Manager Department Finance

Join the Chief Financial Office within Business Services at the City of Gold Coast as Manager Department Finance. This senior leadership role involves providing strategic financial leadership and specialist advice to City departments, partnering with executives to drive sound financial decision-making and long-term sustainability. You will build financial acumen, ensure compliance, deliver high-quality financial analysis, and manage a team of finance professionals, operating at a significant city scale with large budgets and capital programs.

Must Have

• Provide strategic financial leadership and specialist advice to one or more City departments.
• Partner closely with Executive General Managers and senior leadership teams to drive sound financial decision making and long term sustainability.
• Play a critical role in building strong financial acumen, discipline and governance across the organisation.
• Ensure compliance with Australian Accounting Standards, Council policies and relevant legislation.
• Deliver high quality financial analysis to support strategic outcomes.
• Present financial reports and advice to relevant Council Standing Committees, Program Control Groups and governance forums.
• Drive financial management excellence across operational and capital programs.
• Lead annual budgets, quarterly reviews and monthly financial reporting.
• Align departmental budgets with the City’s long term financial forecast.
• Contribute to long term financial modelling and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage and develop a team of finance professionals within a shared services model.
• Act as a conduit between the Chief Financial Office and departments.
• Help ensure financial sustainability outcomes for a rapidly growing city.
• A Bachelor Degree in Accounting or equivalent experience in public sector finance.
• Proven experience preparing financial statements and delivering high‑quality financial advice.
• Strong communication skills and confidence engaging with executives and senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated people leadership in complex or matrixed environments.
• A collaborative, solutions‑focused leadership style.

Good to Have

• CPA / CA (or equivalent) accreditation

Perks & Benefits

• Coaching and advice to develop your leadership competencies
• Mental Health training
• Study allowance provisions
• 4 free confidential counselling sessions a year for you or an immediate family member
• Salary sacrifice provisions including vehicles on novated lease and superannuation

Manager Department Finance

Job No: COG1361

Location: Bundall

Employment Status: Full Time

No. of Vacancies: 1

Closing Date: 26 Jan 2026 AEST

• Role Overview
• Application Form

• Permanent Full Time
• $230,000 (base salary and vehicle allowance) per annum + Superannuation
• Position Brief - Manager Department Finance

About the team

You’ll join the Chief Financial Office within Business Services, a high performing, collaborative finance function operating through a shared services model.

The team is trusted by executives to provide clear, timely and strategic financial insight across a large, operationally diverse organisation. We value strong partnerships, professional judgement and developing leaders who are confident operating at scale and complexity.

About the role

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an accomplished finance professional who wants to influence decisions at true city scale.

As Manager Department Finance, you will provide strategic financial leadership and specialist advice to one or more City departments, partnering closely with Executive General Managers and senior leadership teams to drive sound financial decision making and long term sustainability.

You will play a critical role in building strong financial acumen, discipline and governance across the organisation, ensuring compliance with Australian Accounting Standards, Council policies and relevant legislation while delivering high quality financial analysis to support strategic outcomes.

The scale of this role is significant. You will operate in a complex, high impact environment, supporting:

• An FY26 operating budget of $809 million

• An FY26 capital program of $938 million

• Monthly service delivery activity exceeding $900 million

• Employees approx. 2,050

• Financial partnerships across 11 General Managers and 31 Managers

You will also be responsible for presenting financial reports and advice to relevant Council Standing Committees, Program Control Groups and governance forums. As such, confidence in communicating complex financial information clearly and persuasively to senior stakeholders and elected representatives is critical.

Key responsibilities include driving financial management excellence across operational and capital programs, leading annual budgets, quarterly reviews and monthly financial reporting, aligning departmental budgets with the City’s long term financial forecast, and contributing to long term financial modelling and continuous improvement initiatives.

You will manage and develop a team of finance professionals within a shared services model, act as a conduit between the Chief Financial Office and departments and help ensure financial sustainability outcomes for a rapidly growing city.

This role suits a finance leader who thrives on complexity, influence and visibility, and who values seeing their advice translate into tangible outcomes for the community.

We’re looking for people who have:

• A Bachelor Degree in Accounting or equivalent experience in public sector finance

• CPA / CA (or equivalent) accreditation (desirable)

• Proven experience preparing financial statements and delivering high‑quality financial advice

• Strong communication skills and confidence engaging with executives and senior stakeholders

• Demonstrated people leadership in complex or matrixed environments

• A collaborative, solutions‑focused leadership style

Be part of shaping the Gold Coast’s future

The Gold Coast is inspired by lifestyle and driven by opportunity. We are the second largest Council in Australia.

And then there’s the lifestyle

Think sunny mornings, beach walks before work, hinterland hikes on the weekend, and a city that offers world class dining, entertainment and outdoor living without the daily grind of a capital city commute.

Here, you don’t have to choose between career progression and quality of life, you get both!

We care about being the most flexible government organisation in Australia. We have a range of benefits to help you create the right balance:

• Coaching and advice to develop your leadership competencies
• Mental Health training
• Study allowance provisions
• 4 free confidential counselling sessions a year for you or an immediate family member
• Salary sacrifice provisions including vehicles on novated lease and superannuation

We pride ourselves on our shared mission of being a high-performing, customer-focused organisation which delivers value-for-money services to the community.

How to apply

To submit your application, please click apply now and complete the application form. You will be required to upload your resume and a cover letter (no more than two pages) outlining how your skills, experience and personal attributes will enable you to be successful in this role. Please note that you may also be asked to provide relevant qualifications, where applicable.

Contact Person Jennie Jean

Contact Email jjean@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

Closing Date Monday, 26 January 2026 / 11:59pm

Our selection process may include a one-way video interview via Criteria, a face-to-face or virtual interview via Microsoft Teams, reference checks via Xref and additional checks including police checks, employment history checks, qualification checks, pre-employment medical reviews and drug and alcohol testing.

We’re committed to creating a diverse workplace and inclusive culture. We take pride in people who align with our high-performance principles. We believe that the diverse makeup of our workforce reflects the community we serve. We consider all qualified candidates for employment, irrespective of race, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics by law.