Deputy Chief Financial Officer

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Deputy Chief Financial Officer is a leadership role responsible for planning and monitoring the financial performance of MBIE. It is also responsible for the coordination and reporting of MBIE’s performance to key external stakeholders, and for the strategy, governance, and management of MBIE’s assets.

This role is responsible for bringing together an enterprise view of MBIE’s financial landscape and performance working in partnership with the Strategy and Transformation team, Corporate Services, Finance and Enablement. The Deputy CFO provides strategic financial advice to MBIE’s Senior Leadership team as required.

The Deputy Chief Financial Officer and their team supports the continuation of growing MBIE’s financial capability. This role will act for the Chief Financial Officer as required.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven track record of leading cross-system integration in a medium to large public sector or business organisation, connected and contributing to the wider organisation and ensuring the “one organisation” approach.
• A deep practical knowledge of the process needed to lead and develop a finance and performance function at senior leadership level.
• Proven leadership skills including demonstrated ability to engage and motivate kaimahi (staff).
• Strong strategic financial management background.
• Experience in leading behavioural change and lifting organisational capability including influencing at all levels of an organisation.
• Demonstrates excellence in communication including the ability to translate complex issues from one level to another.
• Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships.
• A strategic thinker who is able to make the connections between various aspects of the organisation and implications for their business unit.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with senior leaders. The ability to lead across groups and influence decision makers where there is no direct reporting relationship.
• Sound appreciation of corporate management disciplines and techniques.
• Sound working knowledge and understanding of the machinery of government and processes that apply within the state sector.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining an environment focused on continuous improvement and sustainability to enhance organisational performance.
• Must have sound financial and business management experience and skills at the senior executive level. 

Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant (CA) qualified with 5 to 10 years post CA experience in senior finance management and in reporting to Executive or Ministerial level or equivalent.
• Must consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check as the role holds financial delegations.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical areas of success

The Deputy Chief Financial Officer will be required to deliver results in the following areas:

• Establishing their team as a centre of leadership, excellence and expertise that enables MBIE to deliver its organisational strategy, drive performance and an exemplar of best practice for the public service.
• Providing MBIE wide financial reporting that is consistent and credible including investment management.
• Ensuring MBIE is provided with technical accounting advice that is timely and relevant, and ensures we meet our requirements as a ministry.
• Providing an enterprise view of MBIE’s financial performance and provide strategic advice to MBIE SLT.
• Leading and managing MBIE’s relationship with the Treasury and Audit New Zealand, ensuring audit recommendations have been successfully implemented.
• Working closely with the Enterprise Performance team, and Organisational Strategy and Planning in Enterprise Strategy, Risk & Transformation to input into the planning process, with accountability for financial planning, resulting in the delivery of key documents.
• Ensuring all performance accountability documents are produced to a high standard.
• Ensuring Finance Business Partners are provided with accurate information and advice that supports business decision-making.
• Ensuring robust capability exists and is retained in specialist areas.

Collective leadership

• Take collective responsibility for the cohesion and performance of MBIE as a whole and provides peer support to other senior managers.
• Work collaboratively with the Finance Team to define the outcomes and outputs expected from the Group to deliver on MBIE’s strategic direction.
• Participate collaboratively as a member of the Finance Leadership Team to ensure the development of sustainable organisational capability and achieve expected efficiency benefits and ongoing improvements in cost effectiveness.
• Contribute beyond core functional area to enhance the overall effectiveness and impact of the Transformation & Strategy team.
• Ensure consistency and alignment between different teams in MBIE and promote solution seeking where there are legitimate differences.
• Represent Senior Leadership Team views to their teams and other MBIE employees.

Personal leadership

• Models’ exemplary management and leadership behaviours, and State sector ethics and values.
• Creates a sense of vision, engages and motivates people to participate, and makes things happen.
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing.

General management

• Develops strategies, work programmes and performance targets, with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
• Aligns work programmes with MBIE’s strategic direction and other Groups’ work programmes.
• Monitors and adjusts work programmes through the agreed processes to enable adaptation to changing circumstances.
• Regularly monitors and reports on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies.
• Manages expenditure and resources in line with approved guidelines, budget, deadlines and reporting requirements, with a focus on driving cost effectiveness in the Ministry.
• Builds continuous review and improvement throughout all elements of branch operations.
• Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk.

Relationship management

• Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve desired outcomes.
• Develops effective working relationships with other managers and staff in order to transfer knowledge and learning to the wider organisation.
• Builds strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives to ensure MBIE’s views are influential in their decision-making.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with national and international organisations to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry.
• Tests the effectiveness of stakeholder relationships using a range of appropriate measures and processes (including stakeholder feedback).

Team leadership

• Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs.
• Monitors individual, team, and branch performance to ensure that performance targets are met. Anticipates future capability needs, identifies gaps in capability and addresses these gaps through targeted recruitment and development or other actions.

Wellbeing, health and safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
• Ensures own and others safety at all times.
• Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting.
• Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion.
• Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation.

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Deputy Chief Financial Officer position reports into the Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Performance. The branch sits within the Corporate Services, Finance and Enablement group.

More information about MBIE's structure

Matatautanga – Competencies (Leadership Success Profile)

The Leadership Success Profile (LSP) is a leadership capability framework, developed by the New Zealand public sector for the New Zealand public sector. It creates a common language for leadership and establishes what great leadership looks like. You can look at the twelve underpinning capabilities and four leadership characters here: Leadership Success Profile | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission(external link)

To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand

Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.

As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.

Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service

Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.

In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.

What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission