| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Finance and Accounts |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Chief Financial Officer |
| Direct reports | General Manager Finance, Financial Controller, Head of FP&A |
| Experience | 14+ years in finance with 5 years in senior leadership |
Vice President Finance 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: Vice President Finance
Department: Finance and Accounts
Reports to: Chief Financial Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Vice President Finance leads the finance function across the company or a large division, one step below the CFO. They own financial planning, controllership, treasury and compliance, shape capital and cost decisions and represent finance to leadership and the board. In many mid size firms the VP Finance is the senior most finance executive. A good VP Finance keeps the numbers reliable, funds the plan, holds cost and cash in line and builds a finance team the business can lean on.
Key responsibilities
- Lead financial planning, controllership, treasury and compliance for the company or division.
- Own the annual operating plan and capital budget and steer the business to the targets.
- Present financial results, forecasts and risks to leadership and the board.
- Set the framework for controls, accounting policy and delegation of authority.
- Direct treasury, banking, fund raising and working capital strategy.
- Oversee statutory, tax and internal audit outcomes across the group.
- Approve major spend, investments and pricing decisions within delegated limits.
- Partner with business heads on margin, cost and growth decisions.
- Drive finance systems, automation and reporting improvements across the function.
- Build the senior finance team and plan succession for critical roles.
Requirements
- Chartered Accountant (CA), MBA in Finance or CFA
- Broad finance leadership experience
- Exposure to treasury and fund raising
- 14+ years in finance with 5 years in senior leadership
KRAs and KPIs for a Vice President Finance
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 |
|---|---|
| Plan delivery | Company operating profit meets or beats the approved annual plan |
| Liquidity | Funding and facilities cover the plan with no unplanned borrowing in the year |
| Reporting | Board and leadership reports delivered ahead of every meeting with no rework |
| Governance | Clean statutory audit with no major control failure reported |
| Cost control | Overheads held within the approved budget for the year |
| Talent | Every senior finance role has a named successor in development |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SAP, Oracle Financials, Power BI, Financial modelling, Treasury systems.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Chief Financial Officer, Finance Director, Managing Director
Interview questions for a Vice President Finance
- How do you build an operating plan that leadership will commit to?
- How do you protect liquidity when growth is eating cash?
- How do you set the control framework for a fast growing business?
- Describe a capital decision you led and how you justified it.
- How do you present a bad quarter to the board without losing credibility?
- How do you build finance leaders ready to step up?
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What does a Vice President Finance do?
A Vice President Finance leads the finance function across the company or a large division, below the CFO. They own planning, controllership, treasury and compliance, steer the business to its targets, present results to the board and build the senior finance team. In many mid size firms the VP Finance is the top finance executive.
What is the difference between a VP Finance and a CFO?
A CFO is the top finance executive, part of the leadership team, who owns finance strategy and sits with the board. A VP Finance runs the function under the CFO, or, in firms without a CFO, is the senior most finance leader. The CFO carries more external and strategic weight.
What qualifications does a VP Finance need?
Most VP Finance roles ask for a Chartered Accountant qualification, an MBA in Finance or a CFA, with 14 or more years and several in senior leadership. Broad experience across planning, controllership, treasury and governance is essential, along with a record of leading teams and communicating with the board.