General Manager Finance and Regulation

Taituarā; West Coast; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Coast Waters is seeking a General Manager Finance and Regulation to lead finance, governance, and regulatory functions for a brand-new regional water services organisation formed from multiple councils. This senior role reports to the CEO and shapes systems, culture and strategy from Day One.

You will establish finance, governance and regulatory foundations, manage an important borrowing programme, and build hands-on capability in the early years within a resource-constrained environment.

Qualifications

• Significant senior executive or general management experience in local government, utilities, infrastructure or similarly complex environments.
• Strong financial leadership, governance, risk and commercial acumen.
• Proven track record standing up a finance function in a complex, asset- and compliance-intensive environment.
• Ability to translate funding sustainability targets into affordable charging pathways for diverse customer bases.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance, risk and compliance frameworks.
• Oversee financial planning, budgeting and investment decision-making.
• Lead procurement, contract and commercial management.
• Act as trusted strategic advisor to Chief Executive and leadership team on financial and governance performance.

Skills

Financial leadership

Governance

Regulatory acumen

Commercial acumen

Risk management

Strategic leadership

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification in finance/commerce/public administration/infrastructure

Job description

• Inaugural role at the heart of Coast Watersleadership
• Lead governance, regulatory, commercial and supportfunctions
• Build the financial and regulation foundations of abrand-new organisation
• Based in Buller, Grey or Westland

About theCompany:

Coast Waters isa newly established, purpose-built water services organisation bringingtogether the water services teams of Buller, Grey and Westland DistrictCouncils into a single, unified workforce. Operating across a geographicallylong, diverse and often challenging region, Coast Waters manages an extensivenetwork of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater assets, underpinned bysignificant council investment programmes over the next decade and beyond.

Coast Watersexists to provide safe, reliable and sustainable water services that help WestCoast communities thrive. Their work is grounded in service, stewardship andpartnership, with a focus on building resilient infrastructure, supportingcommunity wellbeing and creating a positive future for the region.

About TheRole:

The GeneralManager Finance and Regulation is a senior leadership role providing strategicdirection across finance, governance, regulation and enabling services for abrand-new organisation.

The role’sresponsibilities include leading governance, risk and compliance frameworks;overseeing financial planning, budgeting and investment decision-making;leading procurement, contract and commercial management; and acting as atrusted strategic advisor to the Chief Executive and leadership team onfinancial, governance and other organisational performance matters.

IdealCandidate:

You will bringsignificant senior executive or general management experience within localgovernment, utilities, infrastructure or a similarly complex environment,together with strong financial leadership, governance, risk and commercialacumen, and demonstrated success leading organisational support functions.

You will haveproven establishment experience, having stood up a finance function in acomplex, asset- and compliance-intensive environment, with a clear sense ofwhich controls need to be right from Day One versus which can mature over time.

Your commercialand financial strategy skills will go beyond core finance, able to translate afunding sustainability target (such as an FFO ratio) into a workable,affordable charging pathway across different customer bases.

In addition,you will have:

• Treasuryexperience, comfortable managing an important borrowing programme ($200–$230million), including LGFA-style guarantee and covenant structures.
• Regulatory andpublic-disclosure credibility with experience operating where financialdecisions are subject to public disclosure, economic regulation andelected-member or community scrutiny.
• A track recordestablishing Board and shareholder reporting rhythms, and the diplomatic skillto work with a Board, a Forum of council and iwi representatives, and multiplecouncils with unequal shareholdings but equal voice.
• Comfort with agenuinely regional, resource-constrained organisation – pragmatic about what afinance function needs at this scale, and willing to build hands-on in theearly years rather than delegate to a large team.
• A relevant tertiary qualification infinance, commerce, accounting, business, economics, public administration, law,infrastructure management or a related discipline.

This is a rareopportunity to build a finance, governance and regulatory function from theground up within a brand-new regional organisation. A broad and influentialrole reporting directly to the Chief Executive, with genuine scope to shapesystems, culture and strategy from Day One.