Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Finance System Accountant

🎯 Role Definition

As a Finance System Accountant, you are the backbone of our financial operations' technical infrastructure. You are a hybrid professional, blending deep accounting knowledge with a passion for technology. Your primary mission is to manage, maintain, and enhance our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other financial systems. You will ensure data accuracy, streamline processes, and empower the finance team by providing them with the tools and support they need to succeed. This role is perfect for a problem-solver who enjoys troubleshooting complex issues and driving process improvements that have a tangible impact on the business.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Accountant / Staff Accountant
Financial Analyst (with a systems focus)
IT Business Analyst (Finance specialization)

Advancement To:

Finance Systems Manager
Senior Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
ERP Project Manager or Consultant
Corporate Controller

Lateral Moves:

Senior Financial Analyst
Data Analyst (Finance)
Internal Audit Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Act as the primary system administrator and subject matter expert for the company's core financial systems (e.g., ERP, consolidation, and reporting tools).
Manage the day-to-day operations of financial systems, including troubleshooting user issues, performing root cause analysis, and implementing effective solutions.
Lead and support the month-end, quarter-end, and year-end financial close processes from a systems perspective, ensuring all modules are functioning correctly and data flows are complete.
Ensure the integrity and accuracy of financial data by performing complex data reconciliations between sub-ledgers, the general ledger, and other integrated systems.
Drive system-related projects, including new module implementations, system upgrades, and major enhancements, from scoping and design through to testing and go-live.
Develop, maintain, and optimize a suite of financial reports, dashboards, and analytics to support management decision-making and statutory reporting requirements.
Collaborate closely with the finance team to understand their challenges and translate business requirements into technical specifications for system improvements.
Design, document, and implement financial system processes, workflows, and internal controls to enhance efficiency and ensure SOX compliance.
Manage user security, access roles, and permissions within financial applications to safeguard sensitive data and maintain segregation of duties.
Provide comprehensive training and create user-friendly documentation for finance team members on system functionalities, updates, and best practices.
Proactively identify opportunities to automate manual accounting tasks (e.g., journal entries, reconciliations, allocations) using system tools and scripting.
Serve as the key liaison between the Finance department, IT, and external software vendors to resolve system issues and plan future upgrades.
Support internal and external audits by providing system-generated reports, data extracts, and detailed explanations of system processes and controls.
Maintain the integrity of financial master data, including the Chart of Accounts, vendor/customer masters, and reporting hierarchies.
Configure system settings across various modules such as General Ledger (GL), Accounts Payable (AP), Accounts Receivable (AR), Fixed Assets (FA), and Project Costing.

Secondary Functions

Support the FP&A team with ad-hoc data requests, complex financial modeling, and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's broader data governance strategy and roadmap by representing the needs of the finance function.
Collaborate with cross-functional business units to translate their data needs into robust finance and engineering requirements.
Participate actively in sprint planning, retrospectives, and other agile ceremonies within the technology and project teams.
Evaluate emerging financial technologies and applications, providing recommendations for investment and process improvement.
Assist in the development and execution of comprehensive test scripts and user acceptance testing (UAT) plans for all system changes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep functional and technical expertise in at least one major ERP system (e.g., Oracle NetSuite, SAP S/4HANA, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Workday Financials).
Strong command of fundamental accounting principles (U.S. GAAP/IFRS) and core financial processes (Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, Record-to-Report).
Proficiency in writing and understanding SQL queries to extract, manipulate, and validate data from relational databases.
Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities, including Power Query, Power Pivot, complex formulas, and VBA macros for automation.
Experience with Business Intelligence (BI) and reporting tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Oracle BI, or similar platforms.
Knowledge of system implementation and project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Waterfall).
Solid understanding of IT general controls (ITGC), application controls, and SOX compliance requirements.
Experience in system administration, including user role management, workflow configuration, and custom field creation.

Soft Skills

Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities with a meticulous attention to detail.
Superior communication skills, with a proven ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Strong project management and organizational skills, capable of handling multiple competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
A proactive, service-oriented mindset focused on business partnering and continuous improvement.
High level of personal integrity and discretion when handling confidential financial information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree in a relevant field or a professional certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Accounting or Finance
Management Information Systems (MIS)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years of progressive experience in a role blending accounting responsibilities with financial systems management.

Preferred:

Direct experience leading or playing a key role in an ERP implementation, migration, or major upgrade project is highly desirable.
Professional certification such as CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) is a strong plus.
Experience working in a publicly-traded company environment with exposure to SOX compliance.