| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Finance and Accounts |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Accounts Manager |
| Direct reports | Accountant, Accounts Executive |
| Experience | 4 to 7 years in accounting |
Senior Accountant 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: Senior Accountant
Department: Finance and Accounts
Reports to: Accounts Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Senior Accountant is the experienced hand in the accounts team who owns tricky areas of the close and guides juniors. They handle complex entries, drive reconciliations, prepare schedules and review the work of accountants and executives. The role reports to the Accounts Manager. A good Senior Accountant closes their areas cleanly, catches errors before they reach the trial balance, and is the person juniors turn to when an entry or reconciliation gets complicated.
Key responsibilities
- Handle complex journal entries, provisions and accruals for the close.
- Own reconciliations for the harder ledgers and control accounts.
- Prepare financial schedules and workings for the monthly close.
- Review entries and reconciliations done by accountants and executives.
- Ensure GST and TDS are booked and matched to returns in the assigned area.
- Prepare and post month end and year end closing entries.
- Support statutory and internal audits with schedules and explanations.
- Maintain the fixed asset and provision schedules as assigned.
- Guide juniors on the correct treatment and month end closing tasks.
- Help improve accounting processes, checklists and month end controls over time.
Requirements
- B.Com or M.Com
- Strong accounting and closing experience
- CA Inter is an advantage
- 4 to 7 years in accounting
KRAs and KPIs for a Senior Accountant
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 ownership | Assigned close areas completed accurately by the agreed working day |
| Reconciliations | Assigned reconciliations current with no item open beyond 45 days |
| Review quality | Errors in juniors' work caught before close, keeping rework low |
| Tax matching | GST and TDS in the area matched to returns with no carried mismatch |
| Audit support | Assigned schedules ready before audit with observations cleared on time |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Tally Prime, SAP FICO, Advanced Excel, GST portal, Bank portals.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Accounts Manager, Assistant Accounts Manager, Finance Manager
Interview questions for a Senior Accountant
- What is the most complex reconciliation you have owned?
- How do you handle a provision that needs judgement?
- How do you review a junior's entries efficiently?
- How do you close your area when inputs arrive late?
- How do you keep GST and TDS matched to returns?
- How do you prepare your schedules for audit?
Managing a Senior Accountant in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your finance and accounts team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a Senior Accountant do?
A Senior Accountant is the experienced hand in the accounts team. They handle complex entries and provisions, own the harder reconciliations, prepare closing schedules and review the work of accountants and executives. They support audits and guide juniors, reporting to the Accounts Manager and keeping their areas of the close clean.
What is the difference between an Accountant and a Senior Accountant?
An Accountant handles routine entries, reconciliations and reporting. A Senior Accountant takes on the complex areas of the close, reviews juniors' work, prepares audit schedules and guides the team. The senior role adds judgement, ownership and mentoring on top of solid accounting skills.
What qualifications does a Senior Accountant need?
Most Senior Accountant roles ask for a B.Com or M.Com with strong accounting and closing experience and four or more years on the job. CA Inter or hands on command of Tally or SAP is an advantage, along with the ability to handle complex entries and review the work of juniors.