Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for CFO Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The CFO Assistant (Chief Financial Officer Assistant) is a high-impact, cross-functional role that provides direct analytical, operational and strategic support to the CFO and the finance leadership team. This role combines detailed financial analysis, calendar and stakeholder management, preparation of board and investor materials, coordination of audit and compliance activities, and hands‑on execution of budgeting, forecasting and treasury tasks. Ideal candidates are strong communicators, advanced in Excel and financial systems (NetSuite/SAP/Oracle), experienced with month-end close and FP&A processes, and capable of translating complex financial data into concise narratives for the executive team.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Financial Analyst with 1–3 years of FP&A or accounting experience
Senior Accounting Associate or Accounting Manager
Executive Assistant to C-suite with finance exposure

Advancement To:

Senior Financial Analyst / FP&A Manager
Finance Manager / Head of Financial Planning
Deputy CFO / Chief of Staff to CFO
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for small to medium enterprises

Lateral Moves:

Corporate Treasurer or Treasury Analyst
Head of Investor Relations
Controller or Reporting Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Prepare, review and present concise month‑end and quarterly financial reports to the CFO, highlighting key variances, trends and actionable recommendations for cost control, revenue growth, and margin improvement.
Lead and maintain the monthly close checklist for the finance organization, coordinating deliverables across accounting, FP&A, tax and treasury to ensure timely and accurate close and financial consolidation.
Build, maintain and improve financial models for forecasting, long-range planning, scenario analysis and cash-flow projections; deliver sensitivity analyses to inform strategic decisions.
Partner with the CFO to develop and manage the annual budgeting process, setting timelines, facilitating cross-functional input, consolidating budgets, and tracking actuals to forecast.
Own cash management and short-term liquidity forecasting; prepare daily/weekly cash position reports and recommend actions to optimize working capital and minimize financing costs.
Draft and finalize investor, board and executive-level presentations, including financial slides, executive summaries, and appendices with supporting analyses and backup schedules.
Coordinate external audit fieldwork and statutory audits: prepare audit schedules, manage auditor requests, resolve variances, and ensure timely delivery of audit documentation.
Ensure GAAP/IFRS compliance of financial reporting workstreams, assist with accounting policy application, and coordinate with the accounting team on technical accounting issues and journal entries.
Conduct monthly variance analysis between actuals, forecast and budget, identifying root causes, cost drivers and opportunities for operational efficiencies; translate insights into actionable recommendations for the CFO.
Support M&A activity and strategic projects: perform financial due diligence, prepare transaction models, assist with integration planning and post-deal reporting.
Own special projects for the CFO, such as pricing analyses, cost optimization programs, vendor contract financial reviews, and cross-functional task forces to drive margin expansion.
Serve as the primary liaison between the CFO and functional finance leaders, ensuring alignment on priorities, action items, and follow-up on open financial initiatives.
Maintain and enhance financial dashboards and KPIs using tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or Google Data Studio to enable real-time executive decision-making.
Execute ad-hoc financial analyses and scenario planning requested by the CFO or CEO, converting complex datasets into clear recommendations and decision-ready deliverables.
Monitor and report on covenant compliance, debt schedules, leasing obligations, and financing covenants; liaise with banking partners and legal counsel as required.
Oversee accounts receivable and accounts payable escalations as needed, recommend process improvements, and support credit and collections strategy to reduce DSO and improve cash conversion.
Review and summarize contracts, capital expenditure proposals, and vendor agreements for financial impact, risk, and approval routing to the CFO.
Support tax planning and filings coordination with external advisors, including preparing schedules and responding to tax authority inquiries and notices.
Standardize and document finance processes and internal controls; lead continuous improvement initiatives to streamline reporting, reduce manual work and strengthen SOX/Internal Control compliance.
Train, mentor and coordinate junior finance staff and analysts assigned to CFO projects, ensuring high-quality analysis, consistent formats and on-time deliverables.
Maintain strict confidentiality of all executive and financial information, exercising sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive corporate matters.
Facilitate cross-functional executive meetings, prepare agendas, capture decisions and action items, and follow up to ensure timely completion of finance-related tasks.
Implement and maintain automated report packs and recurring deliverables using scripting, macros, or BI tools to reduce cycle time and human error.
Track and report on strategic KPI performance (ARR, CAC, LTV, gross margin, operating cash flow) and provide commentary to support investor and board communications.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Manage calendar, travel and logistics for CFO external meetings where financial materials require preparation or follow-up.
Coordinate executive compensation and equity reporting processes for review by the CFO.
Assist with vendor payment escalations and support procurement finance checks for capital and operating spend.
Help prepare internal memos and FAQ packages for major finance rollouts or changes in policy.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced Excel (pivot tables, complex formulas, Power Query, macros/VBA) — ability to build robust, auditable models.
Financial modeling and valuation (DCF, multiples, scenario and sensitivity analysis) used for forecasting, M&A and strategic planning.
Strong accounting knowledge (GAAP and/or IFRS) including consolidation, revenue recognition, accruals and reclassifications.
FP&A expertise: budgeting, rolling forecasts, variance analysis, management reporting and KPI development.
Experience with enterprise ERP and general ledger systems such as NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or Intacct.
Familiarity with BI and visualization tools: Power BI, Tableau, Looker or Google Data Studio for dashboarding and executive reporting.
Hands-on experience with cash management, treasury operations, bank reconciliations and short-term financing instruments.
Working knowledge of corporate tax basics, VAT/GST considerations and coordination with external tax advisors.
Audit coordination experience—preparing schedules, responding to auditor queries and implementing audit recommendations.
Proficiency in PowerPoint and written communication for investor decks, board books and executive summaries.
SQL or basic data query skills for extracting and validating finance data from transactional systems (preferred).
Experience with financial consolidation, multi-entity reporting and intercompany eliminations in complex corporate structures.
Familiarity with equity accounting, stock option reporting and executive compensation schedules (preferred).
Strong spreadsheet automation skills, including use of scripting or macros to reduce manual reporting time.

Soft Skills

Exceptional written and verbal communication — able to translate complex financial data into concise executive messaging.
Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills; comfortable influencing senior leaders.
High attention to detail and accuracy under tight deadlines, with strong organizational ability and prioritization.
Strategic mindset with business acumen — able to see beyond numbers and recommend commercial actions.
Discretion and integrity when managing confidential financial and strategic information.
Proactive, results-oriented and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
Excellent problem-solving skills and intellectual curiosity — asks the right questions and anticipates CFO needs.
Time management and multitasking skills — able to balance recurring deliverables with high-priority ad-hoc requests.
Presentation and storytelling ability — makes data-driven insights compelling and accessible for non-finance audiences.
Adaptability to evolving systems, processes and business models; strong appetite for continuous improvement and automation.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MSc Finance, MS Accounting, or MBA) or professional qualification (CPA, CMA, ACCA) is a strong plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Finance
Accounting
Economics
Business Administration
Data Analytics (beneficial)
Information Systems (beneficial)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of progressive finance experience with exposure to FP&A, accounting, treasury or corporate finance.

Preferred: 5+ years supporting senior finance leadership or C-suite executives, with demonstrable experience owning month-end processes, financial modeling, investor / board materials, and audit coordination. Industry-specific experience (software/SaaS, manufacturing, healthcare, or financial services) is advantageous depending on company context.