How to hire a Finance Leader

How to hire a finance leader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step finance leader hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a finance leader job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new finance leader
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Finance Leader do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a finance leader, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A finance leader's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, finance leaders from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of finance leader salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Finance Leader	Description	Hourly Rate
   Finance Leader	Financial managers are responsible for the financial health of an organization. They produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	$37-83
   Director Of Operations And Finance	A director of operations and finance is in charge of overseeing and spearheading business and financial operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the best practices to optimize operations, coordinating with different departments to gather data, conducting research and analysis to identify new business and investment opportunities, and monitoring the progress of various projects and programs... Show More	$37-87
   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... Show More	$36-71

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Financial Analysis
   • Financial Management
   • Business Development
   • Financial Performance
   • Strong Analytical
   • HR
   • Cost Savings
   • Process Improvement
   • Hyperion
   • Financial Operations
   • ERP
   • Financial Planning Analysis
   • Business Process
   • GAAP

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and coordinate annual GAAP audit of corporation financial statements.
   • Manage impairment and trouble debt restructures identification & measurement process in compliance with regulatory and GAAP guidance.
   • Participate in Lawson ERP implementation and training resources for corporate and site finance group.
   • Create superior back office business processes in conjunction with JD Edwards ERP implementation team.
   • Recruit by the CFO to support the growth and development of the Americas business.
   • Review, interpret, and approve budgets for all trade promotion events in the Americas.

   More Finance Leader duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the finance leader job description is a good way to get more applicants. A finance leader salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a finance leader in Utah may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level finance leader. Additionally, a finance leader with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average finance leader salary

   $117,284yearly

   $56.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level finance leader salary

   $78,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2025

   Average finance leader salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$133,239	$64
   2	New York	$125,927	$61
   3	Washington	$124,669	$60
   4	New Jersey	$122,020	$59
   5	Pennsylvania	$121,582	$58
   6	Massachusetts	$120,982	$58
   7	Connecticut	$118,934	$57
   8	Michigan	$116,112	$56
   9	Delaware	$115,914	$56
   10	District of Columbia	$114,720	$55
   11	Maryland	$112,391	$54
   12	Texas	$111,565	$54
   13	Virginia	$111,546	$54
   14	Wisconsin	$110,973	$53
   15	Arizona	$110,731	$53
   16	Indiana	$108,803	$52
   17	Ohio	$106,401	$51
   18	North Carolina	$106,019	$51
   19	Florida	$105,171	$51
   20	Georgia	$104,716	$50

   Average finance leader salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Apple	$154,605	$74.33	31
   2	Palo Alto Networks	$149,166	$71.71	17
   3	Google	$146,967	$70.66	14
   4	AstraZeneca	$143,475	$68.98	4
   5	Boston Consulting Group	$142,791	$68.65	3
   6	Citi	$141,848	$68.20	219
   7	Koch Industries	$139,871	$67.25
   8	Key Energy Services	$138,283	$66.48
   9	Chegg	$137,186	$65.95
   10	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$136,757	$65.75	14
   11	Palantir	$136,070	$65.42
   12	J.P. Morgan	$135,811	$65.29
   13	Organon	$135,788	$65.28
   14	Harley-Davidson	$135,746	$65.26	6
   15	FMC	$135,364	$65.08
   16	Dropbox	$135,199	$65.00
   17	General Motors	$134,885	$64.85	1
   18	Coty	$134,774	$64.80	2
   19	Allergan plc	$133,282	$64.08
   20	AdvanSix	$132,844	$63.87	5

4. Writing a Finance Leader Job Description

   A job description for a finance leader role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a finance leader job description:

   Finance Leader job description example

   You could be the one who changes everything for our 26 million members. Centene is transforming the health of our communities, one person at a time. As a diversified, national organization, you'll have access to competitive benefits including a fresh perspective on workplace flexibility.
   
   Position Purpose: Compile and analyze financial information for the company. Lead various financial projects. Cost effectively manage the utilization of services and develop measures to track, trend and forecast related impacts of organizational strategic initiatives.
   
   • Run pre-established reports as well as development of new reports for internal stakeholders and regulatory agencies
   • Develop metrics to evaluate financial impact of proposed contract and medical management
   
   • Develop integrated revenue/expense analyses, projections, reports, and presentations
   
   • Contribute commentary/insights into the business units performance based on market specific knowledge and analysis based results/indicators
   
   • Create and analyze monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and ensures financial information has been recorded accurately
   
   • Identify trends and developments in competitive environments and presents findings to senior management
   
   • Perform financial forecasting and reconciliation of internal accounts
   
   • Identify and research variances
   
   • Handle complex and high level financial analysis
   
   • Present and discuss analysis with upper management
   
   Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience. 6+ years of financial or data analysis experience. Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel.
   
   Our Comprehensive Benefits Package: Flexible work solutions including remote options, hybrid work schedules and dress flexibility, Competitive pay, Paid time off including holidays, Health insurance coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) and stock purchase plans, Tuition reimbursement and best-in-class training and development.
   
   Centene is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, and values the ways in which we are different. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by applicable law.
   
   **TITLE:** Finance Lead, Strategic Initiatives
   
   **LOCATION:** Various, Florida
   
   **REQNUMBER:** 1330744

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find finance leaders for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any finance leaders they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level finance leaders with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your finance leader job on Zippia to find and recruit finance leader candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit finance leaders, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new finance leader

   Once you have selected a candidate for the finance leader position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new finance leader first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a finance leader?