- Bring your financial expertise to a beloved Christchurch institution
- A hands-on governance role with real impact – not just oversight from a distance
- Required a commitment of approx. 100 hours a year
About the role:
This isn't a passive board seat. As Finance Trustee for the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Foundation, you'll be the financial conscience of the organisation – a mini-CFO who rolls up their sleeves and keeps the Foundation's finances in good order.
You'll work closely with the Foundation Chair, Gallery Director and Head of Development & Engagement, playing a central role in the operational life of the Foundation. You'll prepare financial reports for six board meetings a year, manage creditor payments, oversee cashflow and liaise with the Foundation's fund manager and auditors. When it's audit season or end of financial year, you'll be the person who makes sure everything is in order.
It's a role that rewards people who are comfortable moving between governance and operational duties and who genuinely care about the arts.
You’ll be responsible for:
- Financial reporting – Preparing the finance board pack for each of the six annual board meetings, presenting to the full Board to keep Trustees informed on the endowment fund and operational cashflow.
- Creditor management and payments – Processing creditor payments and authorising weekly bank transactions.
- Cashflow management – Monitoring the Foundation's operational cashflow and preparing the annual operational budget.
- Fund oversight – Maintaining an informed relationship with the Foundation's investment fund manager and ensuring endowment, activities and Foundation funds are correctly tagged and reported.
- Audit liaison – Working with auditors during the September–December audit period and supporting the preparation of annual financial statements.
- Monthly operational meetings – Attending a monthly meeting with the Chair, Gallery Director and Head of Development & Engagement.
- Board attendance – Six board meetings per year plus an annual strategy half-day.
Why this role? Why now?
The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Foundation is entering its most ambitious phase yet. With an endowment fund established through the TOGETHER programme, we've recently made our first major acquisition and are launching a legacy giving programme. We're supporting the Gallery's role as delivery partner for New Zealand's 2026 Venice Biennale presentation, and we're building deeper, more diverse relationships across the arts, business and community sectors.
The Foundation needs a steady financial hand to help it grow with confidence. This is a genuine opportunity to step into a governance role where your financial expertise directly enables art to be made, acquired and shared with the people of Ōtautahi.
What skills and experience do I need?
These are our must-haves:
- An experienced finance professional – you may be a Chartered Accountant, or a CFO or senior finance leader with equivalent commercial experience.
- Comfortable working with auditors and across audit and risk processes.
- Able to work with a degree of independence – you won't have a finance team behind you, so self-sufficiency matters.
- Willing to do the work, not just oversee it. This role involves real, hands-on financial tasks.
- A genuine appreciation for the arts and the Foundation's mission.
These are other skills or experience we'd love you to have:
- Previous governance or board experience.
- Familiarity with not-for-profit or charitable trust financial frameworks.
- Experience with endowment or investment fund oversight.
- Knowledge of Xero or similar accounting platforms.
- Networks within Christchurch's business or arts communities.
This is an unremunerated governance role. We recognise the time commitment that this role requires and we're open to conversations about how that works in practice. If you're a partner or senior professional at an accounting firm that might see value in a formal association with the Foundation, we'd welcome a discussion about whether a contra firm-level sponsorship arrangement could support your involvement.
Benefits
This is a rare opportunity to contribute your financial expertise to something that genuinely matters for our city. You'll have the chance to step into a substantive governance role, build relationships with some of Christchurch's most influential and interesting people, and work alongside artists, curators and cultural leaders in one of the city's most iconic spaces. The time commitment is meaningful but manageable – approximately 100 hours a year – making it well suited to someone at a stage in their career where they want to give back in a focused, purposeful way.