ACCOUNTING MANAGER: Meaning, Duties, Salary, Resume & Qualifications

Accounting Manager
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An accounting department handles numerous important company duties and decision-making processes in addition to monitoring and documenting income and expenses. The accounting department and the organization cannot function without accounting managers. Hence, it might be helpful for you to comprehend the obligations and duties related to this position if you are interested in it. That brings us to the reason for this post.

Accounting Manager

An organization’s accounting department has an administrative position called an accounting manager. These individuals manage and direct the work of a single or group of accountants. Every financial transaction that a business makes is documented by the accountants. Sales, purchases, payroll processing, borrowing, lending, marketing, tax filing, capital expenses, and miscellaneous expenses are just a few examples of transactions. The preparation of accurate financial statements that aid stakeholders in understanding the operation of the company is the main duty of the accounting department. Accounting managers do more than just act as supervisors; they also design objectives and procedures for accounting departments. To operate in the accounting department, they employ qualified accountants and other employees.

Job Description for Accounting Manager

Accounting managers are a crucial component of a financial management team since they monitor organizational processes for data collection, analysis, and reporting accuracy, as well as make suggestions for bettering accounting practices. In the description, understanding all forms of financial processes of a firm and how they interact, such as debts, assets, cash forecasts, payroll, capital assets, and revenue analysis, is also a crucial component of a job for an accounting manager. They produce reports to update their team on progress and direct the implementation of new financial projects. An accounting manager in his job description can also offer advice on general business tactics to achieve objectives for their financial transactions.

Description of Job Responsibilities for an Accounting Manager:

  • They establish financial status through the creation and application of mechanisms for the collection, examination, verification, and reporting of financial data, as well as the supervision of the accounting team.
  • Some descriptions are met by the accounting manager which include: hiring, selecting, onboarding, training, allocating, scheduling, coaching, counseling, disciplining staff, communicating job expectations, etc.
  • An accounting manager achieves its financial goals by anticipating needs, creating an annual budget, planning expenses, examining deviations, and starting remedial steps.
  • They establish financial status by keeping track of receipts and expenditures, managing the gathering, combining, and analysis of financial data, and creating specific reports.
  • Their maintenance of accounting is controlled by creating a chart of accounts and specifying accounting policies and processes.
  • They provide direction to other departments through the investigation and interpretation of accounting policy and the application of findings and suggestions to operational problems.
  • Creates internal measures to maintain financial security.
  • Prevents legal issues by comprehending pending and present legislation, upholding accounting standards, and advocating new practices.
  • Maintains the value of the organization by keeping information private.
  • Updates workplace knowledge by taking use of educational possibilities, reading specialized literature, keeping up with personal contacts, and joining professional groups.
  • By producing pertinent results as required, the accounting and organizational purpose is achieved.

The Skills Needed to Become an Accounting Manager

The effectiveness of an accounting manager in their position has a variety of effects on the business. Accounting managers may benefit from gaining several talents in addition to their academic credentials because they manage an organization’s sensitive and crucial financial details:

#1. Integrity

Accounting managers establish policies and procedures to ensure that a company’s financial transactions are properly and accurately recorded. By avoiding dishonest accounting techniques, accounting managers can demonstrate honesty. They can also set an example of moral behavior that encourages their staff to follow suit.

#2. Leadership

When disagreements over budgets between departments occur, accounting managers act as a mediator. They contribute ideas and facilitate agreements by using their leadership abilities and knowledge of the organizational workflow and products of each department. They are the team leader of a group of highly skilled accountants, and effective leadership is crucial to the group’s success.

#3. Time Management Skills

A few of the time-sensitive transactions that an accounting team must keep track of include payroll, accounts payable and receivable, tax payments, rent, interest, bonuses, and dividends. To achieve deadlines and priorities, accounting supervisors may practice proactive time management. 

#4. Communication Skills

It takes excellent communication skills to manage personnel, connect with department bosses, and oversee team members’ work. Accounting managers routinely settle disputes and negotiate with customers and suppliers. In order to persuade stakeholders to accept ideas that are advantageous to the business, they also aim to explain their arguments logically and persuasively.

#5. Flexibility

Accounting managers employ flexibility to maintain adherence to evolving norms and laws in the financial and accounting industries. In connection with multi-disciplinary work initiatives, they frequently work together with a variety of experts. They gain a lot by learning how to be flexible and work in different environments.

