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Chief finance officer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Kim Tan Ph.D.,
Dr. Michael Tin Shan Suen
Chief finance officer example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical chief finance officer skills. We ranked the top skills for chief finance officers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.0% of chief finance officer resumes contained payroll as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a chief finance officer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 chief finance officer skills for your resume and career

1. 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 chief finance officers use payroll:
  • Supervised all general accounting operations, including general ledger processing, accounts payable, investment accounting, and payroll administration.
  • Process Improvement: Evaluated back-office operations and implemented processes that significantly improved timeliness and accuracy of payroll and billing.

2. CPA

Here's how chief finance officers use cpa:
  • Coordinated external audits with outside CPA firm, information technology vulnerability and penetration tests, and state examiners.
  • Collaborated with outside investment and CPA firms regarding business planning and analysis.

3. 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 chief finance officers use oversight:
  • Maintain responsibility and oversight of all financial, accounting and administrative departments, with significant interaction with the Board of Directors.
  • Provide oversight and management of all financial and accounting functions of the company and related reporting to domestic and international stockholders.

4. Financial Reports

Here's how chief finance officers use financial reports:
  • Review the financial statements, including monthly financial reports, annual statutory reports and all reporting of relevant communication to headquarters.
  • Prepared financial reports including general ledger accounting to accurately & efficiently maintain quarterly & year- end audit & tax preparation.

5. Human Resources

Human resources is a set of people in a business or a corporation that are designated to locate, interview, and recruit new employees into the company. They are also responsible to maintain the integrity of the employees and help them sort their problems out. They try to introduce and manage employee-benefit programs.

Here's how chief finance officers use human resources:
  • Finance and administrative leader, charged with effective supervision of finance, human resources, purchasing and information technology divisions.
  • Provided for all human resources functions; developing an outstanding organization that enabled the company to grow successfully and profitably.

6. Internal Controls

Here's how chief finance officers use internal controls:
  • Introduced best-practice methodologies and metrics to improve overall operational excellence, financial performance, internal controls, including ITAR Import/Export compliance.
  • Developed and implemented corporate and subsidiary accounting/reporting systems for management and SEC compliance reporting, including consolidations and internal controls.

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7. Risk Management

Risk management is the method of recognizing, evaluating, and managing risks to an organization's resources and profits. Financial insecurity, regulatory liability, strategic management mistakes, incidents, and natural hazards are just some of the challenges or dangers that could arise. For digitalized businesses, IT security vulnerabilities and data-related threats, as well as risk management techniques to mitigate them, have become top priorities.

Here's how chief finance officers use risk management:
  • Succeeded managing multiple engagements of Enterprise Risk Management, Continuous Auditing and Monitoring, Operational Auditing, and Third Party Management.
  • Supervised all administrative areas of the business including human resources, risk management, information technology as well as accounting.

8. Cash Management

Here's how chief finance officers use cash management:
  • Analyzed Cost Allocation Plan; identified allowable recoverable costs achieved accurate forecasting, increased federal reimbursement and improved overall cash management.
  • Provided direction, management and leadership in financial administration, business planning, accounting, cash management, budgeting and analysis.

9. Cash Flow

Here's how chief finance officers use cash flow:
  • Negotiated short/long term bank financing agreements to expand plant facilities, and meet operational demands which achieved maximum cash flow utilization.
  • Provide cash flow projections and strategic financial recommendations to the Chief Executive Officer including implications of major operating decisions.

10. Financial Management

Here's how chief finance officers use financial management:
  • Directed financial management and actively supported business development efforts of subsidiaries, to include leading all necessary and appropriate due diligence.
  • Analyzed and documents financial management requirements related to inventory quantity to include matters of law, policies, and operational requirements.

11. Treasury

Here's how chief finance officers use treasury:
  • Maintained accounting and project management system while adding field reporting, purchasing, asset management, HR and treasury management functionality.
  • Calculated valuation of company stock for treasury leverage and merger-and-acquisition purposes and negotiated mergers and acquisitions for company.

12. GAAP

Here's how chief finance officers use gaap:
  • Created critical financial information and analysis for management in accordance with GAAP, resulting in timely and effective business decisions.
  • Introduced and implemented GAAP and meaningful financial analysis for better management decision making and higher credibility with interested parties.

13. Financial Analysis

Here's how chief finance officers use financial analysis:
  • Tax Planning/capital planning/budgeting/forecasting/job costing/financial analysis.
  • Process improvements achieved with financial close/reporting, budgeting, financial analysis, billing/reimbursement and physician compensation functions through a team approach.

14. Financial Performance

Here's how chief finance officers use financial performance:
  • Measured financial performance by assessing and analyzing financial and operational results; initiating corrective actions and proactively communicating impact of variances.
  • Prepared and presented Board and Executive presentations including implementing new reporting tools to provide transparency into financial performance and business intelligence.

15. Private Equity

Private equity is a kind of investment that consists of capital that is not listed publicly. It involves funds such as pension funds and private investors that directly invest in private companies instead of indulging in public exchanges.

Here's how chief finance officers use private equity:
  • Introduced internal metrics and financial reporting, including monitoring all requirements placed on the company by private equity investors.
  • Produced company valuation and a business plan; initiated negotiations with the venture capital community regarding private equity financing.
top-skills

What skills help Chief Finance Officers find jobs?

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

What chief finance officer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kim Tan Ph.D.Kim Tan Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor, Accounting, Chair, California State University - Stanislaus

Travel abroad. Study/work on some certification to learn new/related skills (MOOC). Volunteer work. Work to help support the family. Prepare for graduate school. Work at a lower-level job in an organization they are interested in.

What type of skills will young chief finance officers need?

Dr. Michael Tin Shan SuenDr. Michael Tin Shan Suen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Kean University

Students need to have both hard and soft skills. Some of the in-demand hard skills are data analytics, the ability to code, analytical thinking, and the ability to tackle unstructured problems. The essential soft skill includes creativity, self-motivation, work ethics, perseverance, and being patient with your career development.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about chief finance officer

List of chief finance officer skills to add to your resume

Chief finance officer skills

The most important skills for a chief finance officer resume and required skills for a chief finance officer to have include:

  • Payroll
  • CPA
  • Oversight
  • Financial Reports
  • Human Resources
  • Internal Controls
  • Risk Management
  • Cash Management
  • Cash Flow
  • Financial Management
  • Treasury
  • GAAP
  • Financial Analysis
  • Financial Performance
  • Private Equity
  • Financial Operations
  • Due Diligence
  • Real Estate
  • Balance Sheet
  • Strategic Plan
  • General Ledger
  • Financial Leadership
  • Financial Data
  • Business Plan
  • Medicare
  • Executive Management
  • Tax Returns
  • Financial Results
  • ERP
  • Medicaid
  • Financial Functions
  • Business Development
  • External Auditors
  • Direct Reports
  • Finance Committee
  • Strategic Direction
  • Financial Policies
  • Financial Systems
  • Business Operations
  • Financial Models
  • A/P
  • Cost Savings
  • EBITDA
  • Investor Relations
  • Financial Planning Analysis
  • Administrative Functions
  • KPI
  • Financial Aspects
  • Manage Cash Flow
  • Financial Controls

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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