Chief Financial Officer

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a senior role in MBIE reporting to the Deputy Secretary, Corporate Services, Finance & Enablement and supporting the Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team in their effective management of the Ministry’s financial sustainability.

The CFO is responsible for embedding strategic financial management strategies, frameworks, processes and mindsets in support of MBIE achieving its strategic and operational objectives. The role brings financial leadership to the Senior Leadership Team and the organisation, influencing business groups and leaders towards enhanced financial planning, performance and risk management, and actively contributing to the development of MBIE’s operating model, enterprise strategy and plans.

The CFO plays a key role in supporting the effective management of the Ministry's resources to achieve its goal of Growing New Zealand for all.

The CFO is accountable for:

• Instilling a financial approach and mind set across MBIE to improve performance, to help shape strategy and direction, making MBIE more effective at executing resource deployment decisions in the face of changing customer demands and government priorities.
• Bringing financial leadership to the SLT, equipping finance to be effective partners in the strategic management of MBIE, applying financial expertise and performance information to help leaders and allow SLT to make strategic choices and prioritise.
• Supporting the Deputy Secretary with the design, implementation and ongoing development of transformational activities and financial programmes of work to ensure that MBIE’s operating model and the delivery of finance support remains fit for purpose.
• Responsible for the reporting framework that supports SLT prioritisation and performance measurement.
• Establishing and building key working relationships with Treasury, Audit New Zealand, other agencies and key stakeholders within New Zealand.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Senior level experience operating as a CFO of a large complex organisation.
• Demonstrates deep understanding of the principles and conventions of government and the constitutional, legal and whole-of-government basis on which the New Zealand Public Service operates.
• Strong strategic financial management background.
• Proven leadership skills including demonstrated ability to engage and motivate people especially during times of change.
• Political nous and a proven track record of building and maintaining the trust and confidence of Ministers and senior officials.
• Makes quality decisions by using analytically sound, well-rounded, informed and inclusive approaches.
• Takes a broad perspective and considers the implications of situations in terms of wider context beyond organisational boundaries.
• Understands how to work with different organisation cultures
• Creates an environment that is conducive to productive, two-way communication.

Proven success in a senior management role including:

• Working collaboratively as a member of a leadership team with a shared organisational vision and goals.
• Strategic leadership and management.
• People leadership and management.

Qualifications

• CA qualified required with 5-10 years post CA experience in senior finance management and in reporting to Chief Executive and/or Ministerial level.

Pre-requisites for the position

• The ability to gain and maintain a national security clearance to Top Secret level.
• To be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
• Must consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check as the position holds financial delegations.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Strategic leadership:

• Provides strategic financial leadership for the Ministry to ensure the development of sustainable organisational capability, and achieves expected efficiency benefits and ongoing improvements in cost effectiveness
• Supports and enables the delivery of priority business outcomes across all business groups
• Provides excellent change leadership to ensure that Ministry continues to evolve in a way that enables it to respond effectively and efficiently to its changing environment
• Leads the development of the finance work programme to align with and support MBIE’s strategic direction and adopt a business-like and customer centric culture
• Provides a commercial focus and acumen to guide MBIE resource allocation and to support delivery of its objectives.

Fuctional leadership

• Leads the ongoing development and guardianship of MBIE’s financial management systems, performance and capability across MBIE through a ‘partnering’ operating model of financial service delivery.
• Ensures that the finance work programme is truly ‘customer-centric’ and so informed and driven by the needs of MBIE and its business groups and is underpinned by a good understanding of the work of the business groups.
• Ensures that MBIE’s business groups can access financial services and advice that enables and supports them to effectively deliver their work programmes.
• Leads the development of a Finance ‘centre of expertise’ in order that business groups can easily access the advice, support, and services they need whether this be from within MBIE or from external sources.
• Ensures that the processes underpinning the operation of the finance area are business-like, user friendly, efficient, cost effective and exploit the use of technology where possible.
• Responsible for setting MBIE wide timetables and establishing organisational frameworks, presenting an enterprise view to our Senior Leadership Team, including monthly reporting, budgets and forecasts, external budget bids and strategic plans.
• Oversees the provision of expert advice, guidance and support to help groups manage financial risks effectively, including ensuring MBIE is complying with laws and regulations, and minimising financial loss.
• Oversees financial business partnering through providing internal analysis and advice to groups on financial strategy, planning, capital management, funding prioritisation, investments and business cases.
• Responsible for ensuring MBIE's internal controls are strong and fit-for-purpose, by developing and implementing effective financial policies, procedures, that support MBIE's deliverables.
• Oversees financial and non-financial assurance through the leadership of the Internal assurance function, this includes ensuring a well-planned annual calendar and unfettered access to the Chief Executive on assurance matters.
• Leads strategic financial and commercial advice to Ministers, Treasury, the Chief Executive and SLT and ensures MBIE complies with all financial and management accounting requirements.
• Leads the work to ensure that MBIE’s internal financial and non-financial performance is measured and evaluated in a way that drives continuous improvement against established benchmarks.
• Works with the Chief Advisor to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary, Corporate Services, Finance & Enablement to support SLT to set financial direction and drive internal performance.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of MBIE's operating model in order that it is embedded as a core component of MBIE’s culture.

Wellbeing, health & 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 Chief Financial Officer position reports into the Deputy Secretary, Corporate Services, Finance & Enablement.

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