Chief Financial Officer / General Manager Finance, Risk & Performance

E ngā iwi, e ngā karangatanga huri noa i te motu, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. He īnoi tēnei ki a koe. Tono mai ki tētahi tūnga ki te Kaunihera o Ōtautahi

• Lead the financial stewardship of the South Island’s largest city
• Shape organisational performance, investment strategy and long-term financial sustainability
• Join the Executive Leadership Team at an exciting time for Ōtautahi Christchurch

Christchurch is a city with ambition, momentum and opportunity. As New Zealand's second-largest city and the economic hub for the South Island, Ōtautahi Christchurch is continuing to thrive and prosper. 

This is a rare opportunity for an exceptional executive leader to join the Council as its Chief Financial Officer and General Manager Finance, Risk & Performance.

About the role | Ko te mahi nei

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive and as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will contribute to organisation-wide strategy and leadership, helping shape the future direction of Christchurch and the services delivered to its communities, while leading the Finance, Risk and Performance Group.

You will provide Council-wide leadership across financial strategy and stewardship, enterprise risk, organisational performance and procurement.

As a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive, elected members and senior leaders, you will help shape strategic thinking by providing the financial, commercial and performance insight needed to support major funding, infrastructure and long-term planning decisions, while helping ensure the effective stewardship of billions of dollars of public assets and expenditure.  

Your key areas of focus will include: 

• Leading Council's long-term financial, funding and investment strategy.
• Strengthening organisational performance, accountability and value for money.
• Overseeing enterprise risk and key planning processes, including the Long Term Plan and Annual Plan.
• Supporting sound, evidence-based decisions across a large and complex organisation.
• Overseeing the delivery of the Annual Report for the Council and the wider Council Group including its council-controlled organisations.
• Leading change and continuous improvement across the group. 

You will need to balance long-term strategic thinking with strong operational leadership, ensuring Council remains financially resilient, well-governed and focused on delivering for the community. 

About you | Ko Koe Tēnei

You will be a Chartered Accountant who is an accomplished and commercially astute executive leader with the ability to bring clarity, sound judgement and a broad organisational perspective to a complex and evolving environment. 

You'll bring: 

• Executive leadership experience in a large, complex organisation.
• An unqualified commitment to public sector values and accountabilities coupled with executive-level financial, commercial and investment expertise.
• Experience working with governance bodies of councils and council-controlled organisations.
• A track record of leading organisational change and building high-performing teams.
• The ability to influence, collaborate and lead across a diverse stakeholder environment.

Most importantly, you will be a visible and trusted leader who can work beyond functional boundaries, bring people with you and maintain a clear focus on sustainable outcomes for the community. 

This is an exceptional opportunity to combine strategic leadership, financial stewardship and public sector leadership in a role that will help shape the future of a leading city and make decisions that have a positive and lasting impact on Christchurch and its communities.

Additional Information | Ko ētahi atu kōrero:

If this sounds like an interesting opportunity, and you think you have what it takes and want to help shape our city, please apply today or contact Gemma Cunliffe for more information - gemma.cunliffe@ccc.govt.nz

• Position - Full-time, permanent 
• Location - This position is primarily based at Te Hononga Civic Office, 53 Hereford Street
• Salary - An executive remuneration package will be negotiated with the preferred candidate, taking into account their skills, experience, and the requirements of the role 
• Closing Date - Monday 21st September 2026

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the close date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad before the advertised close date.