Description

The City of Red Deer is currently recruiting for a Manager, Financial Business Advisory Services to fill a permanent full-time position. The Manager, Financial Business Advisory Services provides enterprise-wide leadership and oversight of the City’s Financial Business Advisory Services. The role ensures strong alignment and collaboration between corporate financial governance and divisional financial execution by leading a team of Financial Business Advisory Controllers who work directly with operating departments to support budgeting, financial management, internal controls, reporting integrity, and compliance with corporate standards, legislation, GAAP, PSAS, and the MGA.

This position acts as a critical connector between financial policy, frameworks, and systems led corporately through the CFO, and the operational application of financial practices across divisions. The Manager strengthens financial stewardship, improves consistency in financial processes, and enables leaders across the organization to make sound financial decisions based on accurate analysis, clear guidance, and proactive advisory support.

Top Key Responsibilities:

Enterprise Leadership of the Controller (Financial Business Advisory) Function - Lead, coordinate, and standardize the Controller advisory function across the organization. Set expectations for quality, consistency, and value of financial analysis and advice. Provide guidance on financial policies, internal controls, and reporting standards. Act as the escalation point for complex financial issues. Core accountability: Ensure a high-performing, consistent, and enterprise-aligned financial advisory function.
Integration of Corporate Finance and Divisional Operations - Align divisional practices (budgeting, forecasting, reporting) with corporate frameworks. Facilitate two-way communication between Corporate Finance and operational divisions. Ensure divisional input informs corporate policy, systems, and process development. Core accountability: Bridge corporate financial governance with operational execution.
Strategic Financial Advisory to Operations - Ensure delivery of high-quality financial insights (business cases, modeling, variance analysis, risk identification). Support decision-making on planning, services, and resource allocation. Build financial literacy and capability among operational leaders. Core accountability: Enable better business decisions through strong financial insight.
Standardization and Continuous Improvement of Financial Practices - Develop and maintain consistent tools, templates, and reporting approaches. Drive process improvements, efficiency, and harmonization across divisions. Recommend enhancements to systems, processes, and financial governance. Core accountability: Improve financial effectiveness, consistency, and efficiency across the enterprise.
People Leadership and Capability Development - Lead, coach, and develop Controller staff.Manage performance, workforce planning, and succession. Foster a collaborative, service-oriented advisory culture. Core accountability: Build a strong, capable, and future-ready financial advisory team.

Requirements

As our preferred candidate, you will have:

Professional accounting designation (CPA) required.
Additional education in finance, business administration, or public sector management is considered an asset.
8 years of experience in financial management, advisory or controller-type roles in a complex organization, preferably municipal or public sector.
Experience leading professional financial staff and supporting senior operational leaders with financial analysis and decision support.
Demonstrated experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial policy and internal controls.
Strong knowledge of PSAS, MGA financial provisions, internal controls, and financial governance practices.
Advanced analytical, financial advisory, and communication skills; ability to translate complex financial matters for non-financial audiences.
Proven ability to collaborate across departments and influence through relationship-building and expertise.
Standard office environment with peak periods during budgeting, year-end, and audit cycles.
Scheduled occasional evening meetings for Council and Committee presentations.
Required to maintain strict confidentiality and demonstrate high ethical standards.
Must work through frequent periods of stress associated with resolving problems and meeting deadlines and be available to work overtime during budget development and presentation, project work, and during year-end.
Must often work on several initiatives or projects at one time with frequent interruptions and changing priorities.
Requires a consultative approach, working with departments to meet their information needs, while balancing the need to meet the information and statutory needs of the organization.
Requires skill and tact to identify weaknesses in financial staff and resolve the issue while maintaining relationships.
Often required to defend budget and accounting decisions and recommendations that may be disputed and to defend customer service decisions (accounts payable issue, procurement issues).
Subject to a ‘peer review’ each year in the form of the annual review by the City’s external auditors, with significant findings and deficiencies reported to City Council.
May involve occasional travel within Alberta for municipal, provincial or professional events.