Head of Accounts Job Description, KRAs and Skills

A Head of Accounts owns the company's books of account and the accuracy of every ledger. They lead general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable and fixed assets, run the monthly and year end close, and keep the accounts ready for statutory and tax audit. The role reports to the CFO or Finance Director and manages accounts managers and senior accountants. A good Head of Accounts closes on time, keeps reconciliations current and makes sure the numbers tie out to the last rupee.

Detail	For this role
Department	Finance and Accounts
Level	Senior management
Reports to	Chief Financial Officer
Direct reports	Accounts Manager, Senior Accountant
Experience	10+ years in accounting with 4 years leading an accounts team

Head of Accounts 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: Head of Accounts

Department: Finance and Accounts

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

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

About the role

Key responsibilities

Own the general ledger and the chart of accounts and keep every ledger accurate and current.
Run the monthly and year end close and deliver the trial balance and financial statements on time.
Supervise accounts payable, receivable and fixed asset teams and clear ageing items.
Ensure all bank, vendor, customer and inter-company accounts are reconciled every month.
Prepare schedules and support statutory, tax and internal audits until sign off.
Set accounting policies for revenue, provisions, depreciation and expenses under Ind AS.
Review journal entries, provisions and accruals before they hit the books.
Maintain the fixed asset register, capitalisation and physical verification.
Enforce controls over payments, credit notes and expense booking.
Coach accounts managers and accountants and keep documentation audit ready.

Requirements

Chartered Accountant (CA) or M.Com
Strong general ledger and closing experience
Knowledge of Ind AS and Indian tax
10+ years in accounting with 4 years leading an accounts team

KRAs and KPIs for a Head of Accounts

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
Close timeliness	Trial balance and financial statements closed by the agreed working day each month
Reconciliations	All control accounts reconciled monthly with no unexplained item beyond 30 days
Books accuracy	Zero material misstatement found in review or audit during the year
Audit readiness	Audit schedules ready on day one of field work with no major observation
Payables and receivables	Ageing beyond agreed limits cleared each month across both ledgers
Compliance	GST and TDS ledgers reconciled to returns every month with no mismatch carried forward

Skills and tools

General ledgerFinancial closingInd AS accountingReconciliationsFixed assetsAudit supportInternal controlsTeam leadershipAccuracy

Tools used day to day: SAP FICO, Tally Prime, Oracle Financials, Advanced Excel, Fixed asset software.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: Accounts Manager, Financial Controller, Senior Accountant
Next roles: Financial Controller, General Manager Finance, DGM Finance

Interview questions for a Head of Accounts

How do you make sure the trial balance is right before you close?
How do you clear a control account that never reconciles cleanly?
How do you treat a large prior period error found after close?
Walk me through your fixed asset verification and capitalisation process.
How do you keep GST and TDS ledgers matched to the returns filed?
How do you get the team ready for a statutory audit?

Managing a Head of Accounts in ZeniaHR

AttendanceOffice based on a general shift. Web punches on the office network and [mobile app](/hrms/features/mobile-app/) punches record presence. HR reviews the monthly attendance log and locks the month once the close is done so payroll runs on final data.LeaveProtect the close and year end. Avoid approving leave for accounts staff in the first working days of the month and through statutory audit. Use the [leave](/hrms/features/leave/) ledger to plan cover and grant comp-off for extra hours during close.Performance and KRAsSet the KRAs above as goals in a quarterly review cycle. Track close timeliness, reconciliation status and audit readiness every month, and hold the formal review each quarter with the CFO.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Head of Accounts do?

A Head of Accounts owns the company's books. They lead the general ledger, payables, receivables and fixed assets, run the monthly and year end close, keep reconciliations current, set accounting policies and get the accounts ready for audit. They report to the CFO or Finance Director and manage accounts managers and senior accountants.

What is the difference between a Head of Accounts and a Financial Controller?

A Head of Accounts focuses on accurate books and the close. A Financial Controller has a broader control remit that can include budgets, MIS, tax strategy and process design, and often supervises the Head of Accounts. In many mid size firms the same person carries both titles.

What qualifications does a Head of Accounts need?

Most Head of Accounts roles ask for a Chartered Accountant qualification or an M.Com with strong ledger and closing experience. Command of Ind AS, reconciliations, fixed assets and audit support is essential, along with several years leading an accounts team and keeping books audit ready.