- Inaugural CFO, building the financial backbone from the ground up
- Shape the funding and pricing strategy behind a $1.47 billion capital programme
- Broad, enterprise-level finance and corporate services portfolio
- Based in Queenstown + competitive remuneration package
About the Organisation:
Queenstown Lakes District Council has established Queenstown Lakes Water Services CCO to own and deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services for one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing districts. These are lifeline services, essential to public health, environmental compliance and community safety, and the WSCCO will carry full statutory accountability for their safe delivery from Day 1.
The district is carrying the largest water investment programme in its history, around $1.47 billion of capital over the ten years to 2033/34, roughly half of it growth-driven. This is a setting that will demand serious financial discipline and service reliability, under high public scrutiny.
Water services will transfer to the Queenstown Lakes Water Services CCO on 1 July 2027, and having recently appointed the CEO the organisation is now preparing to appoint its inaugural CFO.
About The Role:
This is an establishment and stewardship role, not a business-as-usual controller role. Reporting to a Chief Executive who values strong, independent financial counsel, the CFO will build the finance and commercial function from the ground up while progressing live workstreams and the QLDC handover in parallel, calling for sound judgement and high level of comfort with ambiguity.
The CFO who succeeds here will be commercially sharp and regulator-aware, moving easily between Board expectations, establishment realities, affordability pressures and practical implementation.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will help shape a high-performing, values-led organisational culture that reflects the aspirations of the WSCCO, fosters strong partnerships, including commitment to Te Ao Māori, and builds an engaged, accountable and customer-focused organisation.
Key accountabilities include:
- Design and stand up the WSCCO finance and commercial function ahead of Day 1 (1 July 2027)
- Build the minimum viable financial architecture needed to go live
- Drive treasury strategy, funding readiness and the LGFA borrowing programme, bringing credible financial discipline to a new entity
- Own the WSCCO’s financial and economic regulatory readiness, including information disclosure and engagement with the Commerce Commission regime
- Shape the funding and pricing strategy that balances growth investment against affordability, and deliver a 9% FFO target within five years or earlier
- Build a no-surprises reporting culture and earn trust as the Chief Executive and Board’s go-to financial advisor while meeting shareholder separate reporting and oversight expectations.
Skills & Experience:
You will bring significant senior finance leadership experience, with accountability for organisational financial performance, planning, controls and advice, ideally within a utility, asset/compliance intensive environment. You will have a proven record in organisation establishment, major transformation, separation or carve-out work, along with treasury, funding and capital-planning capability.
You will weigh growth investment against affordability with rigour and translate strategic targets into a workable funding and pricing pathway. You’ll have built Board reporting rhythms and earned trust with new Boards and shareholders. Leadership of corporate-services functions beyond core finance would be an advantage.
A relevant tertiary qualification is expected, with Chartered Accountant status, CFA or an equivalent senior finance qualification is preferred. Experience in New Zealand’s water sector, a CCO or government-owned enterprise would be advantageous, as would familiarity with the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the financial architecture of a new public utility in a high-profile district where growth, affordability and environmental responsibility all come to a head. Beyond establishment, the role continues into steady-state utility leadership, with scope to shape how the WSCCO funds itself and proves its value over time.