Job Description

About the Role (Permanent, Full Time – 40 hours per week)

Are you an accountant who enjoys working with numbers and systems? We’re looking for a Financial/Systems Accountant to join our Finance team at Mackenzie District Council based in Fairlie, South Canterbury.

This is a key role within our Finance team, with a mix of financial accounting, reporting, systems and business partnering. You’ll be responsible for keeping our financial information accurate and reliable, supporting Council’s reporting and compliance requirements, and helping managers across Council understand and make the most of their financial information.

You’ll also have a key role in the ongoing development of our financial systems and processes. From improving reporting and developing user tools, to supporting managers with budgets and forecasts, there’s plenty of scope to make the role your own and have a real impact across Council.

What you’ll be doing

This is a varied role, with responsibilities including:

• Leading key financial accounting and reporting processes, including monthly reconciliations, annual financial reporting, fixed assets and audit requirements.
• Managing and supporting Council’s financial systems, including MagiQ, the general ledger, budgeting and forecasting modules.
• Providing financial advice and ensuring Council meets its statutory and financial compliance requirements.
• Developing and improving financial reports, dashboards, systems and processes to make information easier to access and use.

About you

You’ll be an experienced accountant who enjoys working with financial systems, solving problems and looking for better ways of doing things.

You’ll also be someone who can build good working relationships and explain financial information in a way that makes sense to people, whether they work in Finance or not.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• A tertiary degree in Accounting with 5+ years practical experience in an accounting role.
• Experience working with financial systems, including general ledger structures, data transfer and manipulation
• Membership of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand or an equivalent professional body
• Strong computer skills, particularly Microsoft Excel and ERP systems, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to work collaboratively and build positive relationships
• Experience in Local Government or working in a complex organisation would be an advantage
• The legal right to work in New Zealand is essential

What We Can Offer You

• A competitive salary to be discussed with the successful candidate
• Annual salary review and regular performance reviews
• A range of staff benefits including health insurance, professional memberships, and a range of retail discounts including discounted fuel
• A supportive team and manager that values both autonomy and teamwork to achieve a shared vision

About Mackenzie District Council

At Mackenzie District Council we work together as a team to deliver the best outcomes for our district. We are crafting new ways of working together, and each one of us has an essential role in making our district the best place to live, work and play.

This could be the first step on a journey that sees you living and working in this iconic part of New Zealand. People travel from all parts of New Zealand and the world to experience our back yard with its geography dominated by the iconic Aoraki Mount Cook, and Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki provide a fantastic opportunity to escape the urban sprawl. With only a 45-minute drive from Timaru, you get the best of both worlds – experience the seaside in the city and the mountains in the mighty Mackenzie!

As part of Team Mack, we aim to give superb service to our customers, working together as a team, building a culture where we can all contribute our ideas, focusing on outcomes.

How to Apply

If some or all of this role aligns with you, please click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts. If you would like a copy of the position description, click here. If you would like more information about the role or Mackenzie District Council, contact Nicole Colvill, HR & Health & Safety Coordinator, for a confidential chat on 027 217 6858 or nicole.colvill@mackenzie.govt.nz.

Applications close 30 October 2026