Meet Grant: Finance Officer

I come from Zimbabwe, where I worked for a non-profit, an energy regulator. After a bit of time in Victoria, my family and I moved to South Australia. My  3 children go to school in Mount Gambier, and my oldest daughter is going to Uni next year, so I wanted something stable.

I always wanted to work for a council. My previous boss in Zimbabwe was an auditor with a council and I was always fascinated by that role.

As a Finance Officer, I receive and allocate money paid to the council, take part in budgeting and audits, deal with the ATO, and make reports to track our spending. I account for the money the council generates as revenue.

It’s a huge responsibility – I must make sure that whatever I’m doing is accurate, so everyone has confidence in the system. If I do my job diligently, with excellence, people will have confidence in the council.

"The impact of the council is everywhere in the community. At the park with the kids? That’s us; it’s the council. Someone’s bins are being collected. That’s the council."

I deal with different departments and coordinate with staff from engineering and development services. I really enjoy that interaction, because it helps me understand how my role contributes to different parts of the council. It also gives me a broader view of what is happening across our organisation.

The impact of the council is everywhere in the community. At the park with the kids? That’s us; it’s the council. Someone’s bins are being collected. That’s the council. We’re the driving force behind everything in the community. For someone who really wants to have a meaningful career, I think working in council is the best thing to do.

At Wattle Range Council, we have people from everywhere – we’ve got people from Asia, people from America, and people from Africa, like me. I always wanted to work for an organisation like that – the council was one environment where I could come in, fit in, and be part of the team.

Working for an organisation that has accepted people, where people are different, that’s the most important thing about the council. If someone is thinking of changing their career, they’ll think of those questions – ‘Am I going to be accepted?’

Working with the council, especially at Wattle Range, we have a big mindset. It’s the kind of place where you have someone to talk to, someone who will listen to you.

We work with young people; we work with people from different cultures. We work with people who are engineers and people who are still studying. There’s always someone who understands you; there’s always a place for you to fit in.