Board Appointed Finance Director

Hockey New South Wales is the governing body responsible for providing Hockey players in New South Wales with the opportunity to play Hockey from junior levels through to elite competition through its affiliated Associations and national governing body-Hockey Australia.

Hockey New South Wales celebrates diversity of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, cultural background, ethnicity, location, religious or political beliefs, and life stage. We strive to create an open, inclusive, and equal environment in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Our culture is important to us, and our values are central to our way of working. They describe the way in which directors, staff, volunteers, and athletes behave, interact, and work together.

At Hockey New South Wales we will live and breathe our PRIDE values, being:

• Professional
• Resilient
• Integrity
• Diversity
  and
• Excellence

The Hockey New South Wales Board is responsible for ensuring that it has a diverse range of skills, knowledge, and experience to govern the organisation effectively. Applicants for director positions are required to have specific skills highlighted in the Board Skills Matrix as a priority for the Board, as well as the personal qualities, and a range of competencies that will enable an effective contribution to the duties and obligations of the Board. Integrity and suitability for appointment and a demonstrable understanding of directors’ duties, contemporary corporate governance, and sufficient financial literacy to be a board director, are essential.

BOARD APPOINTED FINANCE DIRECTOR

Position reports to: Hockey New South Wales President 

Term: 3 Years

Remuneration: Non-Executive – Voluntary Role

Department: Board & Board Committees including being on the Finance & Risk Committee & Governance Committee (chairing the Finance & Risk Committee - FRC where required)

Location: Flexible - requirement for online and face to face meetings

Core Purpose as the non-executive Board Appointed Finance Director

Hockey New South Wales Board, responsible for striving to achieve best practice governance of Hockey NSW and ongoing strategic development and growth

You will also play a crucial role in overseeing/chairing the Hockey New South Wales’s Finance & Risk Committee (“FRC”) which is responsible for overseeing key financial, audit, internal control, information technology and risk management functions in line with the current Hockey NSW Strategic Plan on behalf of the Board of Directors. You will utilise your expertise, strategic insight and deep financial acumen to ensure Hockey New South Wales’s growth, stability, and financial sustainability.

Key Skill of this Appointment

The successful applicant brings sophisticated financial management and financial risk expertise and is a CPA or CA qualified accountant, likely a CFO, Finance Director senior Financial Controller or Partner in an accounting firm.

Key Responsibilities

• Knowledge of director responsibilities including an understanding of the role as well as the legal, ethical, fiduciary, and financial responsibilities
• Strategic Contribution: Offer strategic input to the board to facilitate informed decision-making and ensure Hockey NSW long-term success
• Corporate Governance: Maintain the highest ethical and governance standards in all business operations and decisions
• Chair the Finance & Risk Committee including: 
  • Assisting the Board in discharging its fiduciary responsibilities in relation to financial management, audit, risk management, internal control, and information technology
  • Facilitating the effective functioning of the FRC Committee, including managing the conduct, frequency, and length of committee meetings
  • Ensuring all discussion items end with a decision, action, or outcome
  • Reviewing and approving the draft minutes before distribution
  • Providing strategic guidance, support and mentoring to the Chief Executive Officer and Finance Manager to facilitate informed decision making
  • Seeking to ensure that the financial information provided to the Board is relevant, accurate, timely and sufficient to keep the Board appropriately informed of the performance of the organisation and of any developments that may have a material impact on the organisation or its performance
  • Overseeing and facilitating the FRC evaluation reviews and succession planning
  • Consider and approve the annual budget and rolling forecasts, including the overall vision, and monitoring the implementation and progress against KPIs
  • Act as a sounding board and counsel on major Strategic issues within the finance, audit, risk management and information technology space by bringing together key personnel with relevant expertise
  • Ensure the finance department has the most effective structure, people, resources, and relationships to develop, lead and execute the key financial, audit, risk management and information technology operations of the organization
  • Critically assess the Risk Management Framework, Risk Register, Cyber Security, Crisis Management Plan, and IT Disaster Recovery functions
  • Support the organisation to create an environment that challenges the concepts of best practice in finance, audit, risk management and information technology

Skills & Attributes

• Very strong attention to detail and financial acumen
• An in depth understanding of corporate governance, financial reporting standards and regulatory requirements in Australia
• Strong integrity and ethical compass in meeting fiduciary duties and responsibilities and putting Hockey New South Wales interests before others
• The ability to inform and brief stakeholders on strategic finance matters and lead constructive and timely discussion and debate, drawing on the expertise of the FRC
• Understanding of member-based organisations and the expectations of members, participants, volunteers, associations and clubs is desirable
• Highly self-motivated with an intrinsic desire to strive for excellence; shows initiative and wants to keep raising the bar and exceed expectations in a dynamic environment
• Able to build and maintain collaborative relationships with management and other Committee members
• Is committed to reading and understanding the Hockey New South Wales Strategic Plan and the Australian Hockey Whole of Sport Strategic Plan to ensure that efforts are focused on getting the best outcome for Hockey New South Wales

Qualifications

• Experienced non-executive director 
• Qualified CPA (Certified Practising Accountant) or CA (Chartered Accountant)
• 5+ Years’ proven experience in finance, accounting, audit, and risk management
• Tertiary Qualifications in business/commerce, accounting, finance and/or information technology
• AICD (or equivalent) governance qualifications desirable Appraisals

Key Working Relationships

• Chief Executive Officer
• Finance Manager
• Other members of the FRC
• Other External relationships as required such as member associations, auditors

Benefits

• Work with a dedicated and high performing Board and Executive Leadership Team that value integrity, excellence, leadership, inclusion, and community
• Contribute to the success and governance of Hockey in New South Wales and Australia.

Requirements

• Current Working with Children’s Check 
• Current Director Identification Number (DIN)
• National Police Check (if required by HNSW)
• Confirmation that you have never been banned and disqualified person register
• Evidence of accounting qualification and professional status

Other information

The Board meets a minimum of 8 times per annum either in person or via videoconference technology

• The FRC meets 6 times per annum either in person or via videoconference technology. A more intensive time commitment may be required leading up to financial statement sign-off or if issues arise