What does a director of administration & finance do?
A director of administration & finance oversees and directs an organization's administration and finance department, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently according to company standards and regulations. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, lead the research and development efforts, establish procedures, manage the budgets and costs, review and evaluate financial reports, and implement the organizations' policies and standards. Moreover, a director of administration & finance leads staff and supervises all operations, solving issues and concerns if any would arise.
Director of administration & finance responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of administration & finance resumes:
- Manage payroll and HRIS system administration utilizing ADP and PeopleSoft applications and provide HRIS reports to employees and senior management team.
- Lead the consolidation of financial and operational systems for non-acute services including rehabilitation and psychiatry services.
- Provide organizational cash flow oversight as well as, update and implement inter-departmental policies.
- Install ADP computerize payroll reporting with electronic tax deposits and federal/state reporting resulting in payroll processing cost savings.
- Oversee the coordination of employee benefits and office administrative contacts and functions including direct monitoring of payroll processing.
- Coordinate administrative operations including general oversight of office, computer and other equipment maintenance, and purchasing and vendor contact.
- Contribute to increase in Medicare program profitability through resident analysis that identify impact of pharmaceutical and other ancillary costs on profitability.
- Interact frequently with Marriott legal and regional offices as the hotel ownership undergo foreclosure and bankruptcy.
Director of administration & finance skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Directors Of Administration & Finance are proficient in Payroll, Oversight, and Financial Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Administration & Finance that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Payroll, 12%
Manage Human Resources functions including benefits administration, payroll, staffing and recruitment, employee relations and policy administration.
- Oversight, 9%
Provided direction supervision of 4 departments and also responsible for human resources, facilities management oversight, and information technology support.
- Financial Management, 6%
Developed annual budgeting process and instituted strong financial management controls on hiring, contracting and capital spending to preserve financial assets.
- Administrative Functions, 4%
Planned and managed reorganization and move of all accounting and administrative functions from original California location to new headquarters in Wisconsin.
- Internal Controls, 4%
Generated substantial cost savings, improved internal controls, administrative efficiency and enhanced relations with suppliers.
- Risk Management, 3%
Worked with managers on Operational Risk Management; Supported and contributed to grant writing; Developed and implemented cost-saving ideas.
Common skills that a director of administration & finance uses to do their job include "payroll," "oversight," and "financial management." You can find details on the most important director of administration & finance responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a director of administration & finance to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what directors of administration & finance do because "to assist executives in making decisions, financial managers need to evaluate data and information that affects their organization." Additionally, a director of administration & finance resume shows how directors of administration & finance use analytical skills: "implemented a cost effective erp system increasing analytical and reporting capabilities. "
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform director of administration & finance duties is detail oriented. Directors of administration & finance responsibilities require that "in preparing and analyzing reports, such as balance sheets and income statements, financial managers must be precise and attentive to their work in order to avoid errors." Directors of administration & finance also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide detailed financial analysis; prepare quarterly reports to bank, executive management and board of directors. "
Math skills. directors of administration & finance are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to director of administration & finance responsibilities, because "financial managers need strong skills in certain branches of mathematics, including algebra." A director of administration & finance resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "perform qualitative and quantitative analysis and evaluation of financial data and advise senior management and board of directors. "
Organizational skills. A big part of what directors of administration & finance do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to director of administration & finance responsibilities because "because financial managers deal with a range of information and documents, they must have structures in place to be effective in their work." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical director of administration & finance tasks: "led selection of acquisition target, due diligence, acquisition, development of organizational structure, and operational consolidation. "
Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a director of administration & finance to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what directors of administration & finance relies on this skill, since "financial managers must be able to explain and justify complex financial transactions." How this skill relates to director of administration & finance duties can be seen in an example from a director of administration & finance resume snippet: "manage all cpa communications including audits, reviews and tax reporting. "
The three companies that hire the most director of administration & finances are:
- Columbia University in the City of New York4 directors of administration & finance jobs
- University of Washington4 directors of administration & finance jobs
- Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs
3 directors of administration & finance jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable director of administration & finance resume templates
Build a professional director of administration & finance resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of administration & finance resume.
Compare different directors of administration & finance
Director of administration & finance vs. Controller, vice president
A Controller, Vice President is focused on controlling and directing financial planning and budget management. They supervise the daily operations of the finance department, such as financial reporting, accounts payable, and payroll.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between directors of administration & finance and controller, vice president. For instance, director of administration & finance responsibilities require skills such as "administrative functions," "grants management," "strategic plan," and "human resource functions." Whereas a controller, vice president is skilled in "internal audit," "sox," "nyse," and "treasury." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Controllers, vice president really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $162,621. Comparatively, directors of administration & finance tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $117,977.On average, controllers, vice president reach similar levels of education than directors of administration & finance. Controllers, vice president are 3.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of administration & finance vs. Finance vice president
The vice president of finance is one of the highest-ranking executives in a company. He/She or she works under the chief financial officer, and both have similar duties that are often interchangeable. This executive's primary function is to oversee the company's financial records and project future financial plans and investments. The finance vice president ensures that the company's finances are managed suitably and effectively. This role's responsibilities include leading the team towards achieving the company's financial mission, monitoring the financial performance, preparing and presenting financial reports, and conducting audits on financial expenditures, assets, and liabilities.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real director of administration & finance resumes. While director of administration & finance responsibilities can utilize skills like "reconciliations," "grants management," "human resource functions," and "budget preparation," finance vice presidents use skills like "business development," "human resources," "treasury," and "rehabilitation."
Finance vice presidents may earn a higher salary than directors of administration & finance, but finance vice presidents earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $149,254. On the other hand, directors of administration & finance receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $117,977.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Finance vice presidents tend to reach similar levels of education than directors of administration & finance. In fact, they're 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of administration & finance vs. Manager finance planning and analysis
A manager finance planning and analysis oversees the daily operations of a company's financial planning department. They typically have administrative duties such as setting goals and guidelines, establishing timelines and budgets, delegating tasks among teams and staff, and reviewing financial reports regularly. They also perform research and assessments, gather and analyze financial data from different departments, coordinate staff, and solve issues and concerns when any arise. Additionally, as a manager, they must lead and empower staff to reach goals while implementing company policies and regulations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, directors of administration & finance are more likely to have skills like "oversight," "administrative functions," "risk management," and "cpa." But a manager finance planning and analysis is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "financial models," "hyperion," and "process improvement."
Managers finance planning and analysis make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $109,735. On the other hand, directors of administration & finance are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $117,977.managers finance planning and analysis typically earn similar educational levels compared to directors of administration & finance. Specifically, they're 2.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of administration & finance vs. Manager/finance accounting
A manager of finance accounting's role is to oversee the financial activities in a company or organization. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with other departments to gather financial data, analyze the revenues and expenditures, and develop written reports and presentations. A manager of finance accounting must also maintain accurate financial records, identify any errors or inconsistencies, and perform support tasks for staff when necessary. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between directors of administration & finance and managers/finance accounting, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a director of administration & finance might have more use for skills like "payroll," "oversight," "administrative functions," and "risk management." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of managers/finance accounting require skills like "customer service," "hr," "shared services," and "treasury. "
The government industry tends to pay the highest salaries for managers/finance accounting, with average annual pay of $92,198. Comparatively, the highest director of administration & finance annual salary comes from the health care industry.managers/finance accounting reach similar levels of education compared to directors of administration & finance, in general. The difference is that they're 2.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of director of administration & finance
Updated January 8, 2025
