EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Director of Finance
The Community
The District of Sparwood is a welcoming and resilient mountain community of approximately 4,100 residents, located in the heart of the Elk Valley in southeastern British Columbia. Sparwood offers exceptional access to outdoor recreation including hiking, biking, fishing, camping, and skiing — all while being just 1.5 hours from Cranbrook and 2.5 hours from Calgary. This is an opportunity to enjoy a balanced lifestyle while making a meaningful professional impact in local government.
The Opportunity
The District of Sparwood is seeking a strategic, experienced, and collaborative Director of Finance to join its Senior Leadership Team.
Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Finance serves as the municipality’s principal financial advisor to the CAO and Council and provides leadership over the District’s financial stewardship and long‑term sustainability. This role plays a key part in supporting sound decision‑making, fiscal accountability, and alignment with Council priorities.
Key Responsibilities
The Director of Finance provides leadership and oversight for the District’s financial functions, including:
- Financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting
- Development and administration of operating, capital, reserve, and borrowing plans
- Property taxation, utility rates, and long‑term funding strategies
- Treasury functions, investments, debt management, and internal controls
- Grant funding administration, reporting, and compliance
- Risk management, insurance, and asset management planning
- Preparation of financial bylaws, policies, and reports for Council
- Advising the CAO and Council on financial condition, risks, and sustainability
- Leadership and mentorship of the Finance team
The Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate is a finance professional who combines strong technical expertise with sound judgment, leadership skills, and the ability to communicate clearly with both elected officials and staff.
Qualifications and experience include:
- Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation
- Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible financial administration experience
- Minimum five (5) years in a financial leadership or supervisory role
- Municipal finance experience and experience in a unionized environment are considered strong assets
- Strong knowledge of public‑sector accounting standards and municipal governance
- Proven experience with budgeting, financial reporting, and variance analysis
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- A wide range of non-traditional education and/or equivalent work experience will be considered
Compensation & Benefits
The District of Sparwood offers a competitive management compensation package, including:
- The starting salary range for this position is between $116,000 and $140,000 (dependent on education and experience), with further increases based on the annual performance reviews
- Employer‑paid benefits
- Up to 3 weeks of time off in lieu of overtime
- Earned Day Off (EDO) program
- Flexible workplace provisions to offset overtime and support work‑life balance
- Active Living Pass providing access to the Leisure Centre, fitness centre, climbing wall, pool, arena, and select drop‑in fitness classes
- Opportunities for ongoing professional development
Apply Now! Closing date for applications is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed as received.
Click on the “Apply For This Job” link to submit your resume and cover letter addressed to the Manager of Corporate Services.
Qualified applicants who are offered and accept the position may be required to complete a satisfactory pre-employment background check. This may consist of all or a combination of the following: Canadian criminal record check, an employment verification and/or an education and accreditation verification, and a clean driver’s abstract.
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JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Summary
The Director of Finance is responsible for the overall financial leadership, stewardship, and sustainability of the District. This position exercises the statutory powers, duties, and functions assigned under Section 149 of the Community Charter and the District’s Officers and Officials Bylaw.
Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Finance is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and serves as the municipality’s principal financial advisor to the CAO and Council. The Director provides strategic leadership and direction over all financial functions, including financial planning and reporting, budgeting, forecasting, taxation, treasury, investing, debt management, risk management, asset management integration, and internal controls.
The Director supports informed decision‑making and the achievement of Council priorities through sound financial analysis, long‑term financial planning, risk‑aware advice, and continuous improvement of financial systems and practices.
Direct Reports
- Deputy Director of Finance
- Financial Analyst
General Job Duties
Financial Planning and Reporting
- Develop operational, capital, and reserve budgets; financial bylaws; financial statements; statistical reports; cost analyses; monthly reporting; and annual financial reports.
- Develop and maintain long‑term financial planning, including reserve strategies, debt management plans, and related financial policies to support the District’s financial sustainability.
- Develop long‑term funding strategies related to property taxation, parcel taxes, and utility rates to balance affordability for residents with the funding needs of municipal services.
- Administer the District’s financial resources in accordance with Council‑approved budgets and monitor revenues and expenditures.
- Analyze and interpret financial and accounting information to assess operating results, performance against budget, and the overall financial condition of the District.
- Oversee forecasting, variance analysis, and reporting against actual results; identify significant trends, risks, and discrepancies; and recommend mitigation or corrective actions as required.
- Oversee grant funding administration, reporting, and compliance to ensure adherence to funding agreements and grant program requirements.
