Director of Finance job description.
A Director of Finance oversees an organization's financial operations, including budgeting, reporting, and internal controls. They lead the finance team, ensure accurate and timely financial reporting, and provide strategic financial guidance to senior leadership to support business planning and growth.
The Director of Finance job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Director of Finance Reports to: Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer
A Director of Finance oversees an organization's financial operations, including budgeting, reporting, and internal controls. They lead the finance team, ensure accurate and timely financial reporting, and provide strategic financial guidance to senior leadership to support business planning and growth.
- Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes
- Ensure timely and accurate preparation of financial statements
- Manage cash flow, banking relationships, and working capital
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes
- Ensure timely and accurate preparation of financial statements
- Manage cash flow, banking relationships, and working capital
- Establish and monitor internal controls and financial policies
- Lead and develop the finance and accounting team
- Provide financial analysis and recommendations to senior leadership
- Coordinate annual audits and ensure regulatory compliance
- Support strategic initiatives with financial modeling and analysis
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 7+ years of progressive finance or accounting experience
- 2+ years in a finance leadership or management role
- Strong knowledge of financial reporting and internal controls
- Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or related field
- CPA or MBA
- Experience with ERP and financial planning systems
- Experience in a multi-site or multi-entity organization
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Director of Finance job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Director of Finance job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The executive band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- Is Director of Finance the same role as Finance Director?
- The titles are largely interchangeable and organizations use them differently; both typically describe senior leadership over financial planning, reporting, and controls.
- What size organization typically hires a Director of Finance?
- The role is common in mid-size to large organizations that need dedicated financial leadership below the CFO level.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Finance Director
A Finance Director oversees an organization's financial planning, reporting, and controls.
Chief Financial Officer
The CFO leads the finance function and is accountable for the company's financial strategy, reporting, and capital structure.
Financial Manager
A financial manager oversees an organization's financial health, directing reporting, budgeting, and investment activities.
This Director of Finance job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.