Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Finance

🎯 Role Definition

The Director of Finance is a senior finance leader who owns the integrity of financial reporting, drives strategic financial planning, and partners with the executive team to translate business goals into measurable financial outcomes. This role leads FP&A, budgeting & forecasting, cash and treasury management, financial controls and compliance, and provides actionable insights to inform pricing, investments, and growth initiatives. The Director of Finance acts as a trusted business partner to operations, sales, and product teams while building a high-performing finance organization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Finance Manager / FP&A Manager with cross-functional exposure
Corporate Controller or Accounting Manager with strategic planning experience
Senior Financial Analyst supporting executive-level reporting

Advancement To:

Vice President of Finance
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Head of Corporate Development or VP of Business Operations

Lateral Moves:

Corporate Controller (larger organization)
Head of FP&A (global role)
Treasury or Investor Relations leader

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end-to-end financial planning and analysis (FP&A) processes, producing monthly, quarterly, and annual forecasts, long-range financial models, scenario planning, and management presentations that inform executive decision-making and strategic priorities.
Own the annual budgeting cycle and rolling forecast process, coordinating cross-functional inputs, setting financial targets, driving cost discipline, and delivering variance analysis versus plan with clear drivers and corrective recommendations.
Prepare, review, and present accurate and timely financial statements and reports in accordance with GAAP (or IFRS as applicable), ensuring senior leadership and the board have clear visibility into financial performance, KPIs, and liquidity.
Design and implement financial models to support strategic initiatives such as pricing optimization, new product launches, market expansion, capital allocation, and M&A evaluations, including ROI sensitivity and break-even analysis.
Manage cash flow forecasting and treasury operations, optimizing working capital, overseeing banking relationships, debt facilities, and short-term investment strategies to maintain liquidity and minimize financing costs.
Establish and maintain robust internal controls, SOX-ready processes, and compliance frameworks to mitigate financial and operational risk; lead internal audits and coordinate external audits and tax filings.
Drive month-end and quarter-end close activities to ensure timely, accurate consolidation, account reconciliations, and journal entries; implement continuous improvements to close cadence and transaction processing.
Serve as the primary finance partner to commercial, operations, and product teams to translate business drivers into financial plans, provide margin analysis, and support go-to-market and pricing decisions.
Lead investor reporting and external stakeholder communications, preparing board packs, investor updates, covenant reporting, and ad-hoc analyses for lenders, investors, and auditors.
Oversee cost accounting and profitability analysis across products, services, business units, and customer segments, identifying opportunities for margin expansion and operational efficiency.
Develop and maintain KPIs and dashboards (e.g., CAC, LTV, GM, ARR, churn, burn rate) using BI tools to provide real-time performance visibility and decision-support for executives.
Architect and execute finance systems and ERP strategy (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Workday), drive implementations/upgrades, and ensure data integrity, automation, and scalable processes.
Lead corporate tax planning and compliance activities, collaborating with external advisors to optimize tax positions and ensure timely reporting and payments.
Oversee payroll, benefits accounting, and compensation-related financial reporting, including equity accounting (ASC 718) and stock option modeling for cap table and dilution analysis.
Manage budgeting and financial oversight for capital expenditure, fixed asset accounting, and depreciation schedules; assess capital projects through rigorous financial criteria and post-implementation reviews.
Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing finance team (FP&A, accounting, treasury, and reporting), setting performance goals, career development plans, and driving a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Lead financial due diligence and integration planning for acquisitions or divestitures, coordinating cross-functional teams to model synergies, risks, and post-close accounting treatment.
Implement pricing strategies and promotional analysis in partnership with commercial teams to improve gross margin and customer lifetime value while monitoring competitive dynamics.
Monitor regulatory and accounting standard changes (ASC/IFRS updates) and update policies, disclosures, and processes to ensure compliance and accurate financial reporting.
Identify and execute process automation opportunities using RPA, scripting, or analytics tools to reduce manual workload, improve accuracy, and accelerate reporting timelines.
Manage risk assessment and insurance programs from a financial perspective, partnering with legal and operations to quantify exposures and mitigate enterprise-level financial risks.
Champion cost transformation initiatives, identifying non-core spend, implementing zero-based budgeting pilots, and partnering with procurement to secure savings without compromising growth.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc business case development and exploratory financial analysis for cross-functional initiatives such as new market entry, strategic partnerships, and product roadmap prioritization.
Contribute to the organization's data and analytics strategy by defining finance data requirements, improving data governance, and partnering with IT to ensure reliable financial metrics.
Collaborate with HR and People Operations on compensation planning, workforce budgeting, and financial impacts of organizational design or workforce changes.
Participate in executive strategy sessions, board meetings, and investor roadshows to present financial insights, answer due diligence questions, and articulate the financial narrative supporting strategic plans.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Financial planning & analysis (FP&A): multi-year modeling, rolling forecasts, scenario analysis, and variance analysis.
Advanced financial modeling and valuation techniques (DCF, NPV, IRR, sensitivity analysis, accretion/dilution for M&A).
Accounting standards and reporting: GAAP and/or IFRS expertise; consolidation and month-end close management.
ERP and financial systems: NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Workday or similar — including system implementation and optimization experience.
Advanced Excel (pivot tables, Power Query, VBA/formulas) and proficiency with SQL for data extraction and reconciliation.
Business intelligence and visualization tools: Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or equivalent for KPI dashboards and automated reporting.
Treasury and cash management: cash forecasting, working capital optimization, banking relationships, and debt covenants management.
Tax and compliance knowledge: corporate tax planning, indirect tax, transfer pricing basics, and experience coordinating external tax advisors.
Internal controls and SOX compliance: policy design, control testing, remediation, and audit management.
Cost accounting and profitability analysis: contribution margin, product costing, inventory valuation (FIFO/LIFO), and overhead allocation.
Mergers & Acquisitions: transaction modeling, due diligence, integration planning, and post-merger accounting.
Financial systems automation and process improvement: RPA, APIs, and workflow optimization to streamline finance operations.
Equity compensation accounting and cap table modeling (ASC 718, stock options, RSUs).
Contract and revenue recognition expertise, including ASC 606 implementation and recurring revenue metrics (ARR, MRR).

Soft Skills

Strategic mindset with an ability to translate financial data into clear business recommendations and actionable plans.
Strong leadership and people management: hiring, coaching, performance management, and building cross-functional influence.
Excellent communication skills, including experience presenting to executive teams and boards and simplifying complex financial concepts for non-finance stakeholders.
High attention to detail and integrity with a commitment to accurate reporting and ethical standards.
Problem-solving orientation and ability to operate in ambiguity with prioritized, pragmatic solutions.
Stakeholder management and partnering skills to collaborate effectively across Sales, Operations, Product, HR, Legal, and IT.
Change leadership: experience driving process transformation and gaining buy-in across multiple organizational layers.
Time management and prioritization: ability to manage multiple initiatives and tight close/reporting cycles without sacrificing quality.
Negotiation skills for banking, vendor contracts, and commercial pricing discussions.
Coaching and mentoring mentality with a focus on developing finance talent and succession planning.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

Master of Business Administration (MBA), CPA, CMA, or other advanced finance/accounting credential preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Finance
Accounting
Economics
Business Administration
Data Analytics or Information Systems (beneficial for systems/BI focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8–15+ years of progressive finance experience, including substantive FP&A, accounting, and systems exposure.

Preferred:

10+ years in corporate finance roles with 4–7 years managing finance teams and partnering at the executive level; experience at high-growth, SaaS, e-commerce, or complex multi-entity corporations is highly desirable.