Okotoks is a picturesque town located only 18 km south of Calgary's city limits and is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful and desirable communities in Alberta. With approximately 31,000 residents, the town is nestled in the heart of the foothills along the Sheep River valley with a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains. With a strong commitment to preserving its small-town feel while providing big-city amenities, Okotoks affords residents with an outstanding quality of life and is considered one of the best places to live in both Alberta and Canada. Unemployment and crime rates remain consistently low, coupled with excellent schools and quality healthcare – all factors that make Okotoks a wonderful place to call home. Okotoks has a highly educated population and is well positioned to attract business and industry to support its growth and that of the surrounding region. The charismatic downtown core offers boutique shopping and dining opportunities with attractive storefronts, as well as art galleries, unique coffee shops and a museum - making it a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. Okotoks offers low unemployment rates, low crime rates, excellent schools, and quality healthcare. Residents enjoy an enviable lifestyle with expanses of trails and natural areas and an abundance of recreational opportunities. With state of-the-art recreational facilities and amenities, Okotoks is a sports hub for baseball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, biking, running, fishing, and so much more.
Just a short twenty-minute drive to the west is Kananaskis Country which provides glorious scenery, abundant recreational opportunities, and wildlife. Kananaskis Country is a park system in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies that covers 4,000 square kilometres, a collection of formally designated wildland parks, provincial parks, recreation parks, ecological reserves, and cultural zones. Think rolling foothills and rushing creeks cascading through forests of aspen, pine, and spruce. Knife-edge limestone ridges and jagged summits that cradle glaciers and sapphire-blue alpine lakes. A sprawling wilderness playground begging to be explored by hiking boots, running shoes, canoe, bike, horseback, whitewater raft, snowshoes, skis, or with a fishing rod. Bordering Banff National Park, the region is also an ideal jumping-off point to explore some of the nearby renowned sights.
The Town of Okotoks - the Employer
Okotoks is led by a strong governance model where Council, Administration and the community work together to create a municipality where people want to live, work and play. They achieve this through a strong organizational culture that enables people to do their best work. It provides a clear line of sight of the work they do to the impact it has on the town and its residents. This fosters a sense of shared purpose and community, which, when supported by strong leadership and communication, creates an environment where staff flourish. The Town has a fairly flat organizational structure. This enables it to maintain an empowering environment that allows our people to:
- Make decisions to meet the current and future needs of the clients they serve; and,
- Be flexible, nimble, and adapt to change quickly, while having clear levels of authority and accountability
The Town of Okotoks strives to be a municipal leader in offering an exceptional workplace for its employees and aspires to be one of Alberta’s Top Employers. The pandemic has changed the relationship between people and their work, and the employee value proposition must evolve to reflect these changes. The Leadership Team, in conjunction with the Human Resources team, has been focusing on what makes employees feel true value in the workplace. This is being done using a twelve-pillar framework that explores topics like work atmosphere, communication, flexible work options, leadership, and mental health. Addressing these areas helps improve the employee experience and overall organizational effectiveness.
About the Opportunity – Chief Financial Officer
Due to an upcoming retirement, the Town is looking for its next CFO who can build on the great work already in place. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a senior strategic partner who is responsible for providing financial leadership and direction to the organization that supports both Council and corporate goals and priorities. The CFO is a designated professional who provides appropriate advice for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO, Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) and Council on all relevant financial matters. The CFO is responsible for coordination of the budget process, long term financial planning and reporting requirements as well as risk management and the development and monitoring of control systems. The key to success is a smooth integration with the strategy department and aligning financial goals with the business plan. This position also provides strategic leadership and oversite for all financial and accounting operational functions, including budget strategy and management, analysis, financial forecasting, sustainability and reporting. Departments under the purview of the CFO include Purchasing, Finance/Accounting, and Asset Management.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a finance professional that serves as a strategic partner to both Council and Administration. This CFO must see the “big picture” and be able to tie the financial processes to the broader business plan and guide the Strategic Leadership Team to build a financial plan and narrative for Council and the community- to tell the story!
