organisational priorities.

You will contribute to the LTP and Annual Plan, working with budget holders and senior leaders. A degree in Accounting and Excel proficiency are essential; CA preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or equivalent tertiary qualification.
• Chartered Accountant preferred but not essential.
• Experience in financial management, business partnering, and performance reporting.
• Proficient budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and modelling.

Responsibilities

• Partner with budget holders and leaders to provide financial insight.
• Develop and maintain budgeting, forecasting and scenario models.
• Deliver high-quality financial reporting to support priorities.
• Contribute to Long-Term Plan (LTP) and Annual Plan preparation.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Variance analysis

Financial modelling

Excel

Financial systems

Reporting tools

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Driver’s licence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting

Chartered Accountant qualification (preferred)

Tools

Financial software

Reporting tools

Job description

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

About The opportunity | Ko te āheinga:

We’re looking for a Finance Business Partner to play a key role in strengthening the Council’s financial performance and long-term sustainability. This is a full time, permanent position based in Napier.

Working closely with budget holders and senior leaders across the organisation, this role provides trusted financial advice, insight and analysis to support effective planning and decision-making. You’ll be responsible for developing and maintaining robust budgeting, forecasting and scenario models, and for delivering high-quality financial reporting that supports organisational priorities.

You’ll contribute directly to the preparation of the Long-Term Plan (LTP), Annual Plan, and associated financial documents, while helping to ensure consistency, clarity and quality across financial planning and reforecasting processes. This is a highly collaborative role that balances strategic thinking with strong operational delivery.

About you | E pā ana ki a koe:

You’ll be a confident finance professional who enjoys partnering with stakeholders and translating financial information into meaningful insight. You’ll bring strong analytical capability, sound judgement, and a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach.

You will also have:

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree or equivalent tertiary qualification in Accounting.
• Chartered Accountant qualification is preferred but not essential.
• Experience in financial management, business partnering, management accounting or performance reporting.
• Strong skills in budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and financial modelling.
• High proficiency in Excel and experience working with financial systems and reporting tools.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels.
• Valid driver’s licence required.

The salary range for this role is between $97,070 to $114,200 and will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

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.

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

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

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.