Head of Finance & Corporate Services ​

About the Business

Inframax Construction is a well-established, vertically integrated civil construction, road maintenance and quarrying business operating primarily across the central North Island, with a strong presence throughout the Ōtorohanga, Waitomo and Ruapehu districts.  As a Council-Controlled Trading Organisation (CCTO), Inframax combines the commercial disciplines of a competitive infrastructure business with the prudent stewardship, transparency and governance expected of a publicly owned organisation.

The Inframax head office is located in Te Kūiti, where this role will predominantly be based, with travel to other operational locations from time to time.

The opportunity

Inframax is looking for an accomplished commercial finance leader to join their Senior Leadership Team as Head of Finance & Corporate Services.  This is not a traditional finance management role, nor is it a removed from the detail corporate finance position.  It is an opportunity to become Inframax’s senior finance leader and principal strategic commercial adviser to the CEO and wider senior leadership team. 

The role combines senior leadership responsibility with a practical, hands-on connection to the financial, commercial and operational performance of the business. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the wider senior leadership team, you will lead finance and corporate services while strengthening commercial and strategic finance capability across the organisation. Inframax already has an established and high performing finance team responsible for the core financial and management accounting, reporting, taxation, treasury, audit and control activities of the business.  Your role is to lead, support and challenge that team while ensuring the information it produces is translated into meaningful commercial insight and better business decisions.

A key part of your mandate will be to help move finance beyond reporting what has happened to providing the forward-looking insight, constructive challenge and analysis that improves business performance and decision-making.  You will be equally comfortable discussing long-term financial sustainability or a significant investment with the CEO and Board as you are working alongside operational leaders to understand what is driving the performance of a construction contract, maintenance programme, quarry, fleet or business unit.

Key Responsibilities will include the following:

• Financial strategy and sustainability: leading long-term financial strategy, rolling forecasts, scenario modelling, funding strategy and medium-to-long-term capital planning.
• Commercial performance: leading deeper reviews of contract, project, quarry, fleet and business-unit performance; identifying trends, risks and opportunities; and constructively challenging operational and commercial assumptions.
• Investment and capital allocation: developing and challenging business cases and applying disciplined ROI, IRR, NPV and discounted cashflow analysis to significant capital investments and strategic initiatives.
• Pricing, tenders and procurement: providing commercial insight and challenge around significant pricing decisions, tenders, procurement, supplier risk and contract governance.
• CEO and Board advice: providing clear, objective and forward-looking financial and commercial analysis on performance, investment, financial sustainability, risk and strategic options.
• Financial leadership and oversight: leading, supporting and challenging the established finance team and ensuring financial reporting and analysis is translated into meaningful insight for the CEO, Board, Senior Leadership Team and operational leaders.
• Governance and risk: strengthening enterprise risk management, financial governance, insurance, business continuity, delegations and governance frameworks appropriate to a CCTO.
• Technology and corporate services: providing senior leadership oversight of IT governance, cyber security, ERP and business systems, digital transformation, information governance and selected corporate support services.
• Leadership and capability: developing the finance and corporate services team and strengthening commercial and financial understanding across the wider organisation.

The role is deliberately both strategic and hands-on.  The position has been designed for someone who can operate confidently with the Board and CEO while remaining closely connected to operational performance across construction, maintenance and quarrying. 

Who we’re looking for
 
We are looking for an experienced senior finance leader who combines strong financial foundations with commercial curiosity, practical judgement and the confidence to influence decisions.  You will bring a proven track record of senior finance leadership experience and be comfortable working directly with a CEO, board, senior leadership team and operational managers.  You are a Chartered Accountant (CA/CPA or equivalent) holding tertiary finance qualifications.  Experience in civil construction, infrastructure, road maintenance or quarrying would also be valuable, but we are equally interested in candidates from other asset-intensive and operationally complex businesses who can demonstrate highly transferable commercial and financial capability.

Technical capability is important, but it will not be enough on its own.  We are looking for someone who thinks strategically but is prepared to get into the detail when it matters.  You enjoy being close to operations and understanding what is really driving financial performance.  You recognise the difference between producing financial information and using that information to improve commercial performance and business decisions.  You are commercially astute, curious and prepared to constructively challenge assumptions.  You can turn complex financial information into clear, practical advice and are comfortable asking the questions that help others think differently about performance, risk and investment.  You will be credible and confident with directors and the CEO while remaining approachable and effective with operational managers and the finance team.  You build trusted relationships without compromising independence of thought, bring integrity and sound judgement to your decisions and enjoy developing people and organisational capability rather than simply being the organisation’s most senior technical accountant.  You will also bring a continuous-improvement mindset and an interest in how better systems, technology, data and processes can improve organisational performance.  These characteristics reflect the role’s emphasis on commercial awareness, strategic thinking, leadership and influence, communication, relationship building, integrity, continuous improvement and resilience. 
  
Why this role?

This appointment represents a deliberate investment in the next stage of Inframax’s development. The role has been broadened beyond the previous Finance Manager position to strengthen the organisation’s commercial capability, strategic financial leadership, investment decision-making, governance and succession resilience.  You will work directly with the CEO, senior leader team and board while remaining connected to the operational realities of civil construction, road maintenance and quarrying.  You will have genuine influence over commercial performance, capital investment, financial strategy, governance, technology and organisational resilience.  For the right person, this is an opportunity to make a visible contribution to both the performance of the business today and its capability and resilience for the future.

A competitive senior leadership remuneration package and medical insurance will be offered.

Ready to make your mark?

Apply now or contact Andy Hickey at LEAD Executive Search | Impact Leadership: [email protected]