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Senior director of finance vs finance controller

The differences between senior directors of finance and finance controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a senior director of finance and a finance controller. Additionally, a senior director of finance has an average salary of $137,505, which is higher than the $105,869 average annual salary of a finance controller.

The top three skills for a senior director of finance include SR, business development and financial management. The most important skills for a finance controller are CPA, payroll, and financial controller.

Senior director of finance vs finance controller overview

Senior Director Of FinanceFinance Controller
Yearly salary$137,505$105,869
Hourly rate$66.11$50.90
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs98,47097,342
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

What does a senior director of finance do?

The senior director of finance is responsible for the company's financial wellness. Finance directors are constituents of the senior executive team that incorporate operational and strategic roles, maintain accounting and financial control functions, and set up a financial strategy for the continued profitable growth of the business. Their responsibilities include supervising financial operations, managing and providing ongoing training to accounting personnel, and conducting the weekly and monthly financial evaluation. Also, the director will initiate budgets, allocate funds for capital projects, create annual financial plans and projections, as well as conduct an evaluation of financial risks and benefits on a business enterprise.

What does a finance controller do?

A financial controller is primarily in charge of the daily finance activities and accounting functions of a company. Their responsibilities typically revolve around preparing and organizing financial reports, analyzing data and looking out for any discrepancies or inconsistencies, and overseeing the company's overall revenues and expenditures. A financial controller must also maintain documentation, participate in risk assessment and budgeting activities, and develop strategies for profit growth. Furthermore, one must coordinate with other department staff to ensure accuracy, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Senior director of finance vs finance controller salary

Senior directors of finance and finance controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Director Of FinanceFinance Controller
Average salary$137,505$105,869
Salary rangeBetween $88,000 And $212,000Between $71,000 And $156,000
Highest paying CityFoster City, CAYonkers, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyMayo ClinicSage Memorial Hospital
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalTechnology

Differences between senior director of finance and finance controller education

There are a few differences between a senior director of finance and a finance controller in terms of educational background:

Senior Director Of FinanceFinance Controller
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Senior director of finance vs finance controller demographics

Here are the differences between senior directors of finance' and finance controllers' demographics:

Senior Director Of FinanceFinance Controller
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 74.5% Female, 25.5%Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.2% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between senior director of finance and finance controller duties and responsibilities

Senior director of finance example responsibilities.

  • Project manage the successful implementation of Hyperion Essbase upgrade from Hyperion FM, managing cross functional resources across multiple geographies.
  • Maximize returns and limit risks by managing treasury and investment balances daily.
  • Establish, manage and monitor accounting and finance duties including the annual operating budget, financial statements and account reconciliations.
  • Ensure internal controls, GAAP and SOX compliance, as well as interfaced with internal and external audit reviews.
  • Coordinate information for external auditors and CPA firm for quarterly/annual tax/audit.
  • Direct the companywide planning process and implement a new Hyperion planning system.
  • Show more

Finance controller example responsibilities.

  • Lead the implementation of a fully integrate ERP system resulting in increase financial integrity.
  • Supervise a staff of seven in the areas of A/P, A/R, G/L, financial reporting and payroll.
  • Coordinate annual financial audit with external CPA firm and implement internal controls to satisfy recommendations from auditors.
  • Develop and implement procedures with internal controls for all financial and operational processes to ensure GAAP compliance.
  • Prepare all accounts for the month-end closing process and additionally gather information for daily/monthly reconciliations and journal entries.
  • Work with outside CPA on year-end tax planning; ensure the timely filing and payment of corporate taxes.
  • Show more

Senior director of finance vs finance controller skills

Common senior director of finance skills
  • SR, 10%
  • Business Development, 8%
  • Financial Management, 8%
  • Strategic Direction, 8%
  • Executive Management, 7%
  • RFP, 7%
Common finance controller skills
  • CPA, 7%
  • Payroll, 7%
  • Financial Controller, 7%
  • GAAP, 5%
  • General Ledger, 5%
  • Internal Controls, 5%

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