Head of Finance

Woolworths Group; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Sonder wellbeing access

Progressive leave policies

Team discounts

Job summary

Woolworths Group NZ invites applications for Head of Finance – Retail Operations, Primary Connect & Property. Based in Favona, the role partners with top NZ executives to guide sustainability, value creation, and commercial decision-making in a purpose-led business.

You will lead a finance team, own budgeting and planning cycles, and deliver data-driven insights to support customer-first initiatives. The role offers hybrid work and cross-functional leadership across Retail Operations and

Qualifications

• Qualified CA/CPA with significant senior commercial finance experience.
• Proven track record in executive business partnering within large, matrixed organisations.
• Experience coaching, mentoring and developing diverse, high-performing teams.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with senior executives.
• Analytical thinker comfortable with evolving priorities and innovation.
• Alignment with values and ethical standards in a complex organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and empower a finance team across three portfolios.
• Oversee annual budgeting, capital investments, and long-term planning.
• Provide financial insights, variance analysis, and trends to support decisions.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to craft investment proposals and business cases.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and adopt automation.
• Maintain strong external relationships with partners, suppliers, and regulators.

Skills

Financial leadership

Executive partnering

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Data storytelling

Education

CA/CPA qualification

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

• Based in our Favona Support Office, Lead, mentor, and empower a high-performing finance team across three essential commercial portfolios.
• Act as a key strategic partner and trusted advisor to executive directors across Retail Operations, Supply Chain, and Property.
• Shape long-term value creation, sustainability, and commercial decision-making in a purpose-led organisation.

We are Woolworths Group | Ko Woolworths Tātou

We are Woolworths Group. 200,000+ bright minds, passionate hearts, and unique perspectives across Australia and New Zealand. Connected by a shared Purpose - 'to create better experiences together for a better tomorrow'. That purpose fuels our ambition to explore new ideas, make brave commitments, and innovate better ways to meet the food and everyday needs of more than 24 million customers every week.

If you're excited to turn today's blue-sky thinking into a better tomorrow for future generations, you'll find yourself supported and enriched in a dynamic, inclusive, and empowering workplace. With a culture of genuine care, a flexible approach to work, and opportunities across the group to grow your career and make a meaningful impact, the possibilities for what we can achieve together are endless.

What you’ll do | Hei mahi

As the Head of Finance – Retail Operations, Primary Connect & Property, you will partner closely with the Director of Finance, Strategy and Performance NZ, playing an integral leadership role supporting Woolworths New Zealand. You will act as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Directors of Retail Operations, Property, and Primary Connect, fostering collaborative relationships and providing financial insight to guide commercial decisions.

Specifically, The Role Will See You

• Lead, support, and develop a dedicated finance team of three direct reports (with a broader team of 12) creating an inclusive, empowering environment where team members thrive and collaborate effectively.
• Guide the annual budgeting, capital investment framework, and long-term planning cycles, aligning resources to achieve balanced, sustainable commercial outcomes.
• Partner with operational leaders to deliver meaningful financial insights, variance analysis, and forward-looking trends that support customer-first initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to co-create robust, data-led investment proposals and commercial cases that evaluate holistic opportunities and risk mitigation.
• Identify opportunities to enhance operational rhythms, streamline financial processes, and embrace modern tools and automation to simplify day-to-day ways of working.
• Foster constructive, values-aligned relationships with external partners, suppliers, and regulatory bodies to uphold trust and integrity across our operations.

Please note: applications close on the 26th of November

What you’ll bring | Hei koha

You will bring an open, collaborative mindset, genuine care for people, and a proven ability to translate complex data into clear, empathetic strategic narratives.

To Be Successful In This Position, You Will Have

• Professional accounting qualification (CA/CPA or equivalent) with significant senior commercial finance experience.
• Proven executive business partnering experience within large, matrixed organisations, with a track record of building lasting partnerships founded on mutual trust and transparent communication.
• An empowering leadership style with a dedicated focus on coaching, mentoring, and developing diverse, high-performing teams.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with confidence presenting compelling strategic storylines and navigating constructive discussions with senior executives.
• A thoughtful, analytical approach to problem-solving, with comfort navigating evolving priorities and championing innovation in a dynamic environment.
• Alignment with our values: showing deep care for teams, customers, and communities, listening and learning with an open mind, and always doing the right thing.

What you’ll experience | Ngā Huanga

Our Team Members Are At The Heart Of Everything We Do And We’re Always Looking For Ways To Support Your Career Journey And Reward Great Work

• A commitment to flexibility through a hybrid working model combining time spent at our Favona Support Office and remote working to balance personal and professional wellbeing.
• A high-impact executive role shaping the commercial strategy and sustainability of New Zealand’s food and everyday retail network.
• Endless career possibilities across our trans-Tasman business ecosystem with ongoing exposure to senior leadership networks.
• Holistic wellbeing support, including confidential 24/7 access to physical, mental, and financial wellbeing assistance via Sonder.
• Progressive and competitive leave policies designed to give you more dedicated space for what matters most to you.
• Team discounts across Woolworths Group brands and a rewards program that celebrates purpose-driven leadership.

Everyone belongs at Woolworths Group | Nō Woolworths tātou

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are key to realising our purpose of better together for a better tomorrow. We recognise the value our team’s diversity brings to our business, customers, and communities and that teams with diverse experiences and backgrounds enrich our group and are better able to innovate and solve problems. As one of the largest employers in Australia and New Zealand, we aim to create a truly inclusive workplace where everyone feels that they belong, can be their best selves, and reach their full potential.

We encourage all candidates to apply; please let us know in your application if we can support you with any adjustments in the hiring process.