- Establish and maintain systems of internal financial controls, including appropriate checks and balances, to safeguard assets and minimize the risk of financial loss.
- Ensure the custody and investment of all District funds and securities in accordance with the Community Charter and Council policies.
- Research, prepare, and present financial policies, bylaws, reports, and supporting materials for Council and senior leadership.
- Ensure accurate, complete, and secure financial records of the District are prepared, maintained, and retained.
- Ensure the Chief Administrative Officer and Council are kept fully informed on the financial condition of the District and significant factors influencing it.
- Maintain effective working relationships with external auditors, government agencies, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, and professional advisors.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable federal and provincial financial requirements, including Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS).
Risk Management
- Identify and evaluate financial and operational risks to the District, including internal and external risks.
- Develop, implement, and maintain an overall risk management approach that assesses potential financial impacts on the District.
- Prepare and administer risk management and insurance budgets.
- Oversee the procurement and maintenance of appropriate insurance coverage to protect the District’s assets and operations.
- Oversee insurance renewals, claims management, and relationships with insurance providers and brokers.
- Monitor risk exposures and trends and recommend strategies to reduce or mitigate risk where appropriate.
- Advise the Chief Administrative Officer on significant risk‑related issues affecting the District.
Asset Management
- Participate as a member of the internal Asset Management Committee, providing financial leadership and advice.
- Contribute to the development, implementation, oversight, and ongoing monitoring of the District’s Asset Management Plan.
- Collaborate with the committee and department heads to establish processes and policies that support effective asset lifecycle management.
- Develop and review financial strategies and models related to capital planning, asset renewal, and long-term infrastructure funding.
- Ensure asset management information is integrated with financial forecasts, reserve strategies, and capital budgets.
- Support informed decision‑making by aligning asset condition, service levels, risk, and financial capacity.
Other Duties
- Develop, implement, and monitor long‑term strategic plans, goals, and objectives in support of Council priorities and the District’s strategic goals.
- Provide financial analysis, costing, and advice to the Chief Administrative Officer and Manager of Human Resources related to compensation, benefits, labour relations, and workforce planning.
- Oversee the financial administration of the District’s employee benefit programs and Municipal Pension Plan participation.
- Collaborate with the Chief Administrative Officer and department heads in planning, organizing, coordinating, and implementing corporate and cross‑departmental initiatives.
- Promote and support a work environment committed to employee health, safety, wellness, and respectful workplace practices.
- Undertake special projects and assignments as required.
Knowledge, Abilities and Skills
- Extensive experience in municipal financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and financial reporting.
- Strong understanding of municipal governance, legislation, and public‑sector accountability.
- Sound analytical, planning, prioritization, and execution skills.
- Demonstrated ability to provide clear, practical, and defensible financial advice to senior management and Council.
- Proven leadership and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to effectively lead and manage staff in a unionized environment.
- Demonstrated knowledge of human resources concepts, including labour standards, compensation frameworks, benefits administration, and employment policies, from a financial and advisory perspective.
- Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret goals, objectives, and policies.
- Ability to identify issues and implement creative and strategic solutions to complex financial and organizational challenges.
- Ability to delegate effectively, set clear expectations, and monitor performance of direct reports.
- Ability to resolve conflicts while minimizing disruption to workflows and working relationships.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with Council, staff, external partners, and the public.
- High level of integrity, ethics, confidentiality, professionalism, and accountability.
- Expert proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to adapt to financial systems, tools, and technological change.
Qualifications Job Requirements
- Strong knowledge of Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS).
- Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
- Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in financial administration.
- Minimum five (5) years of experience in a financial leadership or supervisory role.
- Experience in municipal finance is considered an asset.
- Experience working in a unionized environment is considered an asset.
- Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s Licence.
- A wide range of non-traditional education and/or equivalent work experience will be considered.
Work Conditions
- Attendance at regular and special Council meetings, including delivering presentations.
- Attendance at committee meetings as required.
- Frequent interaction with employees, senior leadership, elected officials, external agencies, and the public.
- Frequent overtime, including evening meetings.
- Occasional travel.
- Work involves periods of high workload, competing deadlines, and time‑sensitive legislative requirements.
Our Work Environment
At the District of Sparwood we are always interested in attracting high performing team members to our staff by offering:
- A collaborative and supportive work environment.
- Opportunities for continual professional learning and development.
- Flexible workplace provisions to offset overtime and support work‑life balance.
- Earned Day Off program.
- Employer‑paid benefits.
- An Active Living Pass providing access to the Leisure Centre, fitness centre, climbing wall, pool, arena, and select drop‑in fitness classes.