To do this the next CFO must be strategic in their thinking, see the bigger picture, understand the nuances of relationships, and most importantly anticipate the needs of the CAO and Council as they work with the community to achieve the community’s strategic priorities. The most important competencies for this role are:
• Strategic planning
• Political acumen, diplomacy and confidentiality
• Project management
• Problem solving & sound decision making at a strategic leadership level
• Highly developed interpersonal skills
• Highly developed communication & presentation skills
• Analysis and attention to detail and,
• Change management
Responsibilities
Strategic Planning & Management:
1. Organizational Strategy & Business Planning: Support the organization, including Council and Strategic Leadership Team with strategic financial direction. Participate in key decisions as a member of the Strategic Leadership Team and provide recommendations to strategically enhance financial performance and business opportunities. Participate in the development of short, medium and long-term plans and programs. Provide expertise in evaluation and impact of long-term planning, introduction of new programs and initiatives and regulatory action from a financial strategy perspective. Develop timely business plans and strategic initiatives and associated budgets that maximize organizational capacity, maintain established service levels and support the corporate strategic plan in accordance with established timelines and addressing Council and corporate goals. Support the development of performance measures that support the strategic direction. Provide guidance on strategy, managing operational issues that are atypical or have the potential for negative financial, operational, legal or reputational impact;
2. Financial Planning, Budgeting & Systems: Develop, implement, and monitor the municipal budget, including revenue projections, expenditure allocations, variances and long-term financial and strategic planning. This involves collaboration with business centers and leadership to ensure alignment with the municipality's strategic goals and priorities and Corporate Business Plan. Act as a key stakeholder in the implementation, management, and utilization of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Leveraging financial expertise and insights, contribute to optimizing IT investments, enhancing operational efficiency, and driving sustainable business value. Utilize systems to drive strategic decision-making, ensure financial transparency and compliance, optimize operational efficiency, and support the goals of the organization.
3. Policy Development: Provide financial expertise and analysis to support policy development, strategic planning, and decision-making by municipal leaders and policymakers.
Financial Management & Oversight of Financial Operations
1. Reporting and Compliance: Ensure accurate and transparent financial reporting in accordance with government accounting standards and regulatory requirements;
2. Treasury and Cash Management: Manage the municipality's cash flow, investments, and debt obligations to maintain liquidity and optimize financial resources;
3. Revenue Management: Maximize revenue collection through effective tax administration, fee assessment, and revenue enhancement strategies;
4. Financial Analysis and Performance Measurement: Conduct financial analysis and performance evaluations to assess the municipality's fiscal health, efficiency, and effectiveness. This involves analyzing financial trends, key performance indicators (KPIs), and benchmarking data to inform decision-making and improve outcomes;
5. Risk Management and Internal Controls: Identify, evaluate, and mitigate financial risks faced by the organization, such as budgetary constraints and variances, economic fluctuations, and regulatory changes;
6. Debt Management and Capital Planning: Develop and implement strategies for managing the municipality's debt portfolio, including debt issuance, refinancing, and debt service payments. This also involves coordinating capital planning efforts to prioritize infrastructure projects and allocate resources effectively;
7. Grants and Intergovernmental Relations: Manage grants and other funding sources from federal, state, and local governments to support municipal programs and initiatives. Building and maintaining relationships with other governmental entities to coordinate funding opportunities and leverage resources;
8. Ethics and Transparency: Promote ethical behavior, transparency, and accountability in financial management practices and decision-making processes.
Leadership (of Organization and Team)
1. Organization: Actively support and positively lead in the development of a strong and healthy corporate culture. Promote, develop, build, encourage and maintain positive working relationships within the business centers and the organization as a whole, including building strong organization wide working relationships to provide and receive shareholders input early and often.
2. Team: Lead the execution of divisional plans and the Corporate Business Plan, setting division goals and accountability for division achieving outcomes. Provides strong leadership in the full employee cycle, including training and development of top quality financial talent to ensure a high level of performance, productivity and succession planning. Lead the development of service level standards, performance measures and benchmarking to achieve a consistently high level of quality in staff work, operational procedures and service delivery.
Education and Experience
- Proven and well-developed leadership experience.
- Astute political acumen.
- Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation required.
- Master’s degree in business with a focus in Finance/Accounting or a related field would be an asset.
- Ten or more years related work experience representing continuous learning and career progression, including a minimum of six years oversight over multiple disciplines.
- Extensive experience with strategic and business planning processes.
- Experience working with elected officials or a sophisticated board of directors.
- Experience in a senior financial leadership role in a public sector or quasi-public sector environment is an asset.
- Certifications in Local Government Manager (CGLM), Local Government Administration (LGA) and/or Local Authority Administration (NACLAA) would be considered an asset.
- An equivalent combination of progressively responsible related experience may be considere
The Town of Okotoks is prepared to offer a very competitive compensation package commensurate with skills and experience. Further details will be discussed in a personal interview.
Please direct your resume and cover letter clearly outlining your distinctive qualities and how your experience aligns with the specific requirements of the position to:
Todd Sharpe, Partner
HumanEdge Global
Phone: 403-828-0286
Email: todd@humanedgeglobal.com
