Senior accountant job description
/What is a Senior Accountant?
A senior accountant is an experienced and well-trained person who works on financial accounting and management accounting tasks. This person typically has a four-year accounting degree, and may possess a CPA or CMA certification. The senior accountant position can be targeted at a specific functional area. For example, this person may be placed in charge of the payables area or payroll area.
What is the Career Path of a Senior Accountant?
This position is located in the organizational structure of the accounting department just below the assistant controller. Senior accountants are normally promoted into the assistant controller position, from which their career path is into the controller position. However, it is also possible for someone with this job title to be permanently targeted at a specific technical position, such as cost accountant or public company reporting specialist. People in these specialized roles do not necessarily have a career path out of the position.
Related AccountingTools Courses
Senior Accountant Duties
In the management accounting field, the senior accountant typically has accumulated three to five years of experience and has the following qualifications:
A four-year degree in accounting
A certification as a Certified Management Accountant or a Certified Public Accountant
Experience in dealing with the full cycle of accounting transactions, including the following:
Payables transactions
Billing transactions
Payroll transactions
Fixed asset transactions
Inventory transactions
Journal entry preparation
Preparation of financial statements
Budget preparation
The senior accountant should have experience supervising a small number of accounting staff.