• Financial Manager Job Description

    A financial manager is a person who is employed by an organization to oversee their financial activities. A financial manager oversees and directs the budgets and investments of their organization to ensure accountability and profitability.

    A financial manager should be honest, persuasive, confident and assertive, and have the ability to lead, organize, delegate, evaluate and budget. They should be able to manage their organization’s financial activities to promote profitability and ensure accurate budgeting and financial planning. They should also be able to communicate effectively to explain complex information to others in the simplest of ways.

  • What does a Financial Manager do?

    Financial managers may do some or all of the following:

    • work with senior management and finance staff
    • manage the preparation of their organization’s budget
    • monitor and control the cash flow in and out of their organization
    • assess a project and figure out whether it is worth financing
    • analyze market trends to find investment opportunities
    • analyze, write and present reports on their organization financial activities
    • monitor and ensure that all applicable laws are observed in their organization’s financial activities
  • Where does a Financial Manager work?
  • Working Conditions

    Financial managers usually work normal office hours, but may sometimes work evenings or weekends to meet deadlines. They work in offices, but may travel to visit clients.

  • What is Required to Become a Financial Manager?

    To become a financial manager, you will need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, business management or a bachelor’s degree in a different discipline with a master’s degree in any of the mentioned disciplines.

    Secondary school students interested in becoming financial managers should take preparatory subjects such as math, business, economics, statistics and computer science.

  • Modules
  • Specializations
  • Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

    Financial managers need to have:

    • patience
    • tactfulness
    • humility
    • empathy
    • adaptability
    • creativity and innovation
    • persistence and diligence
    • confidence and assertiveness
    • integrity and dependability
    • good attention to detail
    • good interpersonal skills
    • good listening and communication skills
    • good business judgment and decision making skills
    • good analytical and problem solving skills
    • time management and organizational skills
    • math and computer skills
    • leadership skills
    • record keeping skills
    • the ability to work well under pressure
    • the ability to keep information confidential
    • the ability to take initiative
    • the ability to identify problems, predict outcomes and evaluate policies
    • knowledge of economics
    • knowledge of quantitative methods
    • knowledge of market research
    • knowledge of budgeting, finance, and accounting theory
    • knowledge of portfolio management
    • knowledge of relevant laws and regulations

References

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Alternative Careers
  • Bank Worker
  • Financial Analyst
  • Economist
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