| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Finance and Accounts |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | General Manager Finance |
| Direct reports | Finance Executive, Accountant, Accounts Officer |
| Experience | 8+ years in finance with 2 to 3 years managing a team |
Senior Finance Manager 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 Finance Manager
Department: Finance and Accounts
Reports to: General Manager Finance
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Senior Finance Manager leads a finance operations team and carries a wider brief than a Finance Manager. They own the close, MIS, budgeting support and controls for a large unit or several functions, and act as the finance point of contact for business heads. The role reports to the GM Finance or DGM and often mentors junior finance managers. A good Senior Finance Manager keeps reporting accurate and on time, spots problems in the numbers early and makes the finance function dependable.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the monthly close for a large unit or several functions and review the results before submission.
- Consolidate MIS, cash flow and cost reports and explain variances to business heads.
- Support the annual budget and forecast and hold departments to their approved numbers.
- Review and approve payments, journals and provisions within the authority given.
- Ensure GST, TDS and other statutory filings are prepared and filed on time.
- Manage banking, fund flow and working capital for the unit.
- Coordinate statutory and internal audits and close the observations raised.
- Improve reconciliation and reporting processes to cut manual effort.
- Mentor finance executives and stand in for the manager above when needed.
- Drive collection follow up and payable discipline with the teams.
Requirements
- Chartered Accountant (CA) or MBA in Finance
- Strong closing and MIS experience
- CMA is an advantage
- 8+ years in finance with 2 to 3 years managing a team
KRAs and KPIs for a Senior Finance Manager
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 | Unit accounts closed by the agreed working day every month |
| MIS quality | Reports delivered on time with variances explained on every major head |
| Compliance | Statutory filings for the unit completed by due dates with no penalty |
| Working capital | Receivable days held within the annual target for the unit |
| Audit closure | All audit observations for the unit closed before the next cycle |
| Team output | Reconciliations current with no item open beyond 45 days |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SAP FICO, Tally Prime, Advanced Excel, Power BI, GST portal.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: DGM Finance, General Manager Finance, AVP Finance
Interview questions for a Senior Finance Manager
- How do you keep the close on schedule when inputs come in late?
- How do you explain a margin drop to a business head who blames finance?
- What is your approach to keeping reconciliations current all month?
- How do you prioritise when the close, an audit and a filing all land together?
- Describe how you improved a finance process and the time it saved.
- How do you develop a finance executive into a manager?
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What does a Senior Finance Manager do?
A Senior Finance Manager leads a finance operations team for a large unit or several functions. They own the close, MIS, budgeting support, banking and controls, ensure statutory filings are on time, coordinate audits and mentor finance executives. They report to the GM Finance or DGM and are the finance contact for business heads.
What is the difference between a Finance Manager and a Senior Finance Manager?
A Finance Manager runs finance operations for a unit. A Senior Finance Manager carries a wider brief, often across several functions or a larger unit, takes on more complex analysis and approvals, mentors other managers and stands in for the head. The step up is about scope, judgement and people, not just years.
What qualifications does a Senior Finance Manager need?
Most Senior Finance Manager roles ask for a Chartered Accountant qualification or an MBA in Finance, with 8 or more years in finance and a few years managing a team. Strong closing, MIS and compliance experience is expected. A CMA helps in manufacturing and costing heavy businesses.