Job Description
Are you someone who can step in, make sense of the chaos, and steady the ship?
Can you lead a capable team and work closely with the CEO to reset and rebuild a high-impact finance function?
We’re looking for an experienced finance leader to step into a contract CFO-level role for 6 months during a pivotal period of change. The previous CFO has recently moved on, and this organisation—one with real community reach—is undergoing a significant transformation.
This role goes beyond numbers — it’s an opportunity to lead a meaningful project that will have a lasting impact on the community, particularly in how rates and public funding are managed, allocated, and delivered.
What’s the Situation?
The organisation is in a period of transition. With a reshaped leadership structure and a large-scale transformation project underway, your guidance will be critical in rebuilding momentum across finance.
You’ll take ownership of core financial operations, help clarify strategic direction, and be a sounding board for the CEO as they steer change.
This isn’t just a finance clean-up—it’s an opportunity to play a leading role in a project that directly impacts how rates and public funding are used to benefit the community. It’s purpose-driven work that needs a capable, unflappable leader.
Key Focus Areas
- Lead core financial activities: budgeting, forecasting, board reporting, and financial strategy
- Support a team of around 30 individuals
- Bring structure to stalled processes and guide the team through ambiguity
- Partner with the CEO to implement strategic change and restore clarity
- Identify inefficiencies, plug gaps, and restore confidence in reporting
What We’re Looking For
- A seasoned finance professional with senior leadership experience—this is not a stepping-stone role
- CA (or equivalent) qualified, with strong technical capability across budgeting, reporting, and financial planning
- Experience in local government, council, or publicly funded organisations
- A strategic thinker with strong business acumen, able to operate at both the detail and big-picture levels
- Calm, pragmatic, and decisive under pressure — someone who quietly restores order and brings stability to complex environments
- Comfortable working in uncertain or changing contexts, able to bring clarity and structure without needing everything mapped out
- A strong people leader with excellent interpersonal skills — able to guide, support, and uplift a capable but stretched team
Why This Role?
Because this is more than a finance fix—it’s your chance to contribute to a project with purpose. You’ll be working alongside an engaged CEO and a dedicated team to reshape how financial decisions impact the wider community.
This role is perfect for someone who enjoys bringing order to complexity, mentoring others, and being part of work that matters.
Sounds like you? Apply now and be a part of the journey.
All applications will be acknowledged by email and applicants must hold the right to work in New Zealand.