Chief Financial Officer

Manage an organisation’s finances.
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What's it like to be a Chief Financial Officer?

A Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is typically the most senior financial position in an organisation. In most organisations, a CFO leads a finance and accounting team that oversees every financial aspect of the operation including budgets, accounting, financial reporting, business control, treasury and tax. Chief Financial Officers usually manage financial forecasting and budgets, support strategic goals and make recommendations across multiple departments. They may also advise on mergers, acquisitions and structural changes to a company.

Tasks and duties

  • Managing the finance and accounting team.
  • Providing the executive leadership with expert financial advice and proposing new financial strategies.
  • Producing the company’s financial reports including profit and loss statements and balance sheets.
  • Managing financial forecasting and allocating budgets.
  • Approving business cases.
  • Monitoring cash flow.
How to become a Chief Financial Officer

To become a Chief Financial Officer you will need a combination of qualifications and extensive experience.

  1. Complete a bachelor degree in accounting, finance, business, economics or a related field.

  2. Consider advancing your skills with a postgraduate qualification such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

  3. Join a relevant industry organisation such as Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) or CPA Australia.

  4. If relevant to your pathway, sit professional exams set by the CAANZ or CPA Australia to obtain a Certificate of Public Practice.

  5. Gain extensive experience in positions that develop your finance and leadership skills. You might like to build experience in one or more senior-level management roles before advancing to Chief Financial Officer.

Compare your salary

Find out how your salary compares with the average salary for Chief Financial Officers.
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Latest Chief Financial Officer jobs on SEEK

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Skills and experience employers are looking for

Having the right skills and experience can make you an in-demand applicant. Chief Financial Officer employers on SEEK are looking for job seekers with expertise in the following areas.
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Latest Chief Financial Officer reviews

Sep 2023
Reviewer's Qualification
Master of Professional Accounting (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Studies)
Experience
5 – 9 years
Organisation size
Medium (20-199 employees)
The good things
Being able to impart your many years of knowledge and experience to your team and see how they learn and develop is probably the closest feeling you will get to being a successful parent without havin...
The challenges
Long hours and weekends of work when most of your team mates are having fun. If things go wrong you also have to take full responsibility for your and your team's actions.
Read more
Oct 2023
Reviewer's Qualification
Bachelor of Commerce
Experience
10+ years
Organisation size
Medium (20-199 employees)
The good things
One of the most significant benefits of being a CFO is that their talents are always in high demand. As an integral part of business and our everyday lives, the need for skilled professionals like CFO...
The challenges
The most challenging part of the CFO role is that it's possible for CFOs to feel burnout even after stepping away from work and always switched on especially if you are a in a startup environment mana...
Read more
Source: SEEK role reviews

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