Chief Financial Officer

ABOUT LIVERPOOL PLAINS

Liverpool Plains, centrally located in-between the New England and the Hunter Valley regions, is nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. The population centers of Quirindi and Werris Creek are located at the heart of the Shire where the summers are hot, the winters are cool, and the sky invariably clear year-round.

Boasting more than 1,000 businesses across more than 70 business categories including agriculture, automotive and machinery services, business and finance services, personal and social services, construction, trades and maintenance, gardening and excavation, hospitality, creative arts and transport services, Liverpool Plains is a thriving country community. Of note, however, is the agri-business sector which supports a sector farming with the fourth best soil type in the world, distinctly black and exceptionally fertile.

A fabulous opportunity now exists for an ambitious finance professional to lead the Shires Finance Services function as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

The Role

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), reporting directly to the Director Corporate and Community Services, you will be leading a dedicated and talented team of professionals, all focused on supporting the Shire to deliver a vision for a vibrant, economically diversified and sustainable Liverpool Plains region. Further, the role will support a culture of financial discipline and accountability, transparency and continuous improvement in the organisation, providing financial leadership and reliability to the Liverpool Plains region, its people and the future.

Functionally the role of Chief Financial Officer exercises overall responsibility for the operations of the Finance Services functions including all financial planning and reporting as well as the financial statutory and legislative reporting requirements of council.

About You

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position is a unique opportunity in a community centric location and one which will suit an individual seeking both a rewarding role and a country lifestyle. It brings with it the opportunity to join a best-in-class senior management team, all working together for the betterment of the community in a region where the locals are proud of their flourishing communities.

Key Accountabilities

• Oversee the effective and efficient management of Council’s Financial Services Business Unit, including delivery of accounting, budget management, rates and revenue, accounts payable and receivable, procurement and contracts, and stores and purchasing functions.
• Serve as Council’s delegated Responsible Accounting Officer, including establishing and maintaining systems for budgetary control, conducting budget reviews, revising estimates, maintaining accounting records, generating accounting reports, and managing Council’s investments and assisting Council’s auditors.
• Interpret and apply financial and accounting codes, standards, legislation and Office of Local Government (OLG) directives and formulate, implement and review budgetary and accounting policies and procedures.
• Oversee the annual external Audit process, including preparation of Council’s Annual Financial Statements for submission to the OLG.
• Lead the development and review of Council’s Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) and the financial components of Council’s other Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) documents, including Asset Management Plans, , and annual Operational Plan.
• Oversee the annual budgeting process including preparing budget estimates, monitoring financial performance and preparing quarterly budget reviews, and identifying, reporting and advising on variances, trends and outliers.
• Provide financial advisory services to all Departments and Business Units in relation to financial management policies and procedures, financial system operations, budget preparation and management, financial planning to support business units to achieve long-term financial viability.

As an experienced finance professional (from either a government or private sector background) and leader of people, you will have a history of delivering sound financial organisational capability, building cultures that you and the organisation are proud of and being firmly focused on outcomes. As would be expected of such a role, well developed communication skills are essential as is the ability to develop effective partnerships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholder groups.

Lastly, it is expected that as well as being degree qualified in Finance or Accounting, you will be either CPA or CA accredited.

For a copy of the comprehensive candidate brochure, please contact Gareth Broadrick on:

Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date: Midnight Tuesday 7th May 2024