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Senior finance manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. William Miller,

Kim Tan Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior finance manager skills. We ranked the top skills for senior finance managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 6.5% of senior finance manager resumes contained hyperion as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior finance manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior finance manager skills for your resume and career

1. Hyperion

Here's how senior finance managers use hyperion:

Redesigned operational reporting package and modified six monthly reports using a newly created, more robust entity in Hyperion.
Eliminated redundant data entry by automating forecasting process using Hyperion Planning Tool instead of spreadsheets and templates.

2. Financial Performance

Here's how senior finance managers use financial performance:

Analyze financial performance against key business metrics and document pertinent financial highlights that will enable management to determine progress against budget.
Provide timely and insightful analysis of monthly/quarterly/annual results versus forecasts and identify and communicate key drivers of financial performance.

3. Financial Analysis

Here's how senior finance managers use financial analysis:

Worked productively with vice presidents and directors on the subject of financial analysis and closely conferred with customer contact centers worldwide.
Support Acquisition/Portfolio Management in providing timely and accurate financial analysis for decision making, increasing market share and enhancing portfolio performance.

4. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how senior finance managers use business development:

Forged successful international relations in the Americas to expand business development and enhance revenue potential in a competitive market.
Prepared business development requirements documents for development teams during the development of internal tools that support regulatory compliance.

5. SR

Here's how senior finance managers use sr:

Shared Services - Manage the Shared Services teams - Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable as well as a Sr. Treasury Analyst.
Blue Ridge Summit, PA - Publisher and Distributor of Books Sr. Financial Accounting Manager Responsible for entire Accounting Department.

6. Financial Models

Here's how senior finance managers use financial models:

Trained financial analysts in proper validation of assumptions, development of user-friendly financial models and automation of repetitive tasks through macros.
Developed and continually improve Financial Models for large amounts of data to convey relevant material for Executive level presentations.

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7. Strong Analytical

Here's how senior finance managers use strong analytical:

Secured credit applications, and used strong analytical skills to evaluate credit and educate the consumer regarding purchase requirements.
Demonstrated strong analytical skills including trend analysis and the ability to develop innovative tactics to resolve automobile investment issues.

8. Excellent Interpersonal

Here's how senior finance managers use excellent interpersonal:

Maintained a neat appearance, possess excellent interpersonal skills, and easily build rapport with customers.

9. GAAP

Here's how senior finance managers use gaap:

Monitored authoritative guidance and conducted technical accounting research to ensure all financial statements and disclosures were presented in accordance with GAAP.
Reviewed contracts/orders for adequate documentation per transfer-pricing compliance and ensured appropriate timing of revenue recognition per GAAP.

10. Financial Planning Analysis

Here's how senior finance managers use financial planning analysis:

Provide leadership to the Financial Planning Analysis/Management Reporting department for business activities.

11. Process Improvement

Here's how senior finance managers use process improvement:

Update and implement necessary business practices and accounting policies, including multiple process improvement solutions for a global account reconciliation process.
Identify and lead various continuous process improvement initiatives within the Sales & Customer Marketing organizations based on voice of customer feedback.

12. Shared Services

Here's how senior finance managers use shared services:

Improved transparency on shared services allocations reducing errors.
Transitioned major business area functions to shared services.

13. Internal Controls

Here's how senior finance managers use internal controls:

Implemented and communicated defined procedures supported by formalized policy, which improved trade safeguards driving compliance with SOX and internal controls.
Created process flowcharts and wrote process narratives showing high-level operation activities and identifying key internal controls over financial reporting.

14. ERP

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is computer software used by major corporations and organizations for conducting their management and accounting tasks efficiently. ERP systems bind different business processes with each other allowing smoother flow of data between them resulting in swift project assessment and completion.

Here's how senior finance managers use erp:

Designed and implemented automated SKU/Customer level Standard Margin Dashboard leveraging Oracle ERP which provided daily pulse on business profitability to management.
Team member representing Procurement organization for company s initiative to deploy a new, corporate-wide, Oracle-based ERP system.

15. Business Performance

Business performance is the act of setting and reviewing corporate goals, observing the methods used to accomplish those goals, and then devising ways for administrators to more efficiently accomplish those goals. By collecting and interpreting data, a business can determine what influences managerial changes had on performance and then modify those settings to help create a more productive process.