Accounting Manager Resume

A resume for an accounting manager emphasizes the qualifications, education, and professional experience. Consider using the following stages to create a well-rounded and comprehensive accounting manager resume that you can include in job applications:

#1. Maintain a Clean, Unambiguous, and Regular Layout and Formatting.

Use Arial or Times New Roman, which are both straightforward and professional typefaces that are simple to read, and be careful how often you use bold or italics in your resume. Employ either MM/YYYY (4/2023) or Month/Year (June 2023) for structuring dates. Keep your resume’s dates, spacing, font type, and font size consistent.

#2. Share a Professional Synopsis or Goal

To sell yourself to a hiring manager, think about including a professional summary or objective statement, or maybe both. The first sentence outlines your existing abilities and experiences, while the second clarifies the kind of career or role you are seeking. Mention your most valuable abilities, background, and credentials that you would contribute to the position of an accounting manager in these comments.

#3. List Your Experience and Education.

List your content in reverse chronological order, putting the most recent information first, in the education and experience parts of your resume. Think about prioritizing your experience over your education, especially if it is vast. Since there is frequently the ideal area to highlight your accomplishments, give a few examples of your duties and the results you accomplished.

#4. Mention Notable Achievements

Include any particular duties you have been in charge of or achievements that go above and beyond what is expected of an accounting manager. This enables you to demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge of your industry and job while demonstrating to future employers how you contribute value to the jobs you have.

#5. Use Action Verbs and Descriptions When Writing.

When describing your responsibilities as an accounting manager, utilize detailed action verbs that define your level of expertise, knowledge, and experience.

#6. Mention your Skill Set

Include your technical, analytical, and financial skills together with some soft skills to help distinguish yourself as a more competitive applicant.

#7. Organize Organizations and Credentials

Include your memberships in professional organizations, associations, or trade groups in this area of your accounting manager resume. They might demonstrate your commitment to and enthusiasm for your line of work.

#8. Proofread Carefully.

Even if it comes at the end of your resume preparation for the accounting manager position, this crucial phase is still important. First, scan your resume using computer spellcheck or grammar applications. Then, go over the entire page to look for any formatting, punctuation, or grammar mistakes the computers could have missed. Verify that your contact information is accurate so that employers may get in touch with you. Finally, think about printing out a physical copy to read and asking a friend, coworker, or member of your family to do the same.

Accounting Manager Qualifications

A qualified candidate for an accounting manager will possess a variety of prerequisite qualifications and credentials. Here are a few examples.

Examples of qualifications for an accounting manager include:

  • Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication abilities
  • A strong understanding of accounting concepts, norms, and laws
  • Working knowledge of databases and accounting software
  • Superior abilities in data administration and analysis
  • Strong organizational and time management capabilities
  • Accuracy-obsessed and detail-focused
  • Two or more years of experience working as a finance manager or accounting manager

Accounting Manager Education and Training Qualifications

For entry-level positions as an accounting manager, a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related discipline is necessary. Employers frequently demand candidates with a master’s degree or above and at least two to five years of managerial or supervisory experience for highly specialized positions. However, accounting Managers can upgrade their skills and develop their professions by obtaining continuing education certifications from authorized institutions.

Accounting Manager Experience Requirements

Accounting Managers in entry-level jobs will be supervised by senior accounting managers, accounting directors, or a company’s finance team. Once they have two to five years of professional accounting experience under their belts, they may advance to assume increasingly difficult managerial responsibilities, either within the same organization or with another one. Candidates for Accounting Manager positions at a higher level will have expertise in managing employees as well as generating general ledgers, financial reports, budgetary reports, and financial forecasts.

What Is the Difference between Account Manager and Accounting Manager?

Account managers maintain customer connections, whereas accountants are responsible for a company’s financial records.

What Is the Hierarchy of Accounting Positions?

The accounting pyramid classifies accounting-related job titles into a hierarchy that places bookkeepers at the bottom, accountants in the middle, and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the top, according to their responsibilities and deliverables.

Is Accounting Manager Higher than Accountant?

A few lower-level accountants at the company are often managed by an accounting manager, who is more senior than an accountant.

Who Manages Account Managers?

Account managers typically provide a direct report on the activity and status of accounts and transactions to the account director or agency director.

What Is the Highest Position in Accounting?

The CFO, who collaborates with other senior finance executives, is typically the most senior financial official at a company.

References 

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