Chief Financial Officer Job Description and KRAs

A Chief Financial Officer owns the money side of the company. They run accounting, financial planning, treasury, taxation and controls, and give the CEO and board a true picture of performance and cash. The role guards the company's cash, keeps the books clean and audit-ready, and funds the growth plan without overreaching. A good CFO closes the books on time, forecasts cash and profit accurately, keeps the company compliant, and challenges spending that will not earn its return.

Detail	For this role
Department	Leadership and Senior Management
Level	Leadership
Reports to	Chief Executive Officer
Direct reports	Finance Controller, Head of FP and A, Treasury Manager, Taxation Head
Experience	15+ years in finance, with 5 years as a finance controller or CFO

Chief Financial Officer job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: Chief Financial Officer

Department: Leadership and Senior Management

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

Key responsibilities

Own the monthly, quarterly and annual close, and make sure the books are accurate and on time.
Build the annual budget and rolling forecast with each function, and track actuals against them.
Manage cash and treasury, and keep enough liquidity to run and grow the business safely.
Own direct and indirect tax compliance, including GST, TDS and income tax filings and assessments.
Set internal financial controls, approval limits and the delegation of authority across the company.
Lead statutory, internal and tax audits, and close observations before they become findings.
Present the profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow to the CEO and board with clear commentary.
Raise debt or equity when needed, and manage relationships with banks, investors and auditors.
Challenge major spending and pricing decisions, and protect the company's margin and cash.
Build and mentor the finance team across accounts, FP and A, treasury and taxation.

Requirements

Chartered Accountant, or MBA in finance
CMA or CPA is an advantage
Long experience in senior finance roles in the industry
15+ years in finance, with 5 years as a finance controller or CFO

KRAs and KPIs for a Chief Financial Officer

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result area	How to measure it
Timely close	Monthly books closed within the agreed number of working days
Forecast accuracy	Revenue and cash forecast within the agreed variance of actuals each quarter
Cash management	Liquidity and runway kept above the level agreed with the board
Statutory compliance	GST, TDS, PF, ESI and income tax filed by due dates with zero penalties
Audit readiness	No major audit findings on financial records during the year
Cost control	Operating costs held within the approved budget for the year

Skills and tools

Financial planning and analysisAccounting and reportingTreasury and cash managementTaxation and complianceInternal controlsFundraisingBoard reportingTeam leadership

Tools used day to day: Tally Prime or SAP FICO, MS Excel, GST and TDS portals, BI dashboards, Banking portals.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: Finance Controller, Head of FP and A, VP Finance
Next roles: Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director

Interview questions for a Chief Financial Officer

How would you shorten our monthly close from ten working days to five without losing accuracy?
Cash is tight and the sales team wants longer credit terms. How do you handle it?
Walk me through the controls you would put in place to prevent revenue leakage and fraud.
How do you decide between raising debt and raising equity to fund growth?
The auditor has raised a going-concern question. What do you do next?
How do you challenge a popular investment that you believe will not earn its return?

Managing a Chief Financial Officer in ZeniaHR

AttendanceOffice based on a General shift with peaks around close and audits. A web punch from the office network is enough, and hybrid days can use the mobile app. Keep attendance rules lenient for this role and waive occasional late marks.LeaveAvoid approving leave in the last and first working days of the month, and during the statutory audit and year-end close. Name a backup approver from the finance team, and plan the team roster so filings never slip.Performance and KRAsReview against timely close, forecast accuracy, compliance and cash. Set the KRAs above as weighted goals in an annual [review cycle](/hrms/features/performance/), with a monthly look at close timelines and filing due dates.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Chief Financial Officer do?

A Chief Financial Officer runs accounting, financial planning, treasury, taxation and internal controls. They close the books, build budgets and forecasts, manage cash, keep the company compliant, lead audits and raise funding. They give the CEO and board a true picture of performance and challenge spending that will not earn a return.

What is the difference between a CFO and a finance controller?

A finance controller runs the accounting engine: the ledger, the close, statutory compliance and reporting accuracy. A Chief Financial Officer owns the wider finance agenda: strategy, budgeting, treasury, fundraising, investor relations and board reporting. The controller usually reports to the CFO and focuses on getting the numbers right and on time.

What qualifications do you need to become a CFO?

Most CFOs in India are Chartered Accountants or hold an MBA in finance, and many add CMA or CPA. Beyond the qualification, a CFO needs years of senior finance experience across accounting, planning, treasury and compliance, and a track record of clean audits, accurate forecasts and sound cash management.