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Accounting manager resume example

A resume for an accounting manager with 11 years in accounting, including audit, and a team of six. Controllers and CFOs hiring accounting managers look for a fast, reliable close, clean audits, controls that work and a team that grows, so the first bullets cover all four.

Accounting manager resume example, page 1 of 1NIKHIL DESHPANDEAccounting Manager, CPAnikhil.deshpande@example.com | (206) 555-0148 | Seattle, WA | linkedin.com/in/nikhildeshpande-cpaSUMMARYAccounting manager and CPA with 11 years in accounting, leading a team of 6 that closes the books for a $650million healthcare services company in 5 business days. I run the close, the audit and our SOX controls, and Ispend as much time developing my team as reviewing their work.EXPERIENCEAccounting ManagerMay 2022 – PresentCascade Pacific Health ServicesSeattle, WA•Lead a team of 6 (2 senior accountants, 3 staff accountants and an AP lead) responsible for the generalledger, close and reporting for 9 entities.•Cut the close from 9 business days to 5 by redesigning the close calendar in FloQast and moving to risk-basedreconciliation review.•Manage the annual audit and quarterly reviews; 4 audits with no material adjustments and no managementletter comments in the last 2.•Own 85 key SOX controls over the close and reporting, and remediated 2 significant deficiencies inheritedfrom the prior year.•Hired 4 accountants and promoted 2; annual team turnover fell from 40% to 10%.Senior AccountantJun 2018 – Apr 2022Puget Freight LinesTacoma, WA•Owned revenue, fixed assets (a $210 million fleet) and the consolidation for a trucking company with 5entities.•Led the accounting workstream of a move to Microsoft Dynamics 365, live on schedule after 2 parallel closes.Audit Associate, then Audit SeniorSep 2015 – May 2018Rainier & Ostrom LLPSeattle, WA•Audited transportation and healthcare clients with revenue up to $500 million.EDUCATIONMaster of Professional Accounting2014 – 2015University of Washington, Foster School of BusinessSeattle, WAB.A. in Business Administration, Accounting2010 – 2014University of Washington, Foster School of BusinessSeattle, WACERTIFICATIONSCertified Public Accountant (CPA)2017Washington State Board of AccountancySKILLSTeam leadership · Close management · SOX controls · Audit management · US GAAP · Consolidations ·Healthcare revenue · NetSuite · FloQast · Dynamics 365 · Process improvement · Hiring and training
Accounting managerUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Team size and structure: how many people, which roles and what they own.
  • Close speed and quality: business days to close, number of entities, post-close adjustments.
  • Audit results: adjustments, management letter comments and deficiencies remediated.
  • Controls: SOX or internal control frameworks you own, especially at public or pre-IPO companies.
  • People development: hires, promotions and retention. An accounting manager is judged by the team as much as by the books.

Writing the summary

Years, CPA, team size, company size and industry, then your close timeline and audit record. One sentence on how you lead people separates you from senior accountants applying for the same job.

The summary in this example

Accounting manager and CPA with 11 years in accounting, leading a team of 6 that closes the books for a $650 million healthcare services company in 5 business days. I run the close, the audit and our SOX controls, and I spend as much time developing my team as reviewing their work.

First-time accounting manager

CPA and senior accountant with seven years of experience who has led the close for a 4-person team for the past year, reviewing every journal entry and reconciliation. Looking for a first accounting manager role where I can build a team and a 5-day close.

Accounting manager at a public company

CPA and accounting manager with 12 years of experience, now leading 8 accountants at a Nasdaq-listed medical device company. I own the quarterly close, support the 10-Q and 10-K, and run 120 SOX controls, with no material weaknesses in 4 years.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Brought a 12-entity group from a 14-day close to a 5-day close over 18 months.
  • Led the accounting for a $90 million acquisition, completing the purchase price allocation and integrating its books in one quarter.
  • Cut audit fees by $70,000 a year by delivering complete PBC lists on the first day of fieldwork.
  • Wrote a training plan and desk manuals for 40 close tasks, cutting new-hire ramp-up from 4 months to 2.
  • Rolled out FloQast and close checklists for 6 accountants, raising on-time task completion to 98%.
  • Prepared quarterly flux commentary for the CFO and board, explaining every variance over $250,000.
  • Closed 5 significant deficiencies reported by the prior auditor within one fiscal year.
  • Redesigned the chart of accounts, cutting it from 1,900 accounts to 650.
  • Promoted 3 staff accountants to senior within 2 years.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Month-end and year-end close management
  • US GAAP and technical accounting
  • Audit coordination and PBC management
  • SOX and internal controls (COSO)
  • Consolidations and intercompany
  • ERP and close software (NetSuite, Dynamics 365, SAP, FloQast, BlackLine)
  • Financial statement preparation
  • Process documentation

Soft skills

  • Leading and developing accountants
  • Delegating without losing control
  • Working with auditors and executives
  • Calm at quarter-end

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA): expected for most accounting manager roles; list the state.
  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA): an alternative for roles heavy on management accounting.
  • Certified Internal Auditor (CIA): helpful at controls-heavy companies.

Length and format

Two pages are fine with ten or more years. Lead with your current management role and its team, close, audit and controls results. Senior accountant and audit years get two or three bullets each, or one for the oldest.

Common mistakes

  • Describing your own reconciliations instead of what your team delivers.
  • Leaving out team size and the roles you manage.
  • Missing audit results, the clearest proof of a well-run accounting function.
  • Listing every system you have touched. Keep the ERP and close tools a controller would ask about.
  • Ignoring hiring and retention, which are central to the job and come up in every interview.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between an accounting manager and a controller?

An accounting manager usually runs the close and the accounting team; a controller owns the whole accounting function, financial reporting, controls and often parts of FP&A or tax. See the financial controller example.

Should an accounting manager keep audit experience on the resume?

Yes, briefly. It tells a hiring manager you know what auditors need, which makes the annual audit smoother.

How do I show leadership as a new manager?

Give team size, hires, promotions and the processes you set up, even if you have managed for only a year. The first-time manager summary above is a good model.

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