District Finance Manager (Eastern)

Competition # : 49315

Department: Public Works

Location: SYDNEY RIVER

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG

Closing Date: 29-Jul-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

We are currently seeking a District Finance Manager to provide strategic financial leadership within one of our Highway Program districts. This position supports financial operations across the Eastern District, providing financial leadership and coordination for approximately $135 million in annual maintenance and capital budgets, and leading a distributed team of Financial Services Officers and Clerks.

About Our Opportunity

As District Finance Manager, you will oversee and manage all financial and accounting functions within your assigned district, including Maintenance, Construction, Bridges, and Fleet. You will play a key leadership role in budget planning, forecasting, expenditure control, and financial reporting—ensuring adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) standards, and compliance with government financial policies.

Your work will directly support informed decision-making at both the district and departmental level, contributing to the financial integrity and effectiveness of Nova Scotia’s highway programs.

Primary Accountabilities

The District Finance Manager responsibilities include:

• Provide strong people leadership to a distributed team of financial professionals, fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across all district offices.
• Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and expenditure control processes across district Highway Programs.
• Manage a multidisciplinary financial team located across multiple offices within the district, providing leadership, coaching, training, and performance management. This includes regular travel to district sites to support consistency, collaboration, and oversight.
• Develop and implement financial policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure accuracy, compliance, and accountability.
• Provide strategic advice and financial analysis to guide resource allocation and program delivery.
• Coordinate with Finance and Treasury Board (FTB) to ensure compliance with audit and reporting standards.
• Lead financial risk management and process improvement initiatives across the district.
• Promote collaboration and communication through regular reporting, meetings, and presentations.
• Ensure effective human and financial resource management while promoting diversity, inclusion, and workplace safety.

Qualifications and Experience

You have a bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Business Administration, or a related field, and are a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in good standing, or eligible for membership in a recognized international accounting body. You have several years of progressively responsible experience in financial management, including staff supervision and strategic planning.

You demonstrate:

• Proven experience with public sector financial practices, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) standards.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and performance management abilities.
• Demonstrated success in leading and developing teams across multiple locations, with a focus on engagement, performance, and professional growth.
• Experience in building positive, collaborative relationships across your organization to support shared success.
• Skill in managing multiple high-priority assignments under tight and often conflicting deadlines.
• Proven ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive financial or personnel information.
• Proficiency in SAP or other enterprise financial management systems.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• A record of innovation and process improvement in financial operations.

We operate in a fast-paced, high volume, and complex environment and as such maintaining a high level of productivity in your role is key to your success. Given the confidential and sensitive financial information you will encounter daily, it is critical that you use discretion when dealing with such information.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

This role is primarily based in a comfortable office environment, and you may be working at your computer for extended periods of time. You may be required to travel within the province to visit sites or regional offices.

Additional Information

The successful candidate may request working from Antigonish or Sydney Area Offices.

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
• Engaging workplace. Our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in. We have forward-thinking policies and strategies.
• Countless career paths.

Pay Grade: EC 11

Salary Range: $3,571.99 - $4,465.03 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement: Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

Accommodation Statement: We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please contact us at competitions@novascotia.ca.

Current government employees may access this posting through the link below:

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.

If you are receiving a pension from the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSP) or any related plans, you cannot receive pension payments while contributing to the same plan. If you accept a position that requires PSSP contributions, your pension payments must be stopped. Please contact the Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation for more information.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Competitions@novascotia.ca.