The Town of Cochrane is in northeastern Ontario and is a short one-hour drive from Timmins and Kapuskasing, the other two major population centres of the region. The town's population of 5,4000 residents is made up of about half anglophone and half francophone residents.

Cochrane is one of the few communities in Northern Ontario to have experienced growth in the last few years, Cochrane’s economic landscape offers job & investment opportunities for just about every sector. Cochrane top employable industries include mining, forestry, transportation, finance, health care, and administrative occupations. According to a Town of Cochrane growth study, its population is expected to go from about 5,400 to 9,400 by 2051.

With some of the lowest property taxes in Northeastern Ontario, Cochrane provides the highest quality of northern living at competitive cost to the taxpayer. While keeping property taxes competitive, Cochrane has managed to do so without limiting the services and assets it offers to the community. From a world-class tourist attraction in the Polar Bear Habitat to a modern and highly regarded Tim Horton Events Centre, modern schools, a local hospital, and high caliber recreation and festivals that rank among the most prominent in the province.

Find an active lifestyle that takes you beyond the hustle and bustle of the city and looks further than the rural amenities of the countryside. Get to hockey practice in 5 minutes, get to your cottage within 15 minutes and access the solitude of the fishing lakes and wilderness in as little as 45 minutes; all without traffic jams.

In summary, Cochrane is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Northern Ontario. The moderate property taxes, the reasonable cost of housing and multitude of community amenities continue to make Cochrane attractive to those relocating from other communities.

Your Opportunity to make a Difference

The Town of Cochrane is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer to guide and inspire a small but dedicated Finance team on its journey to successfully administering the finances of the Corporation while delivering excellent customer service to its stakeholders. Are you a natural leader? Someone who easily excels at managing and motivating a team? If your technical qualifications are surpassed only by your outstanding leadership and people skills, we want to hear from you! As the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer, a core responsibility is for fiscal oversight to sustain the Township’s excellent financial position in compliance with GAAP and the statutory requirements of the Municipal Act.

Reporting directly to the Chief Administrative Officer, you will be a key member of the Senior Leadership Team and provide inspired and collaborative leadership, vision, influence, direction, as well as specialized advice, consultation to staff across the organization while ensuring the Township’s financial resources are optimally utilized in achieving the operational and strategic goals and objectives of the municipality.

In your capacity as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer you will provide financial advice to Council, the CAO and the Senior Leadership Team while managing a range of service areas, including financial planning, management of municipal funds, trusts, asset management, and capital financing and the operations as they relate to purchasing/procurement, insurance and risk management. The role will include directing and managing staff, preparation and management of the operating and capital budget, financial statement preparation, ensuring adequacy of financial controls, management of the annual audit and that general government operations are carried out in a cost efficient, effective and customer centric manner, and that all statutory and regulatory obligations are met.

Ideal Qualifications:

Education and Designations: a University degree related to area of responsibility (business, finance or commerce) and a professional accounting designation (CPA) or working towards the designation. AMCT, Municipal Tax Collectors or Municipal Finance designations are an asset.
Municipal Management experience: 5 to 7 years of progressively responsible management experience, ideally in a public sector or municipal government environment, including experience working with elected officials or boards. Private sector candidates will be considered with the understanding you can quickly learn about the nuances of the municipal sector.
Finance Experience: Experience with practices related to budget planning, accounting, internal controls, investment, debt management, grants, procurement, financial reporting, taxation, capital planning and audit.
Strategic Acumen: Ability to think and act strategically in a political and community service environment with a solid understanding of various types of strategic and planning processes required to develop appropriate corporate and departmental short and long term objectives.
Critical Thinking: Analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills to enable the assessment of multiple issues, the development of options and implementation of decisions necessary for the effective operation of the department recognizing impacts and mitigating repercussions.
People Leadership: Exceptional leadership skills with a proven ability to build, lead, and mentor a strong and enthusiastic staff team and external alliances/partnerships.
Legislation: Demonstrated knowledge of Municipal and Provincial regulations, and guidelines, including municipal government operations, principles, best practices, and processes.
Technical Acumen: Advanced knowledge of the Microsoft suite of products, the internet and proficiency in other software applications related to finance, payroll and corporate services.
Communication: Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication, presentation, facilitation and negotiation skills.

If you enjoy nature and rural living and wish to live in the north - this is a unique opportunity to experience nature and rural living at is best. Benefits of working with the Town of Cochrane include:

Compensation and Benefits – Cochrane offers competitive compensation of $120,231 to $135,321 plus pension (subject to a 2026 COLA adjustment), benefits, vacation, professional development, and an opportunity to work with an engaged Council in a beautiful community.
Location – Cochrane, Ontario is short one-hour drive from the major centres of Timmins and Kapuskasing. The Town is surrounded by forests, rivers and lakes making it an ideal community for this who like the outdoors. It’s affordability and broad range of community services make it an ideal place to work and live.
Active Lifestyle – we are a prime location for a range of outdoor activities and attractions. Enjoy hiking, golf, x-country skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting and boating on the many lakes in our community.
Housing – The average price is significantly less than most of Ontario and includes opportunities for waterfront ownership. Reasonable prices allow you to live mortgage free if moving from an urban area. You may also wish to consider our lot purchase program with development lots available for as low as $10.
Healthcare – An exceptional community hospital is in Cochrane and provides a wide range of health care programs and services. Near the hospital is the Cochrane Family Health Team, offering a wide variety of services.
Education – An exceptional educational system at elementary and secondary levels in both official languages.

How to Apply

To explore this opportunity please apply via email with a covering letter and resume as soon as possibleand not later than July 24, 2026 to careers@waterhousesearch.net quotingproject TC-CFO. Please note: Qualified candidates may be considered in advance of the closing date.

Should you wish to speak to our Executive Recruiter or to receive a detailed position description please contact Tim Lukasewich at 416-214-9299 x8, tim@waterhousesearch.net or Jon Stungevicius at 416-214-9299 x1, jon@waterhousesearch.net.

The Town of Cochrane is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process. Applicants must self-identify and make their accessibility needs known in advance.

All applications will be held in strict confidence. We thank all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Artificial intelligence (AI) is not used to screen candidates. Personal information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used for employment assessment purposes only.

Town of Cochrane, Ontario

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Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer