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Accounting director skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Richard Hale,

Thomas King

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical accounting director skills. We ranked the top skills for accounting directors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 10.3% of accounting director resumes contained cpa as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an accounting director needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 accounting director skills for your resume and career

1. CPA

Here's how accounting directors use cpa:

Delivered improvement recommendations and traveled across North America to present BPO service options to CPA professionals through seminars.
Audited general ledger accounts, prepared P&L statements and balance sheets, and worked closely with the corporate CPA.

2. GAAP

Here's how accounting directors use gaap:

Managed foundation accounting and established internal accounting controls and accounting procedures to ensure contributions were accounted for in accordance with GAAP.
Directed monthly/quarterly/annual closing, analysis and reporting processes per GAAP; coordinated external audit activities, coordinated budgeting and forecasting activities.

3. Internal Controls

Here's how accounting directors use internal controls:

Performed an extensive review and establishment of internal controls consistent with the requirements of governmental accounting and auditing standards.
Analyzed financial performance, developed account strategies, and instituted internal controls to ensure alignment with strict quality standards.

4. Reconciliations

Here's how accounting directors use reconciliations:

Trained non-accounting operations personnel on reconciliations, financial statement review and general ledger analysis resulting in more timely and accurate reconciliations.
Coordinate efforts of accounting staff to handle all General Ledger closing responsibilities, reconciliations and financial statement review and analysis.

5. External Auditors

Here's how accounting directors use external auditors:

Work with Tax Director and external auditors on various Sales Tax Audits including reconciling revenue details and pulling requested supporting documentations.
Direct oversight of annual investment audit by external auditors which includes risk assessment of external alternative investment funds.

6. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how accounting directors use payroll:

Utilized strong attention to detail to ensure accuracy throughout financial statement preparation, income tax filing and payroll tax operations.
Cut payroll processing time in half while improving reporting capabilities by streamlining process and implementing automated HR/payroll system.

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7. Oversight

Having oversight of someone means to monitor a process or a situation. If someone has oversight of something, they are responsible for the completion of the project. Oversight is usually given to experts as they monitor their juniors or newbies as they go through a project.

Here's how accounting directors use oversight:

Established governance guidelines, service level agreements, and oversight meetings to ensure relationship was mutually beneficial.
Harmonized accounting functions: internal/external financial statement preparation, financial inventory oversight, and A/P staff management.

8. SOX

Here's how accounting directors use sox:

Established financial and operation control structure in transitioning the privately owned company to meet public company reporting and SOX standard.
Write and implement policies and procedures incorporating designated SOX controls.

9. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how accounting directors use customer service:

Designed and created Hospital Patient Billing Brochure and updated Patient Billing Statement for initiative to improve customer service and patient communication.
Launched training initiatives for provider relations representatives on several topics including customer service, account reconciliation, and personal development.

10. Account Reconciliations

Here's how accounting directors use account reconciliations:

Address tight deadlines and a multitude of accounting activities including general ledger preparation, account reconciliations, financial reporting and analysis.
Lead preparation of monthly Financial Statements, bank reconciliations, account reconciliations, and account analysis for corporate and subsidiary entities.

11. Process Improvement

Here's how accounting directors use process improvement:

Developed, reviewed and communicated compelling business cases that supported financially and operationally justified strategic corporate initiatives and process improvements.
Directed multiple regional teams in structured process improvement efforts to streamline the monthly closing cycle and financial reporting requirements.

12. Strong Analytical

Here's how accounting directors use strong analytical:

Possess strong analytical, communication, inter-personal and managerial skills.
Prepared financial statements *Consistently met deadlines while demonstrating strong analytical and problem-solving skills to achieve corporate objectives.

13. Close Process

A close process is the necessary closing steps required to prepare the accounts for recording the transactions of the next period. Its purpose is to reset or close the temporary account balances on the general ledger, and the accounting system for a company's financial data including income statement and accounts payable.

Here's how accounting directors use close process:

Managed the month-end/year-end close process including revenue recognition, divisional profitability and cost analysis, variance analysis and backlog reports.
Oversee the monthly financial close process, business and account analysis and ensuring financial results are delivered accurately and timely.

14. Treasury

Here's how accounting directors use treasury:

Oversee treasury management and implemented a weekly cash flow report shared with executive management.
Introduced much more effective treasury and budget management systems.

15. Fixed Assets

Here's how accounting directors use fixed assets:

Balance sheet/income statement reconciliation; all fixed assets accounts, accounts receivable/accounts payable accounts and all operating expense accounts.
Supervised general ledger, fixed assets, and payroll system conversions as system administrator and security officer.

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What skills help Accounting Directors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on accounting director resumes?

Dr. Richard Hale

Associate Professor of Accounting, Berea College

When we meet with practitioners, the most commonly requested skills are:
-The ability to think critically about situations
-Good communications skills in writing
-The ability to speak in public and present ideas
-Working well with others
-The ability to work independently

Notice that these skills are not dependent upon any particular technology or discipline.
An advantage we have at Berea College, a liberal arts college, is that we incorporate these foundational skills into all we do.
Indeed, we also have our students master working with spreadsheets, develop skills in data analytics, and study all aspects of the business from Management, Economics, Finance, and Marketing.
As accounting is the business language, our students have more excellent business knowledge than other studies.

A key distinction for Berea College students is that all students must work for the college while they attend.
These jobs may vary from raising livestock to working in Accounts Payable. But all Berea graduates have years of practical work experience.
A core component of a Berea College education is to value the labor experience. We believe they enter the post-collegiate workforce with a significant advantage over their peers.

What soft skills should all accounting directors possess?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of colleagues who have diverse skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for accounting directors?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to extract information from unfamiliar data sets and then explain conclusions reached in a clear, persuasive manner.

What accounting director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Gary P Braun

Professor, California State University - Chico

Technology, technology, technology - there are different forms of this, but the intersection of data analysis and technology seems like the place that has the most bang for the buck. Perhaps I am overstating it here, but in my 35-plus years in the accounting world, there has been a continuous march toward the use of computer technology tools. My advice would be to either do a graduate program that has a focus on technology or to pick up certifications in specific tools. Another option would be to find free resources on these topics (MOOCs, for example). Also, for students wanting to be certified, I would say another great use of time is to get the hours needed to sit for the exam and to take the exam ASAP.

What type of skills will young accounting directors need?

Andrew Hartzler

Professor of Accounting, Goshen College

The most critical skill for graduates is the ability and willingness to communicate effectively. All accounting programs teach essentially the same materials. While there is certainly some variability in the quality of teaching across accounting programs, students with the drive and ability to learn and excel at accounting will learn the fundamental accounting concepts over the course of their degree.

What has a much higher degree of variability among students is their ability and willingness to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing. Technology, especially smartphones and social media, have dramatically impacted the degree to which students have been exposed to situations where they are required to communicate effectively and respectfully. The impact this has had is a widespread hesitancy by students to communicate with others in both verbal and written form. In all organizational settings, effective communication is critical to organizational functions and efficiency in shared processes and projects. Recent graduates must quickly overcome their apprehension to reach out and communicate, via both email and in verbal forms (in person and over the phone), which are mediums they are not widely accustomed to.

What technical skills for an accounting director stand out to employers?

Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Loyola University Maryland

First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.

Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.

Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.

Do you want to know more?

List of accounting director skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an accounting director resume and required skills for an accounting director to have include:

CPA
GAAP
Internal Controls
Reconciliations
External Auditors
Payroll
Oversight
SOX
Customer Service
Account Reconciliations
Process Improvement
Strong Analytical
Close Process
Treasury
Fixed Assets
Sarbanes-Oxley
Revenue Recognition

General Ledger Accounts
Cash Management
ERP
Shared Services
Financial Analysis
Financial Data
Due Diligence
Human Resources
Real Estate
IFRS
Direct Reports
Accruals
Internal Audit
Variance Analysis
Financial Results
Cash Flow
Balance Sheet Accounts

Financial Systems
Hyperion
Tax Returns
Taxation
Derivative
Balance Sheet Reconciliations
Executive Management
Bank Reconciliations
Medicare
Financial Transactions
Account Analysis
Ledgers
Bank Accounts
Financial Statements
Accounts Payables

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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