Corporate Accountant Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the corporate accountant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the corporate accountant role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Corporate Accountant Do?

A corporate accountant is concerned with the task of handling business accounting and maintenance of an organization’s financial records in line with guiding rules, regulations, and policies established by the organization.

The job description of a corporate accountant entails providing general support and valuable information to company executives, including managers and directors, for them to make easy financial decisions for the smooth running of the organization.

A corporate accountant studies the consolidated financial report of an organization as it relates to expenditures, budgets, and taxes, and also performs bank reconciliations each month.

He/she is responsible for ensuring timely and accurate billing, as well as preparation of accounting related entries to various general ledgers.

His/her duties during month and year-end close processes also include the preparation of journal entries.

The work description of a corporate accountant may also involve performing various ad hoc functions that may be assigned, such as researching, summarizing data/analysis, and analyzing requests.

A corporate accountant can specialize in one or more areas of accounting and finance and can also be referred to as a management accountant.

To perform their roles successfully, the corporate accountant should be extremely careful when studying a consolidated report because a thorough job is expected from the accountant.

Corporate Accountant Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Corporate accountants perform various functions in ensuring accurate and valuation information is provided to company executives for effective decision making.

The duties, obligations, tasks, and responsibilities highlighted below represent an example of the corporate accountant job description commonly carried out by individuals who work in this role:

• Analyzes data for the purpose of supporting business decision-making
• Prepares budgets and also go the extra mile to monitor expenditures
• Manages financial reporting and budgeting, and also do forecasting for an organization
• Adheres to accounting procedures so as to be compliant with laid down rules and regulations
• Gathers data on financial areas in an organization or company
• Analyzes and consolidates on financial statutes and results
• Helps to manage periodical reports
• Takes charge of both internal and external audits
• Engages in the analysis of finances in order to determine risks so as to create financial forecasts
• Coordinates the work of both internal and external auditors
• Gives advice to the management on how to draft effective business plan and tackle cost-related problems
• Helps to supervise junior accountants
• Approves monthly payroll for ease of staff payment of salaries
• Analyzes and reviews overhead costs
• Approves all invoices and journals
• Manages and also maintains a resourceful team
• Introduces and develops new procedures in order to improve the accounting process
• Appraises and updates an organization’s accounting policies
• Helps to review a company’s balance sheet, bank reconciliation and other major accounts, such as inventories, stocks, taxes, accruals, shipments and pre-payments
• Engages in the projection of the company’s working capital and also the cash flow statement
• Helps to conduct training for new and existing staff in related departments
• Helps to improve departmental workflow
• Undertakes any other duties or projects as directed by the organization.

Corporate Accountant Requirements – Skills, Abilities and Knowledge to Succeed on the Job

Employers of prospective corporate accountants expect them to be competent, and to possess certain abilities, experience, skills, knowledge, etc. to be able to perform the purpose, obligations, objectives, and responsibilities of the job.

Presented below are major requirements you may have to meet to be considered for employment for the position of corporate accountant with most companies:

• Minimum of 5 years experience as a corporate accounting manager or financial manager, or in any other related discipline
• Possess excellent communication, negotiation, presentation, and customer service skills in both spoken and written forms
• Ability to analyze and present financial results with ease
• Possess strong analytical, interpersonal, and great supervisory skills
• Possess detailed understanding of financial and operational controls
• Possess strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to work with a team
• Must possess a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of financial accounting and reporting in line with international best practices
• Ability to work under intense pressure, handle multiple projects, and meet up with deadlines will be an added advantage
• Ability to show virtues such as honesty, truthfulness, and integrity
• Ability to guild other junior accountants
• Ability to carry out assigned tasks effectively in a fast-paced work environment
• Ability to exemplify self-motivation will be very crucial
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and other accounting software like Peachtree will be critical
• A post graduate degree in Accounting or an MBA is an added advantage.

Conclusion

If you are an employer, recruiter or HR manager looking to hire for the position of corporate accountant in your organization, this post provides you the information and sample job description to enable you create an effective description of the role in your organization.

By posting a detailed description of the corporate accountant job in your company, prospective applicants will be able to learn about what you actually expect of the role and the requirements they must meet to qualify to be hired; and this will enable you to attract the best applicants to your job offer.

This article also helps those interested in the corporate accounting career to learn and improve their knowledge of what the role entails, and so be able to prepare well for it.