Manager, Financial Business Advisory Services

The City of Red Deer•Red Deer, AB

2d•CA$134,057 - CA$167,571•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Red Deer is recruiting for a Manager, Financial Business Advisory Services for a permanent full-time position. This role provides enterprise-wide leadership and oversight of the City’s Financial Business Advisory Services, ensuring strong alignment and collaboration between corporate financial governance and divisional financial execution. The Manager leads a team of Financial Business Advisory Controllers who support operating departments with 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.

Requirements

Professional accounting designation (CPA) required.
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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Additional education in finance, business administration, or public sector management is considered an asset.
May involve occasional travel within Alberta for municipal, provincial or professional events.

Responsibilities

Lead, coordinate, and standardize the Controller advisory function across the organization, setting expectations for quality, consistency, and value of financial analysis and advice.
Provide guidance on financial policies, internal controls, and reporting standards, acting as the escalation point for complex financial issues.
Align divisional practices (budgeting, forecasting, reporting) with corporate frameworks and facilitate two-way communication between Corporate Finance and operational divisions.
Ensure divisional input informs corporate policy, systems, and process development.
Ensure delivery of high-quality financial insights, including business cases, modeling, variance analysis, and risk identification.
Support decision-making on planning, services, and resource allocation.
Build financial literacy and capability among operational leaders.
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.
Lead, coach, and develop Controller staff, managing performance, workforce planning, and succession.
Foster a collaborative, service-oriented advisory culture.