Business & Finance Adviser at Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Multiple Locations

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Work closely with your stakeholders, influence decisions & become an invaluable business adviser
• Permanent, full-time position
• Flexible South Island location (regular travel to main centres required)

Mō te tūnga | About the role

This is a true business partnering role, not a desk-based finance position.

As a Business & Finance Adviser, you will work closely with Regional Leadership Teams and Operational Managers, building trusted relationships and providing credible, proactive financial and commercial advice that influences decision-making and drives better outcomes.

You will partner with leaders to understand their operational pressures and strategic priorities, translate financial information into meaningful insights, and support both financial and non-financial planning, performance, and reporting across the region.

While the role can be based anywhere in the South Island, your key stakeholders are located across the main population centres. As such, regular travel is required to maintain strong relationships and effective in-person engagement.

This role reports to the Regional Manager Finance and Business Partnering and operates with a high level of autonomy.

Key accountabilities include:

• Acting as a trusted adviser to Regional Leaders and Operations Managers through strong relationship management and proactive engagement.
• Providing high-quality financial advice, analysis, and insight to support planning, forecasting, performance management, and decision-making.
• Supporting the development, implementation, and maintenance of effective financial management frameworks, systems, and processes.
• Ensuring financial activities comply with departmental policies, procedures, and relevant legislation.
• Contributing to non-financial planning and reporting where it supports organisational performance and outcomes.

This position will require traveling across the region to engage with stakeholders and support effective business partnering, therefore a full NZ drivers licence is required.

Mōu | About you

You are a confident and credible relationship builder who enjoys working alongside leaders to solve problems and improve performance.

You are comfortable operating independently, take ownership of your work, and know how to prioritise competing demands. You bring energy, curiosity, and professionalism, and you are as skilled at listening and influencing as you are at analysing numbers.

You understand that successful business partnering is built on trust, presence, and practical advice, and, you are willing to travel to maintain strong, effective working relationships.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Proven experience in business partnering or stakeholder-focused financial advisory roles.
• Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to influence and support leaders at different levels.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of the Public Finance Act and public sector accounting standards and guidelines.
• Experience with financial management and accounting systems, and an understanding of how good financial information supports operational decision-making.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with the ability to distil complex information into clear, practical advice.
• Experience working with databases and financial information systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and confidence communicating complex concepts to non-financial audiences.
• The ability to operate effectively in a Māori cultural setting and an appreciation of whole-of-government responsibilities in succeeding with Māori.
• A self-managing approach, with high personal standards and the ability to manage workload across multiple stakeholders and locations.

Utu ā-tau | Salary

The mid point of the salary range is $131,914 per annum and the full range (85%-120%) is $ 112,127 - $158,297 per annum.  Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Mō mātou | About us

Join Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections, where your work will contribute to improving public safety, reducing re-offending, and address the overrepresentation of Māori in correctional facilities. As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship), and whānau (relationships) to guide our work and achieve the goals of our Hōkai Rangi strategy.

We value inclusion and diversity in our workforce, and as a Public Service organisation we are committed to building a workforce that reflects the public we serve. We strive to make our recruitment process fair, and we encourage you to discuss reasonable accommodations with us if required.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To submit an application and view the position description, click the apply link. All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency – applications received via email will not be considered.

When applying, submit a tailored CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience and the alignment to our work.

Applications close on: Wednesday 15 April 2026, 11pm NZST.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about a career with us, contact sarah.zagarelos@corrections.govt.nz, or visit careers.corrections.govt.nz.