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Senior director of finance vs finance leader

The differences between senior directors of finance and finance leaders 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 leader. Additionally, a senior director of finance has an average salary of $137,505, which is higher than the $117,284 average annual salary of a finance leader.

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

Senior director of finance vs finance leader overview

Senior Director Of FinanceFinance Leader
Yearly salary$137,505$117,284
Hourly rate$66.11$56.39
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs98,47093,582
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
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 leader do?

The duties of a finance leader depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the sales and financial operations in a company, preparing financial reports and statements, finding new sales opportunities, identifying the market and client needs, and maintaining records of all financial transactions. There are also instances where a finance leader may set and allocate budgets, perform audits in costs and expenditures, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Senior director of finance vs finance leader salary

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

Senior Director Of FinanceFinance Leader
Average salary$137,505$117,284
Salary rangeBetween $88,000 And $212,000Between $78,000 And $174,000
Highest paying CityFoster City, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaOregon
Best paying companyMayo ClinicApple
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalFinance

Differences between senior director of finance and finance leader education

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

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

Senior director of finance vs finance leader demographics

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

Senior Director Of FinanceFinance Leader
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 74.5% Female, 25.5%Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0%
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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between senior director of finance and finance leader 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 leader example 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.
  • Show more

Senior director of finance vs finance leader 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 leader skills
  • Financial Analysis, 8%
  • Financial Management, 5%
  • Business Development, 5%
  • Financial Performance, 4%
  • Strong Analytical, 4%
  • HR, 4%

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