Here's how senior finance managers use business performance:

Provision of strategic guidance, opportunity identification, and financial support to turn-around business performance in a rapidly deteriorating housing market.
Project Lead to identify format and banners across international enabling comparison of business performance of formats and banners from different countries.

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What skills help Senior Finance Managers find jobs?

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What skills stand out on senior finance manager resumes?

Dr. William Miller

Professor of Accounting, University of Wisconsin

While a student can get an accounting degree with one hundred twenty credits, virtually all employers want their new hires to graduate with the requisite one hundred fifty credits to make them eligible to sit for the CPA exam (whether they intend to sit for it or not). Ninety-nine percent of our students graduate with one hundred fifty credits, most often with a double major. Historically that second major has been finance, however, that has changed. The gold standard of double majors is now accounting and information systems. It is not just me saying that, but the employers as well.

The entire world is data driven, every college of business needs to add course work that teaches students how to analyze and interpret data. Not just accounting, but every college of business degree. A resume highlighting either a second major in information systems or completing course work in data helps to set students above the fray. We have added a data analytics course to our accounting program as well as having incorporated integrated data analytics into several other courses, as well.

Highlighting expertise in the use of Microsoft Excel on a resume (perhaps gained through both course work and internship experience) also will stand out.

The above examples are all required, pandemic or not, but with the pandemic, essential skills, like the ability to work independently, communicate effectively, solve unstructured problems, and think critically, have taken on much more importance. Luckily, these are all attributes that we help our students develop throughout our program.

While I am a full time professor, I do a fair amount of consulting and just completed a two and a half year stint as the Chief Financial Officer of a struggling business. The last two years of that work were done entirely remotely. The technologies we have available today to stay connected, share data, communicate, and collaborate all exist and are phenomenal. Microsoft 365 including Teams (I prefer this over Zoom, Skype, etc.) has been a gamechanger for both industry and academia. I can't imagine how any of us would have gotten through the last eighteen months without these products. Our students are well versed in all these products and have been experiencing their use in most of their classes in some form or another in the last year. So, they will start their careers already experienced in how to use them.

What senior finance manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kim Tan Ph.D.

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 senior finance managers need?

Dr. Reid Cummings

Associate Professor of Finance & Real Estate, University of South Alabama

As computing systems continue to advance and evolve, and as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in data analytics, the ability to work with a variety of data manipulation, analysis, and presentation platforms will become increasingly important. Equally, a focus on improving critical thinking and communication skills, and the abilities to present outcomes, analysis, and ideas in a succinct, cogent, and logical fashion, will largely differentiate those who will succeed at a high level from everyone else.

What technical skills for a senior finance manager stand out to employers?

Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Loyola University Maryland

First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.

Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.

Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.

What soft skills should all senior finance managers possess?

Dr. Douglas Boyle

Chair & Professor, Director, Doctorate in Business Administration Program , Director, Nonprofit Leadership Program, The University of Scranton

Our research shows that achieving a high level of emotional intelligence is viewed as most important by senior accounting professionals. Emotional intelligence is made up of self-awareness that includes emotional awareness and self-confidence. Self-management includes self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, and innovation. Social awareness includes empathy and organizational awareness. Relationship management includes influence, conflict management, teamwork, leadership, and communication. While it is important to work on all these skills, the three that are deemed most critical for accounting professionals are trustworthiness, conscientiousness, teamwork, and communication.

Do you want to know more?

List of senior finance manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a senior finance manager resume and required skills for a senior finance manager to have include:

Hyperion
Financial Performance
Financial Analysis
Business Development
SR
Financial Models
Strong Analytical
Excellent Interpersonal
GAAP
Financial Planning Analysis
Process Improvement
Shared Services
Internal Controls
ERP
Business Performance
Financial Management

Financial Systems
Business Decisions
Balance Sheet
KPIs
Financial Data
Business Processes
SOX
Direct Reports
Financial Reports
Financial Support
Variance Analysis
Financial Processes
Real Estate
Strategic Plan
Due Diligence
Cognos

Business Planning
Cash Flow
External Auditors
Treasury
Pricing Strategy
Financial Results
HR
ROI
Journal Entries
Reconciliations
Close Process
Executive Management
Business Cases
Essbase
Revenue Recognition
Financial Leadership

Updated January 8, 2025

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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