Finance Manager

About Coastguard New Zealand
Coastguard New Zealand is a volunteer-based organisation dedicated to saving lives on the water. Behind our frontline volunteers sits a national organisation responsible for ensuring our people have the funding, equipment, systems and support they need to operate safely and effectively.
It is a complex and purpose-driven environment where strong financial stewardship matters. Every dollar needs to be understood, managed well and directed towards delivering the greatest possible impact.
  
About the role
We are looking for an experienced Finance Manager who can bring together strong financial leadership, technical depth and capable people management. Reporting directly to the GM Finance & Funding, you will be a key leader within the finance function, taking ownership of the quality and effectiveness of day-to-day financial operations while also contributing to the bigger financial picture for Coastguard New Zealand.
  
You will lead a small finance team, provide trusted advice across the organisation, strengthen financial disciplines and ensure the GM Finance & Funding can confidently rely on the function to deliver. You will be expected to understand what sits behind the numbers, identify issues before they become problems, and help translate financial information into practical organisational decisions.
  
We are particularly interested in someone who has already developed considerable breadth as a finance leader and is comfortable moving between technical accounting, team leadership, operational problem-solving and more strategic conversations. You will still be close enough to the detail to know what is happening, but experienced enough to step above it, challenge thinking and provide direction when required. For the right person, this is also a role with genuine scope to broaden your leadership contribution over time.
  
What you will do
You will take a leading role in ensuring Coastguard has a finance function that is accurate, disciplined, responsive and forward-looking.
  
Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a small finance team, creating clear expectations, accountability and a strong standard of delivery.
• Taking ownership of month-end and financial reporting, ensuring information is accurate, timely and supported by meaningful analysis.
• Maintaining strong oversight of journals, reconciliations, controls and balance sheet integrity.
• Providing the GM Finance & Funding with high-quality analysis, commentary and financial insight for management and Board reporting.
• Working closely with leaders and budget holders across Coastguard to strengthen financial understanding and support better decision-making.
• Supporting budgeting, forecasting, cashflow management and longer-term financial planning.
• Leading the preparation of annual financial statements and coordinating year-end and audit requirements.
• Maintaining appropriate financial, tax, statutory and organisational compliance.
• Strengthening finance systems, processes and controls, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, reliability and visibility.
• Providing experienced financial judgement on emerging issues, projects and organisational decisions.
• Building capability within the finance team so that knowledge, accountability and decision-making are appropriately distributed rather than sitting with one person.

What we are looking for
We are looking for someone with the experience and professional maturity to become a trusted right-hand to the GM Finance & Funding.
  
You will bring significant experience within finance and accounting environments and, importantly, established experience leading people. You know how to build capability, lift performance and create a team that can operate with confidence and accountability.
  
You will also bring:

• Extensive experience in finance and accounting roles, including substantial responsibility for end-to-end financial reporting, controls and compliance.
• Proven experience leading and developing finance teams.
• Strong technical accounting capability and a sound understanding of New Zealand financial reporting, tax and statutory requirements.
• The ability to operate comfortably at both a detailed and strategic level, knowing when to get into the numbers and when to step back and consider the wider implications.
• Strong commercial and analytical judgement, with the ability to identify trends, risks and opportunities rather than simply report historical results.
• Confidence working with senior leaders and translating complex financial information into clear, practical advice.
• Experience improving financial systems, processes and controls.
• The credibility and judgement to challenge constructively, make recommendations and take ownership when required.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in accounting, finance or a related discipline, with CA or equivalent professional membership strongly preferred.

Experience within a charity, not-for-profit, membership, public-sector or similarly complex organisation would be valuable, but it is not essential. More important is your ability to understand an organisation where financial sustainability, stewardship and purpose need to work together.
  
Why join Coastguard?
You’ll be part of a committed, mission-driven organisation where your work directly supports volunteer lifesavers and contributes to safer waterways across Aotearoa New Zealand.
This role also offers something increasingly difficult to find in senior finance positions: the opportunity to remain close to the organisation and its people while having meaningful influence over how the finance function develops.
In addition, we offer a range of benefits to support your wellbeing and help you do your best work:

• Leave and flexibility: Birthday leave; flexible working options (role dependent).
• Health and wellbeing: Flu vaccine vouchers; Southern Cross life, income and critical illness insurance discounts; free, confidential support via our external provider (Vitae).
• Coastguard membership: Free membership for you and your whānau.
• Development and recognition: Career and learning support; staff recognition initiatives; free parking at all Coastguard locations.
• Staff discounts: Boost, Marine Deals, Tower, Explorersafe and more.

How to Apply
To help us understand your experience beyond what we can see in your CV, a cover letter is required as part of your application.
Please keep your cover letter to a maximum of two pages and use it to respond to the following questions:

1. What interests you about this Finance Manager opportunity with Coastguard New Zealand, and what do you believe you could bring to an organisation with our purpose and operating environment?
2. Tell us about your experience leading and developing a finance team. What size and structure of team have you led, and how have you improved capability, accountability or performance within that team?
3. Describe the breadth of financial responsibility you currently hold, or have held in a recent role. We are particularly interested in your experience across financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, audit and compliance, financial controls, systems and process improvement, and providing advice to senior leaders.
4. Give us an example of when you have moved beyond reporting the numbers to influence a significant business or organisational decision. What did you identify, what advice did you provide, and what was the outcome?

Applications submitted without a cover letter addressing these questions may not be progressed.
  
Please submit your CV and cover letter through the application link. We review applications as they are received and may progress suitable candidates before the advertised closing date.
  
Coastguard New Zealand is committed to an inclusive workplace where all people feel valued, respected, and able to be their full selves. We encourage applications from across our communities.