Opportunities: Senior Financial Advisory Lead

About Us

At the Nova Scotia Department of Finance and Treasury Board, we strive to provide financial leadership, analysis, and policies that strengthen Nova Scotia. As stewards of the province’s financial affairs, we deliver a wide range of corporate fiscal and management services.

Our eight Financial Advisory Services (FAS) units work directly with departments, crown corporations, and other public service entities, providing valuable support in budgeting, forecasting, and offering a range of program-related financial advice. We are continuously seeking new and innovative ways to improve how we plan, manage, budget, and invest.

About Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Director, Financial Advisory Services, the Senior Financial Advisory Lead provides sound, timely, and strategic financial advice, direction, and service to assigned departments. The role focuses on strategic financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, funding‑model analysis, and labour‑relations costing.

The Lead ensures compliance with Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS), GAAP, government financial policies, and federal funding agreements, while delivering high‑quality financial analysis to support evidence‑based decision‑making, long‑term fiscal sustainability, and strengthened financial capability within program areas.

The Lead is focused on addressing complex financial issues that span multiple programs and systems, including funding models, third-party arrangements, and labour-related costing challenges. The role is accountable for establishing and standardizing budgeting and forecasting frameworks across program areas, particularly where financial capacity and structures are still developing.

Primary Accountabilities

• Provide financial management and planning advice across budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and third-party funding arrangements.


• Manage annual budget and monthly forecast processes, including analysis, consolidation, and reporting to support decision-making.


• Deliver financial analysis and insights that enable program leaders to make informed decisions and strengthen accountability.


• Provide compensation costing and scenario modelling, including analysis of salary, benefits, and labour-related impacts.


• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, government policies, and funding requirements.


• Support legislative, policy, and program development through financial analysis and advisory services.


• Coordinate year-end reporting, audit support, and financial statement preparation.


• Support program leaders in strengthening financial understanding, forecasting practices, and budget ownership through ongoing engagement and advisory support.


• Influence decision‑making by providing clear, structured financial insights and framing implications with options and risks.


• Build and sustain effective working relationships with program areas, using coaching and collaboration to improve financial discipline and outcomes over time.

Qualifications and Experience

This role is an opportunity for a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with a minimum of five years of progressive experience providing strategic financial advice in complex environments, including advising senior leadership and addressing complex financial issues in program or system-level contexts. The ideal candidate brings:

• Demonstrated experience providing strategic financial advice to senior leadership, including interpreting financial impacts, risks, and options to support decision‑making in complex environments.


• Strong knowledge of PSAS, GAAP, and government financial policies.


• Experience supporting audits, financial reporting, and senior-level decision-making.


• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.


• Demonstrated ability to influence and advise senior leaders and non‑financial audiences without formal authority, using clear communication and structured analysis.
  
  

Experience building financial capability in others, including simplifying complex concepts and supporting increased ownership of financial management practices

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

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

Work is performed in an office environment with competing priorities and deadlines, requiring attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple demands.

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


• A Dynamic, client-focused office environment where service excellence and teamwork are our focus.