Director of Finance

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