A chief financial officer must provide leadership in the strategic development of short and long-term financial objectives. Playing a vital role in the management of a company, this person is a member of the executive management team and reports to the company CEO. They assume the daily responsibility to plan, execute, and control all financial activities of the business. This includes accounting, strategic planning, forecasting, property management, deal analysis, managing investor relationships, and private/institutional financing.
Other responsibilities usually include providing accurate and timely analysis of financial trends, forecasts, and budgets, as well as developing and maintaining an effective job cost system. This employee is also expected to ensure company compliance with all federal, state and local laws for tax reporting.
Interested applicants must hold at least a BS in finance or accounting, while an MBA or CPA are even more desirable. Employers look for candidates with over 10 years’ of financial leadership experience, preferably in real estate or property management.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills are indispensible in a chief financial officer, as well as problem solving and time-management skills. Computer proficiency is essential, especially a working knowledge of Windows applications, Excel, Word, and Timberline. People in this field typically make between C
$70,000 and
$188,000 a year.