Senior Accountant Job Description
Detailed job description for a senior accountant, including responsibilities, key skills and education, salary information, interview questions, and more.
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What is a Senior Accountant?
Senior Accountants take ownership of reporting costs, productivity, margins and expenditures for companies and organizations. Unlike junior accountants, they generally do not have to perform administrative tasks such as data gathering, balance sheet population or updating journal entries.
Utilizing hands-on accounting experience and an in-depth understanding of accounting principles and company practices, Senior Accountants perform complex accounting activities and financial analyses. In some instances, they are the point of contact between junior accountants and accounting managers and directors, serving to enforce and monitor compliance with company-wide accounting policies and procedures.
Education Requirements
- More than three years of general accounting experience, either in a public accounting firm or in a private corporate environment
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, math, business administration, or a related field
- Master’s degree in accountancy is required in many cases
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, not always mandatory, but having one could give you an edge
Senior Accountant Essential Skills
- Highly detail-oriented and organized
- Ability to meet a constant stream of deadlines
- Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively with different levels of employees
- Superior analytical and problem-solving skills
- Familiarity with accounting software and programs
Senior Accountant Roles & Responsibilities
- Make recommendations based on analysis and status of reserves, assets and expenditures
- Assist with financial and tax audits
- Document and monitor internal controls in support of auditing team
- Coordinate more complex accounting projects and initiatives with other members of the accounting and finance team or with other departments
Day-to-Day Duties
- Analyze complex financial reports and records
- Review journal entries of junior accountants to ensure accuracy
- Train and mentor junior staff
- Perform variance analyses and prepare account reconciliations
- Prepare financial reports
- Perform account reconciliations
- Maintain the general ledger, prepare tax returns, assist with audit preparations, and perform other accounting duties as assigned